Talking About A Revolution | Chords + Lyrics
Intro (0:00)
||: G Cadd9 | Em D Dus4 D :||
Verse 1 (0:11)
||: G Cadd9 | Em D Dus4 D :||
Don’t you know, they’re talkin’ about a revolution, it sounds, like a whisper.
Don’t you know, they’re talkin’ about a revolution, it sounds, like a whisper.
Verse 2 (0:28)
||: G Cadd9 | Em D Dus4 D :||
While they’re standing in the welfare lines, crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation.
Wasting time in the unemployment lines, sitting around, waiting for a promotion.
Don’t you know, they’re talkin’ bout a revolution, it sounds, like a whisper.
Bridge 1 (0:54)
||: G Cadd9 | Em D/F# :||
Poor people gonna rise up, and get their share.
Poor people gonna rise up, and take what’s theirs.
Chorus (1:12)
||: G5 Cadd9 | Em D/A Dsus4 :||
Don’t you know you better run, run, run…
Oh, I said you better run, run, run…
Chorus Tag 1 (1:30)
||: G Cadd9 | Em D5 :||
‘Cause finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin’ bout a revolution.
Yes, finally the tables are starting to turn. Talkin’ bout a revolution.
Oh, Lord, talkin’ bout a revolution.
Verse 3 (1:51)
||: G Cadd9 | Em D Dus4 D :||
Oh, I’ve been standing in the welfare lines, crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation.
Wasting time in the unemployment lines, sittin’ around, waiting for a promotion.
Don’t you know, they’re talkin’ bout a revolution, and it sounds, like a whisper.
Chorus Tag 2 (2:18)
||: G Cadd9 | Em D Dus4 D :||
And finally, the tables are starting to turn, talkin’ bout a revolution.
Yes, finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin’ bout a revolution, oh, Lord.
Talkin’ bout a revolution, oh, Lord. Talkin’ bout a revolution, oh, Lord.
You can learn how to play Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution!
Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution’s chords are just G – Cadd9 – Em – D, or as I’d like to think of it, I – IV – VI – V on a seemingly endless loop.
Most of these chords have been tampered with. The C chord is extended to a Cadd9. The G is sometimes played as a G5 chord.
The D chord has been manipulated the most as it appears as a D, D5, D/F#, Dsus4, and a D/A!
Over the initial lyrics, Talking About A Revolution’s chords look like this.
||: G Cadd9 | Em D Dus4 D :||
As we come to the next section, “Poor people gonna rise up…” I’ve borrowed from what the second guitar plays on the original recording. The D chords have changed into just a D/F# and we pick this rather than strum, like this.
||: G Cadd9 | Em D/F# :||
Having turned this into almost a breakdown section like this helps us make the chorus bigger as we go back to strumming. The chords now change slightly.
||: G5 Cadd9 | Em D/A Dsus4 :||
The chorus tag is up next and we go back to picking.
||: G Cadd9 | Em D5 :||
||: G Cadd9 | Em D/F# :||
From here on and out we stick to the original part that we played for the intro and first verses.
As you can tell, it’s not as simple as just “playing the chords”. The key to playing the guitar well is to decide how many strings are strummed for each chord as this is what turns it into a defined, recognizable part.
Pair this with making subtle changes in chord extensions and dynamics and you’ve got yourself an arrangement, rather than a never-ending two-bar loop.
Below you find one guitar lesson of 8 from the course, here we learn the individual parts of guitar 1.
In the course, we also create a 2nd guitar part using a capo so you and I can play this song together with the singer.
Talking About A Revolution guitar lesson | Original, 2nd guitar, and alternative parts
Let’s learn the individual parts so we can play the amazing Talking About A Revolution by Tracy Chapman on just one acoustic guitar.
This is the main bit so spend most of your time perfecting it, it’s not just four chords and a strumming pattern, it’s an actual part that must be played just like it’s written.
Use the TAB loops in the playlist above for the best result.
Here’s the 2nd guitar part from the original recording which we will use to vary the original part since we are playing this without the help of a band.
Again, it’s a great part, not just some chords being picked.
Next, let’s develop this into something a bit busier, we’ll need it to bridge the gap between the busy chorus and this picked part.
Example 3 is more like, “just four chords being picked”, it’s not as good of a part as example 2 was. However, it does bridge the gap well so it serves a purpose.
Finally, here’s a busy strummed version of Tracy’s original part, again it’s not as good, but it does serve a purpose. In a way, it makes the original part sound better once we go back to it!
Spend enough time with the TAB loops, especially examples 1 & 2, until you feel comfortable playing them for extended periods of time.
In the course, we next practice the chromatic exercise before we build a 2nd guitar part. For the complete experience, sign up here.
Tracy’s and your first song
The opening track of the highly acclaimed and self-titled debut album Tracy Chapman is also the first song in the beginner acoustic guitar course – Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution.
There is so much to learn here! The defined guitar part, the way the arrangement builds, the genius 2nd guitar that supports Tracy’s strumming, and the simple lyrical message, Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution really does hold a lot of secrets to great songwriting and guitar playing.
In the course, we learn exactly how Tracy plays it, including that 2nd guitar part, and even develop it.
In 8 steps you will be well on your way to understanding the fundamentals of what makes a great song, arrangement, and guitar part.
Talking About A Revolution chords | Related pages
Talking About A Revolution – 8 guitar lessons
In this first series of lessons in the course, we start by getting to terms with strumming the 4 open position chords that we need in order to play Talking About A Revolution.
We also practice the chromatic exercise before we learn how to play the song on one guitar. Finally, we develop a 2nd guitar part so we can play the song together.
Talking About A Revolution – 8 guitar lessons.
Beginner Acoustic Songs
This collection of songs will teach you how to arrange a song to play on your own, as well as how to create a supporting part.
Playing songs will help you with switching between open-position chords and give you the context you need in order to understand how music works theoretically.
Talking About A Revolution – 5 similar tunes
- American Pie chords
- Blowin’ In The Wind chords
- Fast Car chords
- Losing my Religion chords
- Wish You Were Here chords
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles Fast Car, Talking About A Revolution, and Baby Can I Hold You from her self-entitled debut album.
Amazingly, these three songs were on the debuts A-side.
Tracy Chapman on the web
