Smoke and Ashes
Tracy Chapman Lyrics

I'd heard rumors and I'd heard talk
I had heard rumors and talk about you and the damage you had caused previously in relationships.

About the trail you'd left of broken hearts
I had heard about the harm you had caused to others and the emotional wreckage you had left behind.

About the sea of tears too wide to cross
I had heard about the number of people who cried because of you and the depth of their pain, which seemed irreparable.

But a little bad press has never scared me off
I was not deterred by negative news or press about you; I was still curious to find out who you really were underneath all the rumors and talk.

So I burned a path to figure out
I made an effort to understand you and know you better despite the negative things I had heard about you.

How to get me some of what you got
I wanted to experience the same passion and love that others said you possessed.

I've got a red hot heart
I have a passionate and vibrant heart full of love and desire.

If the talk is true yours is the same
If the rumors are true, then you also have a passionate and fiery heart just like mine.

We should be together
We should be together as our passionate hearts could create a loving and intense relationship.

And let our passions fan love's flame, oh yeah
We should embrace our hearts and let our fiery passion ignite our love for each other.

When I looked for you I almost passed you by
Initially, I glanced over you as you appeared to be calmer and more composed than others had led me to believe.

You were so cool and calm
You appeared to be composed and had a cool demeanor which surprised me given the rumors about you.

I thought my friends had lied
I doubted what I had heard about you given your appearance.

But I thought so much reserve must make you wild inside
Despite your calm exterior, I thought you must have a wild and passionate interior.

It was there and then that I knew
It was at that moment that I realized the true person you were and the passion you possessed.

I had to get some of what you got
I knew then that I wanted to experience the same passion and love that others had spoken about you.

My right is your wrong
Our opinions and beliefs clash even though we care for each other.

And when you're right then I'm left with nothing
Whenever you are correct, I am left with no power to argue, and I feel helpless in the situation.

Your light and your heat have all been spent
You no longer have the fire and passion you once had; it has all been spent and lost along the way.

Leaving only smoke and ashes,
All that remains of the old passionate you are the memories and the damage caused, leaving behind only sorrow and regret.

Only smoke and ashes baby
All that you left behind is sorrow and regrets, the burnt remnants of an intense passion that once existed.

I was blinded by devotion
Unwavering love and devotion blinded me, preventing me from seeing the truth of your words and actions.

My unwavering love for you
My love for you was absolute and unbroken, despite the negative impact you had on my life.

So blinded that I thought all your lies were true
My love for you blinded me and led me to believe the lies and falsehoods you told me.

But now I know for certain since you've gone away
Now that you have left me, I know that everything was untrue, and I allowed my love for you to betray me.

It was just a smoldering fire I mistook for a blaze
I mistook a small and fading passion for a strong and powerful love, which ultimately led to my pain.

I'm crying all the time
I cry constantly due to my pain and heartbreak.

Salty stinging tears
My tears are so bitter that they feel like salt, causing a sharp pain and underlining the depth of my sorrow.

And mourning for the past carbon-dated years
I am mourning for the past years that have come and gone, marked by sorrow and regret.

But knowing now for certain that you were always right
I know now that you were correct about our relationship and how it would end.

Because if a breeze could blow you out of my life
I know now that our love was not strong, and even a small breeze could have ended our passionate but destructive relationship.

It's only smoke and ashes, baby
It was only an intense fire that burned brightly for a while but ultimately caused nothing but damage and destruction.

And your heart's as blue as the blood in your veins
Your heart is as sad and sorrowful as the blood that flows through your veins.

I say there's fire down below
Despite the past, I believe that there is still passion and love in us, willing to reignite the flame that once burned brightly.

You say it's only smoke and ashes, baby
You believe that our love has been reduced to fire that has burned out, leaving behind only the burnt remnants of our past.