☝️ Key Points
- The song is about domestic violence and the suffering of a person who has to listen to the violence of neighbors.
- The police are portrayed as slow and ineffective when it comes to domestic violence.
- The lyrics highlight the helplessness and lack of support that victims of domestic violence often experience.
- The dark twist in the lyrics shows that the violence is real and cannot be ignored.
- The song raises awareness about the trivialization and indifference towards domestic violence.
Interpretation
The song lyrics 'Behind the Wall' by
Tracy Chapman is about domestic violence and the suffering of a person who has to listen to the violence of neighbors. The lyrics describe how the singer hears screams and loud voices behind the wall during the night. She has a sleepless night and decides to call the police, although she knows they will likely come late or not come at all.
The chorus repeats and shows the singer's frustration about the police not effectively intervening when it comes to domestic violence. She says, 'If they come at all, they come late', which means that help comes too slowly.
The lyrics also describe how the police announce that they cannot intervene in domestic matters and leave while the woman cries. This illustrates the helplessness of the singer and the affected woman, who do not receive support from outside.
The lyrics take a dark turn when the singer no longer hears the violence behind the wall and feels an eerie silence. She prays that she is just dreaming, but when she sees an ambulance, she knows the violence was real.
The lyrics end with the police officer saying he is there to keep the peace and that everyone could use some sleep. This shows the indifference and trivialization with which domestic violence is often treated.
'Behind the Wall' is a poignant song lyric that depicts the darkness and silence behind domestic violence and raises awareness of the importance of not ignoring or trivializing this violence.