Friday night was literature. Saturday night was music. I don't know how many of our readers know who Tracy Chapman is. Probably not many. If that is the case, I highly recommend you check her out. She is a prolific singer/musician/songwriter who's been on the scene since the early '80s. Often, her lyrics tell a story and she pours everything into the writing of them. I'm not exactly a huge fan, but seeing her perform Saturday night brought me closer.

The event was held at a fun little music club called Satalla. The first part of the show was a conversation with Chapman about her life and her music. Back in college, she would play her guitar on the streets and subways of Boston. One day, a woman heard her playing and loved it. She asked Chapman to come to her house to perform for her friends at a party she was throwing. Chapman had done this kind of thing before and she didn’t see why she shouldn’t do it again. Then the woman told her, "My home is in Argentina."

After thinking about it for a few days, she decided to go. Her airfare was paid for and she was fed well and she sang her songs in Argentina. While she was there, an Argentinean record producer heard her and offered to sign her to a big Argentinean record label. Chapman decided not to go that route and came back to the states, where she eventually made it big.

The conversation with Chapman lasted about half an hour. She has a great big, beautiful smile that just lights up the room. I'm glad I got to see it up close. I was standing through the whole first half and when Chapman and her band went offstage to go get their instruments, I went to sit in a couch at the back of the bar. I say "sit in" the couch because that’s exactly what I did. This thing was blue plush heaven, baby! I fell into it. I became one with it. I think it may have been the most comfortable couch in the world. I really do.

Chapman and her band came back onstage and started to play. They played a few songs from her new album, Where You Live, and she played some classics. The following is an example of her lyrics from her classic hit, Fast Car:

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

Yeah. I just sat there in my couch and bobbed my head. Her voice was so tranquil. Her guitar was so soothing. It was so nice. It was just… so nice.