Tracy Chapman's rich voice and down-to-earth lyrics have been a favorite of mine for many years. For some strange reason, I used to listen to her albums to help inspire me to cook steaks perfectly - everyone in the household could hear what to expect for dinner! Even my 82 year old Dad would hear her music playing and ask me, "Ooh, is this, ... umm ... Chapman?"
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| Beautiful Tracy Chapman from Entertainment Tonight's coverage of the 2024 Grammys |
She received 4 Grammys for her artistry and gritty lyrics in the late 80s and 90s. She writes about the human experience, about things we can all relate to. Her lyrics are hard hitting, a real punch in the gut, as she addresses chillingly real situations - here's a short excerpt from her song entitled "Why?"
Why do the babies starve
When there's enough food to feed the world
Why when there are so many of us
Are there people still alone
Why are the missiles called peace keepers
When they're aimed to kill
Why is a woman still not safe
When she's in her home
I'm thrilled at her resurgence in popularity since her recent Grammy performance of "Fast Car" with country star Luke Combs 36 years after its release, but I've also had mixed feelings about whether her work has been misappropriated since fan-boy Luke Combs was propelled into the spotlight with a cover of her song.
But every time I watch their performance together, (I cannot recall exactly how many times I've submitted to this whim), I see how proud, delighted and gracious Tracy is. She glitters! I see respect and total admiration from Luke Combs. Tracy Chapman definitely deserves all the credit and recognition for writing this hit song. So long as we continue crediting her for the beautiful creation, I'm okay with their collaboration. After all, Tracy doesn't mince her words, and can clearly stick up for herself! I believe she would know how to say "NO" if it didn't feel right. She looks proud to share her work and see it reach yet more people. She doesn't begrudge someone else their success. If she's okay with it, then I can handle it too. It has given her work and unique voice a boost, which is a good thing, and I just can't stop listening to her, ALL OVER AGAIN. (Newsflash: She has reached No. 1 on two Billboard charts since then!)
What is beautiful to me is that both artists relate to the song for different reasons and from different perspectives, from completely different walks of life - Tracy Chapman doesn't claim to "own" common feelings of desperation and wanting to make something of oneself. Her words address the universality of the human experience, of our shared humanity. She's the one with the power and dignity. I guess that just highlights the magic of Tracy Chapman!
I admire and respect her so much 💖
(Listen to this podcast commenting on their performance: Grammys)
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