Talking About A Revolution chords by Tracy Chapman


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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


Talking About A Revolution Analysis + TAB

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 GCadd9EmD, 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 exact part in TAB, guitar 1.

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):

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!


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