My Weekend Crush

As I was researching the new Oz remake “Tin Man,” Tracy Chapman’s beautifully sparse “Remember the Tin Man” kept going through my head. Off her “New Beginning” album, the song is a simple yet perfect metaphor for a guarded heart. In fact, the entire record was my soundtrack one summer, what seems like a lifetime ago. I was on an internship states away from the first person I ever truly loved (and dearest, if you’re reading, kisses). Tracy’s earnest, heartfelt songs both touched my loneliness and cradled my hope. Every time I hear “The Promise,” it brings back a sweet ache and warm rush of emotions, like staring at a faded snapshot from a precious moment in time. Tracy’s music has an honesty and power that needs no further embellishment. Just a guitar and that voice. Of course those amazing dreads, sly dimples and killer arms don’t hurt either. Fuck, she’s sexy. Oh, and she’s gay. And, apparently, she has a thing for writers. Lord, I’d love to tell her a story or two. Happy weekend, all.