Tracy Chapman: "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution"

It seems like Grammy-award winning artist Tracy Chapman has been around forever. She's been releasing music steadily -- a new album every two to five years -- since 1988. This song is one of her best known releases (after "Fast Car"), off her first album that reached #1 in both the US and the UK and is credited with helping launch the female singer-songwriter movement of the '90s. (So Alanis, you know who to thank.) Three of Chapman's four Grammys are credited to this album.

I love this performance for its simplicity. A set of modest guitar chords create an uncluttered background for Chapman's voice, which is silky, emotional; she breaks and catches the ends of phrases in the back of her throat. She also speeds it up a bit by the end of the song, pushing forward and adding to the sense of urgency created by the lyrics. Enjoy.

"Talkin' 'bout a Revolution," performed by Tracy Chapman.

Original on Chapman's self-titled "Tracy Chapman" (1988).