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
Fansite: http://www.tracychapmanonline.com
Sorry
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
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Sorry
Is all that you can't say
Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like sorry like sorry
Forgive me
Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like forgive me forgive me
But you can say baby
Baby can I hold you tonight
Maybe if I told you the right words
At the right time you'd be mine
I love you
Is all that you can't say
Years gone by and still
Words don't come easily
Like I love you I love you
Tracy Chapman's Sorry is a song that tackles the difficulty of apologizing and expressing love. The lyrics are simple, yet powerful, and evoke a sense of longing and regret. The song starts with the repetition of "Sorry is all that you can't say," emphasizing how the inability to apologize can lead to years of regret and missed opportunities. The next verse continues with "Forgive me is all that you can't say," highlighting how difficult it can be to ask for forgiveness.
The chorus, however, brings a glimmer of hope, as the singer asks if they can hold their loved one tonight and if maybe the right words at the right time can make them theirs. The final verse is the most straightforward, as the singer expresses their love and how it's all that they can't say. The beauty of the song is in its simplicity and how it captures the essence of expressing vulnerability.
Overall, Sorry is a song that speaks to the human experience of grappling with emotions and the weight of our words. It's a reminder to not let pride and fear get in the way of expressing genuine emotions to those we care about.
Line by Line Meaning
Sorry
The singer can only express their remorse by uttering this one word.
Is all that you can't say
The singer is unable to articulate their feelings of regret beyond apologizing.
Years gone by and still
Despite the passage of time, the singer still struggles to voice their remorse.
Words don't come easily
The artist is finding it difficult to articulate the feelings that they are trying to express.
Like sorry like sorry
The artist repeats the word sorry, indicating that it is the only expression of remorse that they can offer.
Forgive me
The singer is asking for forgiveness but can't express it beyond these two words.
Is all that you can't say
Once again, the singer is expressing the difficulty they experience in expressing their emotions.
Years gone by and still
Even after years of wanting to say more, the artist is still unable to express their remorse beyond these two words.
Words don't come easily
Once again, the artist finds themselves struggling to articulate their feelings of regret.
Like forgive me forgive me
The artist repeats the phrase 'forgive me', indicating that this is the only way they can express their regret.
But you can say baby
The singer directs their message to a specific person, addressing them colloquially as 'baby.'
Baby can I hold you tonight
The artist is asking the person if they can be physically close to them as a way of expressing their feelings.
Maybe if I told you the right words
The singer acknowledges their difficulty in expressing their emotions, suggesting that they just haven't found the right way to say what they are feeling.
At the right time you'd be mine
The singer implies that if they were able to say the right thing at the right time, they might have a chance with the person they are addressing.
I love you
The singer expresses the depth of their feelings, using the three words that are often the hardest to say.
Is all that you can't say
Despite their earlier difficulty in expressing themselves, the artist now admits that what they really want to say is 'I love you.'
Years gone by and still
The artist reminds us of the length of time it has taken them to express their true feelings, making it clear how significant this moment is.
Words don't come easily
Once again, the singer reminds us of how hard it has been for them to find the right words.
Like I love you I love you
The singer repeats the words 'I love you', this time indicating that this is the most important thing they want to say.
Contributed by Ella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.