Born in Cleveland, Ohio,U.S., Tracy Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs as a child. She received a scholarship through A Better Chance that allowed her to attend Wooster School in Connecticut, and was eventually accepted to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.
Tracy Chapman helped restore songwriters to the spotlight in the '80s. The multi-platinum success of Chapman's eponymous 1988 debut was unexpected, and it had lasting impact. Although Chapman was working from the same confessional songwriter foundation that had been popularized in the '70s, her songs were fresh and powerful, driven by simple melodies and affecting lyrics. At the time of her first album, there were only a handful of artists performing such a style successfully, and her success ushered in a new era of songwriters that lasted well into the '90s. Along with 10,000 Maniacs and R.E.M., Chapman's liberal politics proved enormously influential on American college campuses in the late '80s.
Official Website: http://www.tracychapman.com
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Mountain O' Things
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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I guess I'll never have
I'll be working for somebody else
Until I'm in my grave
I'll be dreaming of a live of ease
And mountains Oh mountains o' things
To have a big expensive car
And have a maid that I can tell
To bring me anything
Everyone will look at me with envy and with greed
I'll revel in their attention
And mountains Oh mountains o' things
Sweet lazy life
Champagne and caviar
I hope you'll come and find me
Cause you know who we are
Those who deserve the best in life
And know what money's worth
And those whose sole misfortune
Was having mountains o' nothing at birth
Oh they tell me
There's still time to save my soul
They tell me
Renounce all
Renounce all those material things you gained by
Exploiting other human beings
Consume more than you need
This is the dream
Make you pauper
Or make you queen
I won't die lonely
I'll have it all prearranged
A grave that's deep and wide enough
For me and all my mountains o' things
Mostly I feel lonely
Good good people are
Good people are only
My stepping stones
It's gonna take all my mountains o' things
To surround me
Keep all my enemies away
Keep my sadness and loneliness at bay
I'll be dreaming, dreaming... Dreaming...
Tracy Chapman's song "Mountains o' things" is a commentary on the dangers of materialism and the societal pressure to strive for wealth and possessions. The song is sung from the perspective of someone who desires a life of luxury and ease, with expensive cars, furs, and a personal maid. The chorus emphasizes the desire for "mountains o' things", which represents the accumulation of material possessions that symbolize status and success.
The verses contrast this desire with a sense of emptiness and loneliness, as the singer realizes that their pursuit of wealth and status has led them away from the important things in life. They recognize that the pursuit of material gain has come at the expense of their soul and the exploitation of other human beings. The song ultimately suggests that the pursuit of material possessions can never bring true happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
The life I've always wanted
The life of luxury that I've always wanted
I guess I'll never have
I don't think I'll ever be able to achieve it
I'll be working for somebody else
I'll have to work for someone else to earn a living
Until I'm in my grave
I'll have to work all my life, even after I die
I'll be dreaming of a live of ease
I'll still dream of an easy, luxurious life
And mountains Oh mountains o' things
But all I'll have are material possessions
To have a big expensive car
I want to own an expensive car
Drag my furs on the ground
And wear luxurious fur clothing
And have a maid that I can tell
And have a servant who will listen to my every command
To bring me anything
To bring me anything I desire
Everyone will look at me with envy and with greed
I want to be envied by everyone and make them greedy
I'll revel in their attention
I'll enjoy the attention and admiration from others
And mountains Oh mountains o' things
But all I'll have are material possessions
Sweet lazy life
A life of luxury and leisure
Champagne and caviar
Drinking expensive champagne and eating caviar
I hope you'll come and find me
I hope someone will come and join me in my luxurious life
Cause you know who we are
Because you know we deserve the best in life
Those who deserve the best in life
Those who deserve a life of luxury
And know what money's worth
And know the value of money and material possessions
And those whose sole misfortune
And those who are unfortunate
Was having mountains o' nothing at birth
As they were born with nothing
Oh they tell me
People tell me
There's still time to save my soul
That there's still time for me to find redemption
Renounce all
To give up all
Renounce all those material things you gained by
To give up all the possessions acquired through exploiting others
Exploiting other human beings
By taking advantage of other people
Consume more than you need
To consume more than required
This is the dream
This is the life of luxury that is often portrayed as a dream
Make you pauper
It can make you poor
Or make you queen
Or it can make you feel like royalty
I won't die lonely
I won't die feeling alone
I'll have it all prearranged
I'll have everything sorted and planned out
A grave that's deep and wide enough
Even my death will be predetermined with a suitable grave
For me and all my mountains o' things
To accommodate all the material possessions I have amassed
Mostly I feel lonely
Despite my possessions, I still feel lonely most of the time
Good good people are
The people who would treat me well and embrace me for who I am
Good people are only
However, good people are rare to find
My stepping stones
People I can use to get what I want
It's gonna take all my mountains o' things
All my material possessions can help me keep those people away
To surround me
These possessions will serve as protection
Keep all my enemies away
From those who would harm me and take away my possessions
Keep my sadness and loneliness at bay
And help me cope with my loneliness and sadness
I'll be dreaming, dreaming... Dreaming...
Even though I'll never find true happiness, I'll keep hoping and dreaming for it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRACY L CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind