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If Not Now Lyrics

If not now then when
If now 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
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Cover art for If Not Now lyrics by Tracy Chapman

This song touches me in a more generally existential way:

There is only now. Every moment is now.

Therefore Love All Love Now.

Cover art for If Not Now lyrics by Tracy Chapman

If you love someone, let them know. If you wait too long, you may miss your chance

Cover art for If Not Now lyrics by Tracy Chapman

A love declared for days to come Is as good as none

LOVE IT!

Cover art for If Not Now lyrics by Tracy Chapman

It's beautiful. I like this part:

Now love's the only thing that's free We must take it where it's found

I just watched that new Pocohantas movie- "The New World" and Smith as a line in it:

"Love. If love is given to you, what can we do but take it? Love. That is all there is."

What if someone gives you all their love, hopes, and believes that one day you'll return again. One day... but how long can one wait? What if one day, maybe one day it'll be "good as gone."

Cover art for If Not Now lyrics by Tracy Chapman

I waited and Now I am very sorry...

@Envy337 it's never too late. May god give you the wisdom to feel the love that is around you. It will never be the same, it can only get better, I should know.

Cover art for If Not Now lyrics by Tracy Chapman

This is about one of harder Lessons to learn... I saw it often in Lives of another and mine, too. If one feels Love he should run after it, since it is Power, and hardest Lesson for me was to love myself. If i would have possibility i would let teach this our Children in Schools...

My Interpretation
Cover art for If Not Now lyrics by Tracy Chapman

I got this album in the early 90s when I was little and this song resonated with me more than any to this day. My mom left my brother and I in the 80s and she made so many promises to us that she never fulfilled. We waited for her to be a mom and when she was finally ready to play her role we were young adults who didn't need her.

These words always made me cry when I was little and waiting...

"If not now then when If now today then Why make your promises"

But by my late teen, these words had much more meaning...

"A love declared for days to come Is as good as none"

...her promises were pointless and served no other purpose but to break her children's hearts, and over time harden them against her.

And as an adult, this is where I am at...

"You can wait and lose this heart You can wait and soon be sorry "

Actually, I always thought the line was "You can wait and you'll be sorry"

She says she is sorry but it's way past time for me to care.

"We all must live our lives Always feeling Always thinking The moment has arrived"

I was fortunate to have a lot of wonderful women: aunts, teachers, friends, a stepmom that stepped in to be substitute moms for me when I needed one. I have my "moments" with them, I am loved and haven't missed out...my birth giver is the one that missed out.

This song still makes me cry but it's more of the nostalgic feeling that is attached to the song for me. I will always love Tracy Chapman for this song.

 
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