Tracy Chapman quotes

Tracy Chapman is an American musician and singer-songwriter, celebrated for her soulful voice and socially conscious lyrics. Her breakthrough came with the critically acclaimed debut album, featuring hits like "Fast Car" and "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution." She continues to inspire listeners around the world with her poignant storytelling and powerful performances. Here are 42 of her quotes:

Songwriting is a very mysterious process. It feels like creating something from nothing. It's something I don't feel like I really control.

Tracy Chapman

I meet people in my daily life, people who seem to experience some change and some growth on a personal level, and that gives me hope.

Tracy Chapman

We have more media than ever and more technology in our lives. It's supposed to help us communicate, but it has the opposite effect of isolating us.

Tracy Chapman

At this point in my life I'd like to live as if only love mattered.

Tracy Chapman

People's real hopes and dreams can be distorted and misdirected and packaged until you're not sure what you really want or what you even really need.

Tracy Chapman

I may be revered or defamed and decried; But I tried to live my life right.

Tracy Chapman

Men are able to sustain a career into their 50s and 60s and still present themselves as sex symbols. With women, on the other hand, people say, 'Why doesn't she retire?'

Tracy Chapman

I learn all these things about the record talking about it after it's finished.

Tracy Chapman

My older sister encouraged me from early on and bought me one of the first guitars I had. She listened to all of the crappy songs that I wrote when I was 8 years old and encouraged me to keep doing it.

Tracy Chapman

Some things remain fragments, just the lyrics and melodies or a line or two or a verse.

Tracy Chapman

The songs are not necessarily autobiographical. A lot of songs are a combination of influences. It might be some part of my life, or something I've felt, or something somebody's told me. It all comes together.

Tracy Chapman

After it's finished, sometimes I can trace a path that goes back to the possible source of inspiration.

Tracy Chapman

Everyone is looking for connections between the songs. I don't usually approach a record as a concept. There's no overriding theme I'm trying to represent. It's all about the individual songs.

Tracy Chapman

I often write either really early in the morning, or really late at night.

Tracy Chapman

I see some recurring themes: things that feel threaded together, some symbolic references, and songs about some of the big questions, like death. There are a lot of references to weather, too!

Tracy Chapman

When you feel like you've had a good show, you go backstage and you talk to yourself about it, and if you have a bad show you talk to yourself about it.

Tracy Chapman

We all must live our lives always feeling, always thinking the moment has arrived.

Tracy Chapman

You have to pay attention to the moment and make it the best it can be for you. I've been trying to do that. It's really made a major difference for me. I'm a happier person.

Tracy Chapman

I end up writing about all kinds of things. I never make an attempt to write about anything in particular. I don't have a little list of topics to write about.

Tracy Chapman

Growing up in Cleveland, I learned about singing from my mother, who had once sung professionally and who admired Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin.

Tracy Chapman

If you are living a life that feels right to you, if you're willing to take creative chances or a creative path that feels like it's mostly in keeping with your sensibilities, you know, aesthetic and artistic, then that's what matters.

Tracy Chapman

As a child I always had a sense of social conditions and political situations. I think it had to do with the fact that my mother was always discussing things with my sister and me - also because I read a lot.

Tracy Chapman