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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Sing for You
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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Sweet and high at the break of dawn
Simple tune that you can hum along too
I remember there was a time
When I used to sing for you
[Chorus]
Do do do, do do do
Do do do, do do do
I used to sing for you
[Chorus]
Knew all the words to the popular songs
With the radio on full volume
I remember there was a time
When I used to sing for you
[Chorus]
I used to sing for you
[Chorus]
Forget the chorus, you?re the bridge
The words and music to everyday I?ve lived
There?s nothing, I wouldn?t give
For one more time, when I can sing for you
[Chorus]
Oh Yeah
[Chorus]
Soft and low when the evening comes
Holding you, sleeping in my arms
I remember there was a time
When I used to sing for you
[Chorus]
I used to sing for you
[Chorus]
I used to sing for you
The lyrics of Tracy Chapman's "Sing For You" are a nostalgic reflection on a time when the singer used to sing for someone. The sweet and simple song is set at the break of dawn, and the singer remembers a time when she used to know all the words to popular songs that played on the radio, and she would sing them for the person she cares about. The lyrics are heartfelt and speak of a longing to be able to sing for this person once again.
The chorus consists of a simple "do do do" melody that seems to represent the simplicity and joy of the times when the singer sang for the person she loved. In the bridge, the singer talks about how this person is the bridge to the everyday moments of her life. She reflects on the fact that she would give anything to be able to sing for this person again, and the emotional weight of the lyrics is particularly poignant.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet and high at the break of dawn
Starting the day with a cheerful and lively melody
Simple tune that you can hum along too
An uncomplicated melody that's easy to remember and sing along to
I remember there was a time
When I used to sing for you
A reminiscence of a time in the past when the singer used to perform for someone
Do do do, do do do
Do do do, do do do
Do do do, do do do
I used to sing for you
The singer's recollection of the catchy and repetitive tune they used to sing
Knew all the words to the popular songs
With the radio on full volume
Knowing all the lyrics to the hit tunes and singing them loudly with the radio turned up
Forget the chorus, you?re the bridge
The words and music to everyday I?ve lived
There?s nothing, I wouldn?t give
For one more time, when I can sing for you
The person whom the singer once performed for is the connecting element and the inspiration behind the singer's life experiences. The singer would give anything to sing for that person once again
Soft and low when the evening comes
Holding you, sleeping in my arms
Singing a gentle and quiet song to someone dear, while in an embrace and as they drift off to sleep
I used to sing for you
A repetition of the fact that the singer performed for someone in the past
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVEN CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind