Telling Stories
Tracy Chapman Lyrics

There is fiction in the space between
The gap between reality and perception is filled with imagination and make-believe

The lines on your page of memories
The memories or experiences we record are often fabricated or exaggerated

Write it down but it doesn't mean
Recording your experiences or memories does not make them inherently true or accurate

You're not just telling stories
Many times we tell stories that are not necessarily true, but they still convey an idea or feeling

There is fiction in the space between
The gap between reality and perception is filled with imagination and make-believe

You and reality
The gap between what is real and what we perceive to be real

You will do and say anything
We often exaggerate, fabricate or twist the truth to make our lives more interesting

To make your everyday life seem less mundane
Lying or exaggerating makes our lives appear more interesting and exciting

There is fiction in the space between
The gap between people is filled with imagination and make-believe

You and me
The gap between two people is filled with perception and make-believe

There's a science fiction in the space between
The gap between two people can become so vast that it can lead to science-fiction-like ways of looking at each other

A fabrication of a grand scheme
Our perception of others can lead to us creating untrue stories about that person

Where I am the scary monster
When imagining others, we can paint them as a villain or a negative character

I eat the city and as I leave the scene
Our imagination can make us the singer or antagonist of stories that never happened

In my spaceship I am laughing
We can come up with fantastical stories in our mind that never happened in real life

In your remembrance of your bad dream
When remembering something negative, our imagination can blow it out of proportion and create a fake story around it

There's no one but you standing
The stories we create in our imagination are solely ours and no one else can truly understand them

Leave the pity and the blame
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and blaming others

For the ones who do not speak
It's easy to blame things on people who can't defend themselves

You write the words to get respect and compassion
We write our experiences to gain empathy or respect from others

And for posterity
We write things down so that future generations can understand our experiences

You write the words and make believe
We sometimes make up things to make our writing more interesting or to tell a better story

There is truth in the space between
There may be many interpretations and perceptions of reality, but there is still some truth to be found in the gap between perception and reality

You and everybody
The gap between what you think of yourself and what others think of you is filled with imagination and make-believe

Give us all what we need
People often want to hear stories that are interesting, exciting, or make them feel something

Give us one more sad sordid story
People are often drawn to stories filled with drama, sadness or tragedy

But in the fiction of the space between
Even in the stories and fabrications that we create, there may be some truth or insight

Sometimes a lie is the best thing
Sometimes, lying or exaggerating can be the best way to convey a message or feeling

Oh the best thing
Exaggerating or lying can be a positive thing, as it can help to convey a message or meaning that the truth can't

Is the best thing
Lying or exaggerating can often lead to a better story, a more interesting idea or a deeper truth