Born in Cleveland, Ohio,U.S., Tracy Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs as a child. She received a scholarship through A Better Chance that allowed her to attend Wooster School in Connecticut, and was eventually accepted to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.
Tracy Chapman helped restore songwriters to the spotlight in the '80s. The multi-platinum success of Chapman's eponymous 1988 debut was unexpected, and it had lasting impact. Although Chapman was working from the same confessional songwriter foundation that had been popularized in the '70s, her songs were fresh and powerful, driven by simple melodies and affecting lyrics. At the time of her first album, there were only a handful of artists performing such a style successfully, and her success ushered in a new era of songwriters that lasted well into the '90s. Along with 10,000 Maniacs and R.E.M., Chapman's liberal politics proved enormously influential on American college campuses in the late '80s.
Official Website: http://www.tracychapman.com
Fansite: http://www.tracychapmanonline.com
Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution #2
Tracy Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're talkin' 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Don't you know
They're talkin' about a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
While they're standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Sitting around waiting for a promotion
Don't you know
They're talkin' 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Poor people gonna rise up
And get their share
Poor people gonna rise up
And take what's theirs
Don't you know
You better run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run
Oh I said you better
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run
'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 no
Talkin' 'bout a revolution, oh
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
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 no
Talkin' 'bout a revolution, oh no
Talkin' 'bout a revolution, oh no
Tracy Chapman's song "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" is a powerful anthem for the oppressed and marginalized, with a chorus that becomes more passionate as it progresses. In the first verse, Chapman paints a picture of poverty, unemployment, and desperation. People are standing in welfare lines, crying for help, and wasting time waiting for a promotion. But despite these desperate circumstances, a revolution is coming - "It sounds like a whisper" - and it will be led by the poor, who will rise up and take what's theirs.
The song's chorus is both an exhortation to action and a warning to those in power. "You better run, run, run" because "finally the tables are starting to turn." Chapman suggests that the oppressed have been patient for far too long, but now they are ready to fight for their rights. The song's overall message is one of hope and empowerment, urging listeners to take control of their lives and demand change.
One interpretation of the song is that it speaks to the need for a systemic change in society, rather than just individual action. The image of people waiting in welfare lines and unemployment lines suggests that the current economic and political systems are failing them. The revolution that Chapman sings about is not just about individual self-improvement, but rather about the need for fundamental change in the way society is organized.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know
Are you aware
They're talkin' 'bout a revolution
There is a movement for change
It sounds like a whisper
The idea is spreading quietly
While they're standing in the welfare lines
People are struggling to survive
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Asking for help from charities and churches
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Job opportunities are scarce
Sitting around waiting for a promotion
Career advancement is unlikely
Poor people gonna rise up
The marginalized will fight back
And get their share
Demanding an equitable distribution of resources
And take what's theirs
Claiming their rightful place in society
You better run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run
Those in power should be afraid
Oh I said you better
I warn you
Finally the tables are starting to turn
The power dynamic is shifting
Yes, finally the tables are starting to turn
Change is happening
Talkin' 'bout a revolution, oh no
Describing the movement for change
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Tracy L Chapman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leokimvideo
A one in a billion voice
@seylnylp8083
One in a billion voice, indeed! Miss her a lot
@nwakaegookeke445
You damn right — and you know it
@louisenesselaar606
You can say That!
@nicholaprincealves6
I NICHOLA BERNADETTE PRINCE ALVES...AGREES WHOLE HEARTEDLY WITH YOU 💯 %
@nicholaprincealves6
YES ❤️....LOVE HER VOICE.....
@teegee9330
She doesn't even need a guitar, she could hold that entire stadium in the palm of her hands with her voice alone.
@sblumenstein6688
Unlike the annoying, shiny circus clown, Ms. Cyrus.
@dikeledihlabangane3854
Beautiful voice of a story teller of all times pure gift❤
@Asdf-2
You ain't wrong