I recently made a journey, a kind of quest, for a new beginning in personal relationships. As I traveled I listened to Tracy Chapman’s album, “New Beginnings”, within which is the song, “Tell It Like It Is”.
In today’s world, where cheating and lying seem prolific, this song is a reminder that we can only grow when we tell the truth about our lives, even if only to ourselves. We’ve heard that “the truth will set you free”. When we stop hiding the secrets of our lives, and look honestly, without turning away, we will free ourselves from self-induced limitation.
Say it, say it, say it, tell it like it is
Say it, say it, say it, tell it like it is
What breaks your heart, what keeps you awake at night
What makes you want to break down and cry
But say you’ll never turn your bark
Say you’ll never harden to the world
Say you’ll never try to still the rhythms in your breast
Say you’ll never look at the evil among us and try to forget
Say you’ll tell it like it is
Say it, say it, say it
So everyone can hear
What breaks your heart, what keeps you awake at night
How your anger and grief make you want to cry out, and
Tell it like it is
But say you’ll never close your eyes
Or pretend that it’s a rosy world
Say you’ll never try to paint what is rotten with a sugarcoat
Say you’ll talk about the horrors you’ve seen and the torment you know
And tell it like it is
Say it, say it, say it
So no one can forget
Say it, say it, say it
Tell it like it is
What breaks your heart, what keeps you awake at night
What makes your want to break the ties that silence and bind
And tell it like it is
Say you’ll never cover your ears and close your mouth
And live in a silent world
Say you’ll only run as far or as fast as you need to be secure
Say that then you’ll tell the truth when a lie could cross your lips
And tell it like it is
Say it, say it, say it
Say it, say it, say it
Say it, say it, say it