Talking About A Revolution | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: G Cadd9 | Em D Dus4 D :||
Verse 1
||: 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
||: 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
||: 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
||: 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
||: 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
||: 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
||: 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.
Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution Guitar Lesson | Course Preview
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.
The 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, there’s some TAB for how Tracy plays Talking About A Revolution, note for note, on the original recording.
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.
Talking About A Revolution’s 8 guitar lessons in the course
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 practiced the chromatic exercise before we learned how to play the song on one guitar. Finally, we develop a 2nd guitar part so you, me, and the singer can play the song together, like an acoustic trio.
In total, there are 8 step-by-step lessons for Talking About A Revolution available. Here are links to each lesson in the course (members only):
- Step 1 – Strumming a G chord
- Step 2 – The chromatic exercise
- Step 3 – Strumming Em, D and Cadd9
- Step 4 – Original, 2nd guitar, and alternative parts
- Step 5 – The chromatic exercise to a click
- Step 6 – The complete song, with TAB
- Step 7 – 2nd guitar parts
- Step 8 – 2nd guitar play along
Become a member today and get unlimited access to all my guitar courses, the SEPR practice route, and the eBook Spytunes Method – You can learn guitar!
Talking About A Revolution chords | Related pages
Beginner Acoustic
This collection of beginner acoustic tunes will teach you how to arrange for one acoustic guitar, 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.
Five 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 sensational singles Fast Car, Talking About A Revolution, and Baby Can I Hold You from her self-titled debut album.
Amazingly, these three songs were on the debut’s A-side.
Tracy Chapman on the web
Country & Folk
In the primarily acoustic genres of Country & Folk, you must acquire what matters the most: A repertoire. Nothing else will give you the gig.
Learn tunes by Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, America, Don McLean, and many more.
Pop & Rock
Whenever a tune doesn’t fit into a specific genre, it tends to end up here, in the Pop & Rock section.
Learn tunes from Tom Petty, Eagles, Toto, Oasis, Elvis, Clapton, John Mayer, Kings Of Leon, R.E.M., Radiohead, Bruno Mars, and more.
