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
The Times They Are A-Changing
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.
Tracy Chapman's cover of Bob Dylan's iconic protest song "The Times They Are A-Changin'" captures the essence of the political and social climate of the 1960s. The song's opening verse attempts to instill a sense of urgency and warning amongst the listeners; the waters are rising, and the times are changing. Chapman sings, "And admit that the waters around you have grown, and accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you is worth savin', then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone for the times they are a-changin'."
The song has different verses that address various people: writers and critics, senators and congressmen, and finally, mothers and fathers. In these verses, Chapman urges them to pay heed to the signs of change, not be left behind, and not to stall the change that is evidently at the door. The chorus of the song reiterates the change as inevitable with the iconic line, "For the times they are a-changin'."
The song's lyrics reflect not only the political upheaval and transformation that occurred during the 1960s but also the wider sense of countercultural revolution that characterized the era. Chapman's cover honors the original song's sentiment and highlights how it remains as relevant today as it was when it was written over 60 years ago.
Line by Line Meaning
Come gather 'round people
Gather together, everyone
Wherever you roam
No matter where you are
And admit that the waters
Acknowledge that the situation
Around you have grown
Has gotten bigger/more substantial
And accept it that soon
Realize that in the near future
You'll be drenched to the bone.
You'll be fully affected by it
If your time to you
If your life
Is worth savin'
Is valuable to you
Then you better start swimmin'
Then you better start taking action
Or you'll sink like a stone
Or you'll fail to survive
For the times they are a-changin'.
Because things are changing
Come writers and critics
Come all who have opinions
Who prophesize with your pen
Who predict with your writing
And keep your eyes wide
Stay alert and aware
The chance won't come again
Opportunities are rare
And don't speak too soon
And don't make assumptions too quickly
For the wheel's still in spin
Because the situation is still changing
And there's no tellin' who
And there's no way to know for sure
That it's namin'.
What will happen
For the loser now
For those who are struggling now
Will be later to win
It may be their turn to succeed later
For the times they are a-changin'.
Because things are changing
Come senators, congressmen
Come all who hold political power
Please heed the call
Please pay attention to this message
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block progress
Don't block up the hall
Don't prevent change from happening
For he that gets hurt
Because those who suffer
Will be he who has stalled
May be those who obstructed progress
There's a battle outside
There is conflict happening
And it is ragin'.
And it is intense and ongoing
It'll soon shake your windows
It will soon affect you
And rattle your walls
And shake your foundations
For the times they are a-changin'.
Because things are changing
Come mothers and fathers
Come all parents
Throughout the land
Everywhere
And don't criticize
And don't judge negatively
What you can't understand
What you don't comprehend
Your sons and your daughters
Your children
Are beyond your command
Are not under your control
Your old road is
The way you used to do things
Rapidly agin'.
Is quickly becoming obsolete
Please get out of the new one
If you can't adapt to change
If you can't lend your hand
If you can't contribute positively
For the times they are a-changin'.
Because things are changing
The line it is drawn
The line is being drawn
The curse it is cast
The situation is irreversible
The slow one now
Those who are struggling now
Will later be fast
May succeed later
As the present now
As the current situation
Will later be past
Will become history
The order is
The way things are
Rapidly fadin'.
Is quickly disappearing
And the first one now
And those who are successful now
Will later be last
May be surpassed later
For the times they are a-changin'.
Because things are changing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jaygensn1
I lover her version. She has a very unique voice and I love it.
Phoenix Noiré
It'd be even better if it were her version and not just her singing Bob Dylan's version
Abhijit Borah
Tracy, the Grammy winner, did an excellent job of this timeless creation of Dylan. My favourite rendition
Lúcia de Fátima Maciel
só papai do çeú sabe o poder que tem essa divina e unica voz .....
Donald Dodds
Tracy nailed it !!
Pickled Fish
What a voice. Live, too! Very moving rendition...
Justin Meadows
There are very very very few times that a Bob Dylan cover is better then his vision. This is one of those times
johhny blaze
Yaaas!!! This version is perfect!!!
Devonna Spratlen Cureton
Yessssss Tracy!!!!I love this version.
Mrs. Nkosazana DuppyConqueror
whooo hoo I remember I had gotten Tracy's first debut major album after she sang on corners ( near her hometown for YEARS surely brilliant ) right about the time I saw her perform this bob dylan reworked tribute to peace justice change and hope , he wrote many years before my birth and Chapman's ...I sang it in 1999 and it led me to finally become a public singer in 99' as I was hiding my voice for years before...her work still blows my mind and I named her song CHANGE as my fav all time tune ever in my sacramento Sammie award interview after being nominated...biggest music award in the capitol of state with most Americans but all my producers have grammies so I'm gonna work on more record label supported releases ...I hid away staying low profile, after fame tried eat me alive haha ...but tracy reminds me as does Bob Dylan...fear is a lie when it's not helping our safety ! change for all is coming happens everyday so I'm gonna get more adept at PIVOTTING ! thank u Tracy Chapman and Bob Dylan for your incredibly supportive music for humanity to progress and feel humane,love freedom hope pain sorrow rebirth and redemption , too!! just like Tracy's song says "song title - first try-'can't run can't fly can't take the limits of this ordinary life but it's a first try" "....