Tracy Chapman Gets Out the Vote With Moving 'Talkin' Bout a Revolution'

The singer made a rare appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

November 03 2020 9:27 AM EST

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Grammy-winner Tracy Chapman made a rare appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on Monday, performing her classic call to action "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" and urging people to vote.

The song off of Chapman's 1988 eponymous debut album, dropped during another socially-destructive Republican era, toward the end of Ronald Reagan's second term.

"Don't you know / They're talkin' 'bout a revolution. / It sounds like a whisper," the song begins. "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."

Poor people gonna rise up. / And get their share. / Poor people gonna rise up. And take what's theirs," the song continues.

Chapman's first album, known best for "Fast Car," included songs about racism, social change, and domestic violence.

Appearing on Seth Meyers's show, she changed the final words of "Talkin' Bout a Revolution" to encourage people to vote.

"This is the most important election of our lifetime. It is imperative that everyone vote to restore our democracy," Chapman said in a statement.

Regarding her appearance on the show, Meyers said, "I've always thought Tracy Chapman's music skips your ears and goes straight to your heart. I'm so honored and excited to have her on the show. She's living proof you can be a great artist while also speaking out for what you believe in."