Give Me One Reason
| "Give Me One Reason" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Tracy Chapman | ||||
| from the album New Beginning | ||||
| B-side | "The Rape of the World" | |||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Blues rock | |||
| Length | 4:30 (album version) 4:07 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tracy Chapman | |||
| Tracy Chapman singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Give Me One Reason" | ||||
"Give Me One Reason" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. It was released on her 1995 album New Beginning, and as a single the same year, her first since 1992's "Dreaming on a World." The song is Chapman's biggest US hit to date, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It is also her biggest hit in Australia, where it reached number three as well, and it topped the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart, becoming her second number-one single there after "Fast Car". Elsewhere, the song reached number 16 in New Zealand, but it underperformed in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 95 in March 1997.
Chapman first performed "Give Me One Reason" six years before its release, on the December 16, 1989, episode of Saturday Night Live. A music video was released to promote the single. Chapman earned the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song for the track, that was also nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Female Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1997. A well known version of this song featuring Eric Clapton was released in 1999 in the compilation album A Very Special Christmas Live.
Contents
Lyrics/style[edit]
The song is a classic twelve-bar blues, both in musical structure and the repeated lyrics in each verse and chorus. It is the story of an ending relationship, and a plea from the narrator to her partner for the partner to convince her to remain, to "give me one reason to stay here, and I'll turn right back around." At the end of the song, the partner is apparently given voice for the last line, "said I told you that I loved you, and there ain't no more to say."
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Chart (1995–1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[1] | 3 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[2] | 1 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[3] | 1 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[4] | 16 |
| Scotland (Official Charts Company)[5] | 57 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[6] | 95 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 3 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[8] | 3 |
| US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[9] | 1 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] | 35 |
| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[11] | 2 |
Year-end charts[edit]
| Chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[12] | 15 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[13] | 4 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[14] | 4 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] | 35 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[16] | 6 |
Certifications[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[17] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] | Gold | 5,000* |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | Platinum | 1,100,000[20] |
|
*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
References[edit]
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Tracy Chapman – Give Me One Reason". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3004." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3021." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Tracy Chapman – Give Me One Reason". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Tracy Chapman Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Tracy Chapman Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Tracy Chapman Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Tracy Chapman Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Tracy Chapman Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1996". ARIA. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "End of Year Charts 1996". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1996". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
- ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Tracy Chapman – Give Me One Reason". Recorded Music NZ.
- ^ "American single certifications – Chapman, Tracy – Give Me One Reason". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
- ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1996". Billboard. BPI Communications Inc. 109 (3): 61. January 18, 1997. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
