Give Me One Reason

The way I hear it, this song is not about an established romantic relationship, but rather about some long-established personal relationship the narrator can upgrade into a romantic one—if the other is willing. Given the rather gentle and soulful tone of the entire song, the singer narrating it isn't exactly being pushy with her request, but some new circumstance—maybe e.g. she's been offered a job that pays better than her current one, but she'll have to relocate somewhere far away from her love interest if she takes it—is forcing her to fish or cut bait on him. Being rather ambivalent about their relationship and uncertain whether her prospective partner feels the same way about her, she's willing to sacrifice whatever opportunity is on offer in exchange for this romantic upgrade, but insists that her love interest has to make the first move; if he doesn't, she'll assume he's not into her that way, and will move on accordingly. ¶ Important note: while the song's narrator need not necessarily be female just because the singer herself is, I presume the narrator and singer both to be female specifically because—for all the innovations of our time—tradition still holds considerable sway over most people's romances, and in a traditional romance, the woman typically wants the man to pursue her rather than the other way around. What Tracy Chapman is saying—more eloquently and poetically—is "If you want me, you can have me, but you have to come get me; I'm not going to risk my heart on someone too wimpy to take the initiative."