Tracy Chapman - Telling Stories
Time: 2:12
You write the words to get respect and compassion
And for posterity
You write the words and make believe

future generations; all of the offspring of a given progenitor
Heard in 17 songs (13M+ combined views) — most famously in "Telling Stories" by Tracy Chapman.
Updated August 7, 2026
Time: 2:12
You write the words to get respect and compassion
And for posterity
You write the words and make believe

Time: 0:01
OK, I want to record this for posterity.
Today is Wednesday, July 13th, 2016, at 9:30 pm.

Time: 3:40
Quiet reigns behind our doors
Think about posterity again
♪

Time: 0:30
♪
Posterity will show me to be
The greatest the world has ever seen

Time: 0:17
There's a pounding at the door
Well It's a mighty zombie talking of some love and posterity
He says "The good old days never say goodbye

Time: 1:15
Waiting for endless charity
Devoid of any sense of posterity
Well, there's no Great Depression, and there's no Great Society

Time: 2:57
Free of worries
That's riddle poised for posterity
Where are we

Time: 1:36
Tracking ideas from the team
Down for posterity
Through the friction we came

Time: 0:36
Everyone I know will finally turn away
I will confuse and disinterest all posterity
Lost wisdom is a quiet echo

Time: 2:16
Mandrake versus the snake
I got it on the camera for posterity
Of my stolen wild orchids got cut

Time: 0:00
Now you really have been tremendously nice, we do thank you
Posterity will be proud of you
And perhaps you'd like to help us even more now by joining in

Time: 3:06
Yes, and every bloody emperor's got his hand up history's skirt
As he poses her posterity over the fresh-dug dirt
Yes, and every bloody emperor with his sickly, rictus grin

Time: 2:29
Headed by its monopolies on what we need, think, and see.
Under the disguise of peace and prosperity, the serpent has risen portraying sincerity, corrupting the minds of our posterity
Severed should have been the serpent's head as thunder broke through the endless night

Time: 0:34
(We won't give up the ghost)
We were born to suffer for posterity
Not for god or country (for family)

Time: 1:26
And all the kids who cut their knees on that old schoolyard fence
Were holding out for posterity and self-defense
We beat them down again

Time: 2:13
Less artist than celebrity
Synthetic imoposters are poisoning posterity
Never me im going all out

Time: 0:52
That you're a solid music master
And you'll achieve posterity
That's a bit of advice from me
