I first heard Tracy Chapman when I was a wee nipper; I can never forget the impact her first album ‘Fast Car’ had on me and my sister, trying to emulate her soulful delivery.

Mountains o’ things: A take on The Capitalist Dream.
Give me one reason: A beautiful song about relationships.
If not now: It’s all about timing; and now’s the best time.
Telling Stories: The difficulty of honesty in writing.
Behind the Wall: A song about domestic violence, sung with no music.

Mountains o’ things

The life I’ve always wanted
I guess I’ll never have
I’ll be working for somebody else
Until I’m in my grave
I’ll be dreaming of a life of ease
And mountains
Oh mountains o’ things

To have a big expensive car
Drag my furs on the ground
And have a maid that I can tell
To bring me anything
Everyone will look at me with envy and with greed
I’ll revel in their attention
And mountains
Oh mountains o’ things

Sweet lazy life
Champagne and caviar
I hope you’ll come and find me
Cause you know who we are
Those who deserve the best in life
And know what money’s worth
And those whose sole misfortune
Was having mountains o’ nothing at birth

Oh they tell me
There’s still time to save my soul
They tell me
Renounce all
Renounce all those material things you gained by
Exploiting other human beings

Consume more than you need
This is the dream
Make you pauper
Or make you queen
I won’t die lonely
I’ll have it all prearranged
A grave that’s deep and wide enough
For me and all my mountains o’ things

Mostly I feel lonely
Good good people are
Good people are only
My stepping stones
It’s gonna take all my mountains o’ things
To surround me
Keep all my enemies away
Keep my sadness and loneliness at bay

I’ll be dreaming, dreaming…
Dreaming…

Give me one reason

Give me one reason to stay here – and I’ll turn right back around
Give me one reason to stay here – and I’ll turn right back around
Said I don’t want leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind

Baby I got your number and I know that you got mine
But you know that I called you, I called too many times
You can call me baby, you can call me anytime
But you got to call me

Give me one reason to stay here – and I’ll turn right back around
Give me one reason to stay here – and I’ll turn right back around
Said I don’t want leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind

I don’t want no one to squeeze me – they might take away my life
I don’t want no one to squeeze me – they might take away my life
I just want someone to hold me and rock me through the night

This youthful heart can love you yes and give you what you need
I said this youthful heart can love you and give you what you need
But I’m too old to go chasing you around
Wasting my precious energy

Give me one reason to stay here – and I’ll turn right back around
Give me one reason to stay here – and I’ll turn right back around
Said, I don’t want leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind

Baby just give me one reason – Give me just one reason why
Baby just give me one reason – Give me just one reason why I should stay
Said I told you that I loved you
And there ain’t no more to say

If not now

If not now then when
If not today then
Why make your promises
A love declared for days to come
Is as good as none

You can wait ’til morning comes
You can wait for the new day
You can wait and lose this heart
You can wait and soon be sorry

Now love’s the only thing that’s free
We must take it where it’s found
Pretty soon it may be costly

If now now what then
We all must live our lives
Always feeling
Always thinking
The moment has arrived

Telling Stories

There is fiction in the space between
The lines on your page of memories
Write it down but it doesn’t mean
You’re not just telling stories

There is fiction in the space between
You and reality
You will do and say anything
To make your everyday life
Seem less mundane
There is fiction in the space between
You and me

There’s a science fiction in the space between
You and me
A fabrication of a grand scheme
Where I am the scary monster
I eat the city and as I leave the scene
In my spaceship I am laughing
In your remembrance of your bad dream
There’s no one but you standing

Leave the pity and the blame
For the ones who do not speak
You write the words to get respect and compassion
And for posterity
You write the words and make believe
There is truth in the space between

There is fiction in the space between
You and everybody
Give us all what we need
Give us one more sad sordid story
But in the fiction of the space between
Sometimes a lie is the best thing
Sometimes a lie is the best thing

Behind The Wall

Last night I heard the screaming
Loud voices behind the wall
Another sleepless night for me
It won’t do no good to call
The police
Always come late
If they come at all

Last night I heard the screaming
Loud voices behind the wall
Another sleepless night for me
It won’t do no good to call
The police
Always come late
If they come at all

And when they arrive
They say they can’t interfere
With domestic affairs
Between a man and his wife
And as they walk out the door
The tears well up in her eyes

Last night I heard the screaming
Then a silence that chilled my soul
I prayed that I was dreaming
When I saw the ambulance in the road

And the policeman said
“I’m here to keep the peace
Will the crowd disperse
I think we all could use some sleep”

Last night I heard the screaming
Loud voices behind the wall
Another sleepless night for me
It won’t do no good to call
The police
Always come late
If they come at all