Elusive protest-folk legend Tracy Chapman is stepping out of the shadows for one last job, as it were: The singer-songwriter will take the stage on Monday night’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, performing her 1988 hit “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” and, in doing so, making her first major TV appearance since a 2015 Letterman set.
Our final guest before #ElectionDay is the one and only Tracy Chapman, performing “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution”. pic.twitter.com/0YBDJfaVhc
— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) November 2, 2020
It’s no coincidence that Chapman’s rare televised performance comes on the eve of Election Day. “This is the most important election of our lifetime,” she said in a statement. “It is imperative that everyone vote to restore our democracy.”
“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,” said Meyers. “She’s living proof you can be a great artist while also speaking out for what you believe in.”
“Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” was the opening track and second single—following “Fast Car,” naturally—from Chapman’s 1988 self-titled debut album. Paste recently numbered the song among the best debut album openers of all time, with Ellen Johnson lauding it as “one of the best protest songs ever written.”
You can catch Chapman on Late Night tonight at 12:35 a.m. ET on NBC. John Mulaney and Kristen Welker—fresh off SNL and the final presidential debate, respectively—are also slated to appear on the episode.
In the meantime, watch Chapman’s official “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” video below, plus a 1988 performance from the Paste archives and that Letterman set we mentioned.
