Tracy Chapman on ‘Talkin’ Bout a Revolution’ 37 years later: ‘I still have the same concerns’
"I really believed we were going to be in a better place" says Chapman, who also revealed herself to be an admirer of current pop princesses Charli xcx and Chappell Roan
By Gary Grimes
Tracy Chapman has given a rare interview on the eve of the vinyl reissue of her iconic, self-titled debut album.
Speaking to The New York Times, Chapman recalled her upbringing in the 1970s as “a beneficiary of the civil rights movement,” and how she expected the world would be in a different place today than it is.
“My expectation was that we wouldn’t be here,” Chapman said of the current political climate. “I really believed we were going to be in a better place, with more justice and more equity and less violence.”
“But I think, between the 16-year-old who wrote ‘Talkin’ Bout a Revolution’ and the 61-year-old sitting here with you now, that my values are the same. I still have the same concerns. I still want the same changes that I did at that time,” Chapman went on.
“But I certainly have a different perspective. Having grown up in the ’70s and being a beneficiary of the civil rights movement, at a time when things started to look up, I think my expectation was that we’d just keep building on that.
“The thing that I take from it is that, now that I’m older, is that it’s this constant practice that needs to occur. A constant vigilance. You can’t expect that things will hold.”
The singer also revealed herself to be a surprising admirer of today’s reigning pop stars, including none other than one Charli xcx. Though Chapman admitted she doesn’t tend to listen to much new music, she did note that she was impressed by the performances at this year’s GRAMMY Awards.
“The last GRAMMYs, I thought that was pretty awesome, all the young women in all their variety, doing their things,” the ‘Fast Car’ singer said, to which the interviewer suggested Chappell Roan as an example. “Yes, and Charli xcx. It’s not music that I would make, but I appreciate that we’re in this moment where there’s a path for artists like that, and they can even have success.”