Talking About A Revolution | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: G Cadd9 | Em D (Dsus4) :||
Verse 1
||: G Cadd9 | Em D (Dsus4) :||
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
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
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 (Dsus4) :||
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.
Talking About A Revolution Chords: Learn the progressions
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 (I) Cadd9 (IV) | Em (VI) D (V) Dsus4 D :||
I do feel the best way to get Talking About A Revolution’s chords right is to read them with lyrics (as above), although perhaps a chord chart is also helpful.
Here’s one I made for you.
Talking About A Revolution Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
As you can see, all that changes is the D chord. I could have made this clearer, as in when which D chord variation appears but this feels better paired with lyrics, so I just kept it simple.
The idea with this is that a simple chord chart serves as a reminder, it’s not an exact transcription.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Talking About A Revolution Chord Chart PDF.
This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: Talking About A Revolution iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key and tweak the arrangement should you want to.
In the course, we do the opposite of the chord chart idea. Here we look at TAB and play along to loops to learn Talking About A Revolution in extreme depth, below is a preview of the verse.
Once you have gone through the details like this, either the chords with lyrics or the chord chart will be enough for you to play Talking About A Revolution in a sophisticated, not sloppy way.
Talking About A Revolution TAB | Course Preview
The opening track of the highly acclaimed self-titled debut album by 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 does hold a lot of secrets to both great songwriting and guitar playing.
In the course, we study Tracy and her session studio guitarist’s parts in great depth. Here’s the TAB for Tracy’s original part (use the play-along loop above to try it):
Because the chords are so similar throughout when playing Talking About A Revolution on just one guitar, I needed to vary the pattern.
As we come to the next section, “Poor people gonna rise…” I’ve borrowed from what the second guitar plays on the original recording, a picked part.
The D chord has changed into just a D/F# and we pick this rather than strum, like this.
||: G Cadd9 | Em D/F# :||
Members get TAB and play-along loops for this too.
This helps us make the chorus bigger as we go back to strumming. The chords now change slightly (members get TAB!), to this:
||: G5 Cadd9 | Em D/A Dsus4 :||
The chorus tag is up next and we go back to picking, again, there are small changes to that D chord.
||: G Cadd9 | Em D5 :||
||: G Cadd9 | Em D/F# :||
From here on and out, I stick to the original part 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 lies in deciding how many strings are strummed for each chord as this is what turns chords 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.
Talking About A Revolution is a perfect example of this.
In the first series of lessons in the course, we start by getting to terms with strumming the 4 open position chords that we need to play Talking About A Revolution.
We also practised the chromatic exercise before we learned how to play the song on one guitar.
In step 7, we develop a 2nd guitar part so you, me, and the singer can play the song together, like an acoustic trio in step 8 (you can see this 2nd guitar part in the playlist at the top of this page).
Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Talking About A Revolution – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Tracy Chapman wasn’t just Talking About A Revolution, she started it!
The original recording of Talking About A Revolution, or Talkin’ ’bout A Revolution as the album sleeve says, opened up the self-titled masterpiece.
This song epitomized the female songwriter, singing of political change from a street corner.
Before you even had a chance to turn the album over you’d heard Baby Can I Hold You and Fast Car as well, fans were sold and Tracy Chapman was everyone’s new favourite singer-songwriter.
Women took to this record as something that spoke to them, it felt honest, genuine, and real. Again, in contrast to the direction the music industry, in general, had been going.
Following the success of her world-famous debut, Tracy Chapman has shared studios and stages with many famous artists.
On Tracy’s list of collaborations, you find B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Pavarotti, Buddy Guy, Ziggy Marley, and Dave Matthews.
Since the debut album, Tracy has kept releasing albums. The tune Crossroads is pretty decent but to be honest, she never managed to live up to the success that her first, legendary album achieved which, some say, started a revolution as record labels all went looking for “the next Tracy Chapman”.
Talking About A Revolution Chords | Related Pages
Talking About A Revolution | 8 Step-by-step Guitar Lessons + TAB
In this first series of lessons, we start by getting to terms with strumming the 4 open-position chords that are used in Talking About A Revolution.
We’ll also practice the chromatic exercise before we learn to play the song on one guitar. Finally, we’ll develop a 2nd guitar part and play the song together.
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- American Pie chords by Don McLean
- Blowin’ In The Wind chords by Bob Dylan
- Fast Car chords by Tracy Chapman
- Losing my Religion chords by R.E.M.
- Wish You Were Here chords by Pink Floyd
Tracy Chapman tunes
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
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Talking About A Revolution chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
