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Tracy Chapman — Heaven's Here on Earth
Album: New Beginning
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2126









Released: 1995
Length: 5:14
Plays (last 30 days): 3
You can look to the stars in search of the answers
Look for God and life on distant planets
Have your faith in the ever after
While each of us holds inside the map to the labyrinth
And heaven's here on earth

We are the spirit the collective conscience
We create the pain and the suffering and the beauty in this world
Heaven's here on earth

In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise
Of ordinary people leading ordinary lives
Filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice
Heaven's in our hearts

In our faith in humankind
In our respect for what is earthly
In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding

Look around
Believe in what you see
The kingdom is at hand
The promised land is at your feet
We can and will become what we aspire to be
If Heaven's here on earth

If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief that truth is divinity
And heaven's here on earth

I've seen spirits
I've met angels
I've touched creations beautiful and wondrous
I've been places where I question all I think I know
But I believe, I believe, I believe this could be heaven

We are born inside the gates with the power to create life
And to take it away
The world is our temple
The world is our church
Heaven's here on earth

If we have faith in humankind
And respect for what is earthly
And an unfaltering belief
In peace and love and understanding
This could be heaven here on earth
Comments (150)add comment
 bhromo1 wrote:

I can't stand this monotonic repetitive nauseating woman! I just can't and you keep playing her over and over again... forcing me to change stations! WHY?



Well, that's why we have a FF button here.
 danfl75 wrote:
 
Good warning, but we should still strive to improve our world. We only need just and compassionate societies that tamp down the evil, not utopia.

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." --Vince Lombardi 

"But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism."
--Max Ehrmann

Which wolves (future) will we feed? I'm always more optimistic in the morning. Maybe all government functions should stop after lunch and let them heal for the rest of the day?
 


If I was better informed I would know who Kevin Wilkerson is and why I should respect his opinion as you too seem to have your doubts. What's the alternative? Embrace your worst impulses? Accept the fact that you are broken and abandon all efforts to improve yourself? Seems awfully short sighted, like it was penned by a tenured academic with little relatable experience with  ordinary folk.
Refreshing change from her overplayed oldies.
What an incredible song.  Right up there with John Lennon's Imagine. A wish for humankind in a time of war. 
I suspect I first heard her playing at the loggia in front of the Harvard Coop one evening in 1984. Maybe she was attracted by the acoustic reinforcement.
 karljonasson wrote:
My favorite song from her. Therefore gets a 2.
 

10 in binary code, is it?
Strive to see Heaven at least once a day; it's here if you look for it.
I almost always find myself crying while listening to this album from the sheer beauty and emotion that it exudes.  
again lie
Such a graceful singer , singing a quite beautiful song!
 Baby_M wrote:
"The creeds based on human perfectibility, which is the romantic notion at the heart of all utopian thinking, have as their main problem the countervailing example of everybody you’ve ever met and ever will."  --Kevin D. Williamson 
Good warning, but we should still strive to improve our world. We only need just and compassionate societies that tamp down the evil, not utopia.

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." --Vince Lombardi 

"But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism."
--Max Ehrmann

Which wolves (future) will we feed? I'm always more optimistic in the morning. Maybe all government functions should stop after lunch and let them heal for the rest of the day?
 

 ziggytrix wrote:
ethajn wrote:
A magical combination of mediocre, pretentious, and preachy.
Mediocre? I guess you're entitled to that opinion. Personally, I think she's incredibly underrated. It's only pretentious if she doesn't mean it. As for preachy? I suppose it is a bit, but what's so bad about the message being preached here?
I've been a bothered mind by the free and incorrect usage of pretentious in the comments. Way to set the record straight! Love Tracy and this song, 10 from me. Beautiful music and sentiments and absolutely heartfelt.

It's a pretty tune, and I like listening to it, but......

"The creeds based on human perfectibility, which is the romantic notion at the heart of all utopian thinking, have as their main problem the countervailing example of everybody you’ve ever met and ever will."  --Kevin D. Williamson 
add another 8
{#Music} Oh, yeah! 
I get continually blown away by Tracy Chapman's breadth, depth and timeless quality of work here on RP. As I'd held my own self back from it at the time of release(s), because I figured if I admitted I liked Tracy Chapman stuff then someone, anyone, here in Atlanta, Georgia, might think I went to Agnes Scott College. (I didn't.) I was just a little too worried about staying too cool for the room. At the time. Oh with those youthy self-defeating thought processes! 
 jmkate wrote:
I don't know how I have managed to miss this song until now, but how wonderful.

 
I'm with you.
Superb stuff.
Her voice here is less haunted/tormented than many of her other pieces; I wasn't sure it was her till I checked. Really like her work, and enjoying this one in particular a lot.
 hayduke2 wrote:
Tracy is Godlike

 

Absolutely.
 flyboy wrote:
Today's set has pretty much sucked for the last three hours or so.  This is hitting the bottom of the barell, so I guess there's no where to go but up from here.  I hope it happens fast.

 
"barell"? You spell like Palin does, too. {#Iamwithstupid}  How appropriate! 
 flyboy wrote:
Today's set has pretty much sucked for the last three hours or so.  This is hitting the bottom of the barell, so I guess there's no where to go but up from here.  I hope it happens fast.

  given your brag as to where your from, no surprise a strong, gay, black woman scares you.....



20 years and still sounds fresh....
 fredriley wrote:
Is that uillean pipes in the background? I've only just noticed them after many listens, and that's added another likeable layer to the song. Sure it's a 'message' song, but it's a simple enough message that bears repeating time after time, particularly when you've got priests and popes and imams and rabbis and gurus and other religious apologists for the status quo telling us that we have to put up with a miserable life for our reward in heaven. Stuff that for a game of soldiers: one life, one world, bloody well enjoy yourself whilst you can.

Tracy Chapman always gets me just there - her songs and singing have such genuine emotion. 9 from the moved Nottingham jury.

 
Well said.
to all you haters of this fine singer/songwriter/human, this  song proves you to be deaf to truth.{#Sunny}
I don't know how I have managed to miss this song until now, but how wonderful.
Is that uillean pipes in the background? I've only just noticed them after many listens, and that's added another likeable layer to the song. Sure it's a 'message' song, but it's a simple enough message that bears repeating time after time, particularly when you've got priests and popes and imams and rabbis and gurus and other religious apologists for the status quo telling us that we have to put up with a miserable life for our reward in heaven. Stuff that for a game of soldiers: one life, one world, bloody well enjoy yourself whilst you can.

Tracy Chapman always gets me just there - her songs and singing have such genuine emotion. 9 from the moved Nottingham jury.
 TerryS wrote:

Some prefer pablum, some, granola.

 
Neither of those choices are particularly appetizing to me, pretty good tune though.
Tracy is Godlike
My favorite song from her. Therefore gets a 2.
She is a great songwriter, story teller and I found her music continues to grow. Some people don't like performers that preach or present thought provoking lyrics. Some of my favorite do it all the time. Bruce Cockburn, Bruce S, Jackson Browne ....
 jagdriver wrote:

It's her voice I find grating. And I've never been all that crazy about "message" music, preferring to think of the voice as another instrument. The words always get little to no consideration when determining whether or not I like any given song, although they can be a definite turnoff if they're disagreeable. For me, music is something to enjoy and not have to devote my thinking to; that's what reading, lectures, and conversation is for.
 
Some prefer pablum, some, granola.


 EssexTex wrote:
Try dancing to this..for a laugh
 

Easy.
slow smooch does it.



Source: https://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUjEwSELawLFtH0iXqj2Kn643wWIuMUniyOUJ7StJKVgYyos2JJrbsRKnu


a few months ago i came across a way of thinking that suggests the present moment is all we ever have , no past, no future , that our perception of our surroundings is clouded by one of our best assets and our worst enemy , our mind.  Being present in the moment is often hidden from us as we worry about the past and future ,,, and if you can stop you mind from thinking ,,,, heaven is here  ,  right now ,  that we are all connected ,, little bits of  consciousness manifested.  {#Good-vibes}

if you find this way of thinking at all curious you hear many artists speak sing of this and for me that fills my being with joy
Heaven's in heaven (if it was on earth, it'd be called Paradise.) And looking around, I don't see too much Paradise, but there are glimpses of what the earth could be, if handled correctly and with love instead of greed and selfishness.  I'm appreciating Tracy Chapman's music more and more these days.....{#Sunny}
What the hell is wrong with all of you?  TC not good enough? I'm giving her a 10, and then coming in with different i.d.'s to counter your ones.  dammit.
 haljordan wrote:
I like the Belinda Carlisle version better.
 
{#Lol}  Why? Because it's a completely different song, or because it's in a major key? Either way, I love this song. {#Meditate}                            
well said
I like the Belinda Carlisle version better.
It's Friday night and now I feel like going to sleeeeeeeeeeep.ZZZZZZZZZZ
rp: I'll sing along to TC anytime...and have thouroughly enjoyed your morning selections, thank you.  Please play somma Carina Round again soon.

pesimist:  chang your frig'n channel     
Today's set has pretty much sucked for the last three hours or so.  This is hitting the bottom of the barell, so I guess there's no where to go but up from here.  I hope it happens fast.
Where else would heaven be?  According to the Eagles it is here on earth as well.....seems to be a trend!
Guess we should take care of what we have now if that is the case!

I thought I was in church for a second there.


 Stefen wrote: 

Well, it was great until Bill threw in TC. Time to take an afternoon break.
 musikalia wrote:
Well, I was enjoying the set this morning...until this.
I know Tracy Chapman sings about some supposedly deep ideas and all that....
....but somehow I find her delivery of it trite and boring. The impact isn't there for me.
 
It's her voice I find grating. And I've never been all that crazy about "message" music, preferring to think of the voice as another instrument. The words always get little to no consideration when determining whether or not I like any given song, although they can be a definite turnoff if they're disagreeable. For me, music is something to enjoy and not have to devote my thinking to; that's what reading, lectures, and conversation is for.
{#Chillpill}  {#Sleep}
The whole album is brilliant. In fact, I find this to be a weaker track of an otherwise fabulous CD.
Awesome tune. Need to dust this cd off and play.
Just thought I'd check the comments to see if listeners are still moaning and groaning about this gentle woman. Yep! I see so.
This whole album is fantastic, but I often find myself skipping this song (track 1) and beginning with the title track, New Beginnings. Just seems to kick it off better.
It's funny to see all of this faux "intellectualism" trying to critique Tracy's music. Duh.
Well, I was enjoying the set this morning...until this. I know Tracy Chapman sings about some supposedly deep ideas and all that.... ....but somehow I find her delivery of it trite and boring. The impact isn't there for me.
nigelr wrote:
A great Tracy song, and as always, impeccible backing musicians.
Jup, great musicians, dull Tracy as usual. :)
Grog Italy Venice
Try dancing to this..for a laugh
just for you, Tracy.i see wars, diseases, murders, etc.
oh , my god ! how booooooooring is that !?
Good stuff but my fave Tracy Chapman song is still "Smoke and Ashes". So, Bill, next time you get a "fire" theme going...
haljordan wrote:
The overwhelming humanistic narcissism implicit in the logic of her message.
"humanistic narcissism"? Narcissism refers to an obsession with the self, particularly appearance, whereas humanism refers to a belief in humankind as a mass. "humanistic narcissism" is an oxymoron.
The album cover looks like an aerial view of Tracy.
A great Tracy song, and as always, impeccible backing musicians.
I don't see what's so bad about this song. It garners at least a 7. It's a great track. EDIT: Besides... it's LOADS better than that freakin' "Gimme One Reason" piece of crap.
finally.. this is over
Is there anything she says in this song that anyone can disagree with? What, specifically? Please explain your position with clarity. I really want to know...
total crap
Finally a Tracy Chapman song that I like.
Who cares about the message... what an awful song.
ziggytrix wrote:
...what's so bad about the message being preached here?
The overwhelming humanistic narcissism implicit in the logic of her message.
... for some this will be the closest to heaven they'll ever get and for some this will be the closest to hell they will ever get...
bokey wrote:
When I hear her I think Joan Armatrading has a new album and I get all excited.
Recently bought JA's greatest and I'm also wondering what happened to that pint-sized dynamo?
Bryan Black says he supports the entire catalog. I personally don't like her very much.
This one is OK, but I think there are better ones in her library.
MojoJojo wrote:
Not to be a poop here, but that's just the problem for me. Her words *should* be inspiring to me, but her voice / musical style is enough of a turn-off for me personally that I have a hard time coming away with a meaninful message.
Know whatcha mean; too relentlessly gloomy.
bokey wrote:
When I hear her I think Joan Armatrading has a new album and I get all excited.
I miss Joan.
Always thought this one of her best albums. Tracy's voice slays me!
When I hear her I think Joan Armatrading has a new album and I get all excited.
Truer words were never spoken. Until we stop fighting over whose "God" is greater, we'll never understand.
TC seems to inspire dichotomous reactions. I like that. I think she was sort of punished for having such a great debut album.
Nice instrumental backing and voice, but the lyrics clunk like anchor chains - it's been a while since I've heard "collective consciousness" in a song lyric...
Not to be a poop here, but that's just the problem for me. Her words *should* be inspiring to me, but her voice / musical style is enough of a turn-off for me personally that I have a hard time coming away with a meaninful message. I'm trying, really I am. crowhog2000 wrote:
Tracy is inspiring
Here and now is all you get. Live honorably.
Tracy is inspiring
ethajn wrote:
A magical combination of mediocre, pretentious, and preachy.
Mediocre? I guess you're entitled to that opinion. Personally, I think she's incredibly underrated. It's only pretentious if she doesn't mean it. As for preachy? I suppose it is a bit, but what's so bad about the message being preached here?
We have a winner - Most Insipid Song of the Year!
i love this song... and tracy's unique sound
ethajn wrote:
A magical combination of mediocre, pretentious, and preachy. If I never hear this song again, I will still have heard it one time too many. I want my five minutes back - but alas! That's sort of like wishing the toothpaste back into the tube.
You nailed it. Time to see what's playing on Review Channel.
mojoman wrote:
"Anyone who doesn't believe in the doctrine of original sin need only read 4,000 years of recorded history." -- G.K. Chesterton.
Well said. And the one man who had any authority to give the solution said 'Love your neighbour as yourself' and 'As you would like others to do to you, do it for them' (Please note the emphasis in this oft misquoted statement is that you should do it first, not just respond to another's act of kindness or generosity.)
That's pretty rough, Ethajn. The lyrics touched *me*, so who knows... maybe I'll be a little nicer fellow because of it (I'll let you know how it goes ).
A magical combination of mediocre, pretentious, and preachy. If I never hear this song again, I will still have heard it one time too many. I want my five minutes back - but alas! That's sort of like wishing the toothpaste back into the tube. One of the few songs in the world I dislike more than "Imagine", and that's saying quite a bit. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for peace, love, and understanding. And I agree, the world would be a much better place if people were nicer to each other, but if saying so were enough to make it happen, then heaven on earth would already be a reality. Songs are not "communications". Music is not a vehicle for lyrics. Lyrics are not simply for the purpose of communicating a "moral". Form and function are inseparable, particularly with poetry and music. Nice sentiments and good ethics do not automatically make a good song. It's not just what you say, it's how you say it. Maybe Tracy Chapman would be better off teaching Sunday School. Show me, don't tell me. That's the difference between music that one agrees with mentally and music that moves the soul.
A wonderful morning prayer, perhaps we should all try it, nothing else seems to be working.
shakitten wrote:
... try an experiment...smile more, help more, and serve more. Once you get out of your own ego and ego needs, you'll begin to see a bit more sunshine in your world ... :)
... ...
I forgot to add in this equation her unique voice
magic lirics + simple guitar chord = Tracy Chapman
I cannot stop rewinding this song in the Real Player and playing it over and over, and looking at the lyrics pasted. Poets flurish so we may enhance our consciousness, I'm convinced. Chapman is one of the most inspired ones, even though I realize that some people cannot stand her music.
Rinse and repeat
catmaven wrote:
NObody could actually believe this and be sane, or else they have never read a history book or known other people.
I think her point is that this is all we've got - this life, this earth, the people around us. This is our only chance at heaven. I don't want to spark a huge conversation about religion here - but I've always thought that one of the most worrisome things about religious faith is the lack of "respect for what is earthly". The person who thinks that this life is his only chance at consciousness, I think, values life more than the person who thinks this is a brief prelude to eternal life. It's less of a big deal to kill if it just means hustling someone on to the afterlife, than if it means snuffing out someone's consciousness forever. This is one of the few Tracy Chapman songs I really like.
"Anyone who doesn't believe in the doctrine of original sin need only read 4,000 years of recorded history." -- G.K. Chesterton.
catmaven wrote:
On Sept. 23, 2003, I liked it so much, and now I find it sounds depressing. Partly because the lyrics remind me of the venality and unfaithfulness of (hu)man(kind) . . . NObody could actually believe this and be sane, or else they have never read a history book or known other people. Note, I am not saying I am a Sartrean, either.
Actually, I disagree with you. All of the great spiritual teachers of the world have stated this in their fashion. It has more to do with a change in perception...the world and all it's apparent ugliness has left most of us sarcastic and negative. However, there is another way, and it's saner than you think. The first step is to realize that we're all in this together, and we need to act like it. It's a respect thing. As long as we are only in "my/me/mine" thought, the world is ugly and dying, because that's what we create. Selfishness creates death. I know it sounds hokey, but try an experiment...smile more, help more, and serve more. Once you get out of your own ego and ego needs, you'll begin to see a bit more sunshine in your world. Just a thought... :)
can't quite agree with the sentiment!,but let's party
can't quite agree with the sentiment!,but let's party
On Sept. 23, 2003, I liked it so much, and now I find it sounds depressing. Partly because the lyrics remind me of the venality and unfaithfulness of (hu)man(kind) . . . NObody could actually believe this and be sane, or else they have never read a history book or known other people. Note, I am not saying I am a Sartrean, either.
For reasons I can articulate (I don't like her voice or music) Tracy Chapman has never transcended her preachiness for me. One of the few current artists that consistently makes me find another station. I'm not "dissing" your opinion, it's just one example of people having drastically different opinions on something, which I find interesting. I wish I did enjoy her music, since it is played here a lot. I would not be so rude as to imply that her music should be taken off, since many people clearly enjoy her work. Good for you. No big deal for me. Along these lines, I have noticed that Peter Gabriel gets a huge amount of airplay on RP. I like that, but I know some don't. os4 wrote:
For a reason that I cannot articulate, Tracy Chapman has always transcended her preachiness for me. One of the few current artists that consistently delivers.
radiojunkie wrote:
Quite wonderful. The sound -- AND the words. You can look to the stars in search of the answers Look for God and life on distant planets Have your faith in the ever after While each of us holds inside the map to the labyrinth And heaven's here on earth We are the spirit the collective conscience We create the pain and the suffering and the beauty in this world Heaven's here on earth In our faith in humankind In our respect for what is earthly In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding I've seen and met angels wearing the disguise Of ordinary people leading ordinary lives Filled with love, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice Heaven's in our hearts In our faith in humankind In our respect for what is earthly In our unfaltering belief in peace and love and understanding Look around Believe in what you see The kingdom is at hand The promised land is at your feet We can and will become what we aspire to be If Heaven's here on earth If we have faith in humankind And respect for what is earthly And an unfaltering belief that truth is divinity And heaven's here on earth I've seen spirits I've met angels I've touched creations beautiful and wondrous I've been places where I question all I think I know But I believe, I believe, I believe this could be heaven We are born inside the gates with the power to create life And to take it away The world is our temple The world is our church Heaven's here on earth If we have faith in human kind And respect for what is earthly And an unfaltering belief In peace and love and understanding This could be heaven here on earth Heaven's in our heart
Thank you for troubling to paste the lyrics here, friend! Lovely poetry--though I have little faith in humankind, preferring instead to rely on the faithfulness of God, who doesn't forsake.
An uninspired rehashing of unoriginal ideas.
Beautiful lyrics
wxman wrote:
that's not a woman, that's a man man
and you are a homophobic ass
There is something about her voice... it just takes me to a different place... I think her songs are powerful, and I really appreciate her music.
Intense just upped from 8 to 9
not her best...
oppy wrote:
A little hope is a beautiful thing.
Regardless of how hopeless it is. Sorry, I plead personal bias, not dissing the fact that good sounds can and do happen. Still and all, tune... ish, sincerity is good but authenticity is another matter.
A little hope is a beautiful thing.
beautiful words........thnx for that.