A homeless woman and her husband. An onlooker to violence in racially integrated cities. A neighbor who hears the sounds of domestic violence each night. A dreamer dreaming for mountains of material things to keep sadness and loneliness away. A runaway looking for a ticket that will take her to her place in the sun. And someone who’d do anything for her lover, despite others’ disapproval.

Are these the lives of Tracy Chapman, the Bostonian singer/songwriter whose debut album—especially “Fast Car”—is receiving rapidly increasing airplay? Not necessarily, but songwriting lets Chapman examine the lives of different characters—view life from a different angle, she told one music magazine reporter.

What results from her attempt to describe real-life situations is a very textured, down-to-earth and thought-provoking collection of songs.

Her concern for social issues in her lyrics resembles the content of music by 10,000 Maniacs’ (whom she traveled with and opened for in NIU Duke Ellington Ballroom April 13), but her style is more relaxed, natural and soothing than the Maniacs’.

Her lyrics paint an honest picture of the world, in which the majority are far from glamorous but not without hope. Apparent in many of the songs is a strong sense of optimism as in “Talkin‘ Bout a Revolution”, “She’s Got Her Ticket” and “Fast Car…”

I remember we were driving driving in your car The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk City lights lay out before us And your arm felt nice wrapped ‘round my shoulder And I had a feeling that I belonged And I had a feeling I could be someone …

As simple and unique as her lyrical style is the sound—the instruments focused on are her voice and her guitar. You can just see her standing on a street corner singing to passersby, as she used to do while attending college in Massachusetts.

From the Caribbean sound of “Mountains O’ Things” and “She’s Got Her Ticket” to the blues sound of “For My Lover,” Chapman proves, unintentionally, she knows a variety of musical styles by which to portray the variety of lifestyles she sings about.

Although “Fast Car” has caught the eye of spectators, Tracy Chapman’s strong style—both lyrically and musically—ensures she won’t just be passing through town.

A young, talented singer/songwriter who put graduate school aside in order to express herself and see what life is like in others’ shoes through her music. Is this the life of Tracy Chapman? Yes.