This week, I’ve had Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” #OnRepeat. Chapman’s voice was one of the first deep female voices I heard, helping me to gain more confidence and acceptance of my own deep voice, so when I came across a quote by her this week on social media, I decided to revisit her music.
Tracy Chapman is a singer-songwriter from Cleveland, Ohio, who began playing guitar and writing songs by the age of eight. Her music blends influences of Folk, Blues, Rock, Pop, and Soul music. She gained much attention with her first album, Tracy Chapman, in 1988, and has been performing ever since, frequently performing in events supporting socio-political issues. Some of her most well-known songs are “Fast Car,” “Baby Can I Hold You,” “Crossroads,” and “Telling Stories.”
Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” has heavy influences of Blues, especially in the structure of the lyrics (lines are repeated in the verses and the chorus). The song lyrics are written from the point of view of a fed-up partner who is asking their significant other to tell them why they should stay. Although Chapman doesn’t use any vocal licks or melismas, it really isn’t needed. It’s in what Chapman doesn’t sing or play that you notice the true level of her musical taste. Although some would argue that the song is a “cheesy 90s song” because of its simplistic nature, I think that it is in the simplicity where Chapman’s talent shines.
Take a listen below:
Do you have any singers or groups that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!