"Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" is the second single from American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut album. Written while Chapman was in high school and released in 1988 by Elektra Records after she was discovered at Tufts University, the politically aware song spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, peaking at No. 75. It reached the top 40 in Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Lyrically, the song is regarded as a tone-setter on the album, providing political and social discourse relevant to the time it was released and her own life experiences. The musical style of the song is thought to be in tune with others on Tracy Chapman, with an emphasis on the guitar in the melody and her vocals. The song has been covered several times by various artists and bands over the years since it's release.

The song has been well-regarded as it has been covered many times over the years and used in political contexts, such Bernie Sanders' campaign in the 2016 presidential election and the 2020 presidential election.

Tracy Chapman went to a preparatory high school in Connecticut, where she felt outcast economically as a student receiving financial aid. She wrote "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", which includes lyrics about economic differences, as a result of this experience. Some of Chapman's classmates from the time recall the song.

Later on, when she was studying at Tufts University in Massachusetts, another student, Brian Koppelman, witnessed her perform some of her songs. He smuggled a tape from WMFO, the university's radio station, and played it for his father Charles Koppelman, who ran SBK Publishing. This led to Chapman's signing with Elektra Records in 1987. Her debut album Tracy Chapman was then recorded with producer David Kershenbaum, before being released in 1988 with "Talkin' bout a Revolution" as the opening track. The song then became the album's second single, following "Fast Car".

According to author and musicologist Sheila Whiteley, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" sets a tone for the album as the opening song and references political and social context of the time. A lyrical interpretation is that the song is about an aspiration for activism, specifically related to economic inequalities in the United States. It is thought that Tracy Chapman provides conscious commentary through the lyrics about wanting future change and action. Phrases in the song are frequently repeated, which is thought to highlight these lyrics and what they might mean.

The style of the guitar use on the song is thought to be cohesive with the first single "Fast Car". There is a repetition in the melody that includes the guitar style, aligning the song with others in the folk genre. A low register of Chapman's voice is used throughout the song.

The song was covered by the rock group Living Colour during multiple live performances in 1989. Their version of the song was released with the 1989 single "Open Letter (To a Landlord)".