Something To See
Tracy Chapman Lyrics


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No war, no greed
That would be something to see
I hope I live that long

No blood in the streets
Just a distant memory
The history books recount
Now were all free
Now were all free

No war, no greed
That would be something to see
I hope I live that long

No want, no need
The struggle to end poverty
Finally has been won

Now were all free
Now were all free

No war, no greed
That would be something to see
I hope I live that long

Hold my constitution
And have the courage of heart and mind
To right what is wrong

Now were all free
Now were all free

But now you can't believe
What you're told
You can't believe what you hear
The speeches of the politicians
Ring untrue and insincere
You can't believe what you read
You can't believe what's said
They count the targets and the bombs
But do not count the dead
They do not count the dead

No war, no greed
That would be something to see
I hope I live that long

Not lose my faith
In every word on the page
In the face of freedom

No war, no greed




No war, no greed
No war, no greed

Overall Meaning

Tracy Chapman's song "Something To See'' is a powerful song that highlights the dream of a world without war and greed. With every word, Chapman paints a scintillating picture of a world that is free from poverty, bloodshed, and political insincerity. The song is a timeless reminder that peace, not war, should be a priority for humanity.


The first two verses outline Chapman's vision of a peaceful society, one where there is no war or greed. She hopes to live long enough to see a world where people live peacefully with each other, and where poverty is eradicated. Chapman then sings of her desire to hold her constitution and have the courage to right what is wrong. She then speaks of the political class, how their speeches ring untrue and insincere, and how they do not count the dead. The chorus repeats several times, with the hope that there can be no war and no greed.


Line by Line Meaning

No war, no greed
A world without war and greed is a desirable future to live in.


That would be something to see
The realization of such a world would be remarkable.


I hope I live that long
The desire for longevity to witness such a world.


No blood in the streets
A world free from violence and where peace is prevalent.


Just a distant memory
That level of peace is not current, arguably never has been, and is only found in a distant memory.


The history books recount
Only glimpses of such a world are found in history books.


Now were all free
A world where freedom is ubiquitous and everyone has an equal opportunity for success.


No want, no need
The removal of poverty and basic needs being met for all people.


The struggle to end poverty
The process to end poverty has been an arduous one.


Finally has been won
The struggle has been won with the success of ending poverty.


Hold my constitution
To stay true to the principles and values that molded a successful society.


And have the courage of heart and mind
To possess the bravery necessary to overcome challenges to maintain and improve the world.


To right what is wrong
To fix what has been broken or unjust in a world that is not perfect.


But now you can't believe
The current state of politics and media is a source of skepticism.


What you're told
What is broadcasted by those in power cannot be trusted.


You can't believe what you hear
The constant noise made by the political machine is unreliable and does not reflect the truth.


The speeches of the politicians
Speeches of politicians are not genuine and do not represent their true beliefs.


Ring untrue and insincere
The speeches are not credible, making them less believable.


You can't believe what you read
What is made public is often filtered and biased making it unreliable.


You can't believe what's said
Information that is shared is often distrustful.


They count the targets and the bombs
Governments only care for their military campaign objectives.


But do not count the dead
The casualties of war are often ignored and forgotten.


Not lose my faith
Do not abandon hope despite the current state of the world.


In every word on the page
Don't lose faith in the written word, as it can be true and honest.


In the face of freedom
Even in the face of a free world, maintaining hope and faith in righteous acts is necessary.


No war, no greed
A world without war and greed is an ideal world that should be strived towards.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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