A song by Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come” is one of the brightest examples of civil rights movement music. It was released posthumously on December 22, 1964. Nearly immediately after the release, this song was adopted as an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement (Shmoop Editorial Team). Its great aesthetic and cultural significance was recognized by the authorities as it was selected for preservation if the Library of Congress. In his song, Sam Cooke exposes the parts of his life and shows his personal feelings. Throughout the whole song, he anticipates the changes which are to come to the society. This is expressed in the refrain which says “..I know a change gon’ come, oh yes it will.” He begins the song by telling that he is a common man and that his life was hard, but he is afraid of death and does not want to die. He describes the attitude to him in contemporary society. He proceeds with the depiction of the absence of agreement among the blacks and calls for unity. Sam Cooke finishes by reasserting his position and belief in the changes. Despite its simple language, “A change Is Gonna Come” makes a significant emotional impact on the audience, perhaps because of strong personal experience involvement and the depth of associations.
Sam Cooke was inspired to write this piece by Bob Dylan’s song “Blowin’ in the Wind.” He felt shame because such a great song about racism was written by someone who is not black, and so he decided to write an even better song dedicated to Civil Rights Movement.
The Lyrics (Cooke):
I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh, and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will
It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
'Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will
I go to the movie and I go down town
Somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will
Then I go to my brother
And I say, "Brother, help me please."
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees
There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will
Works Cited
Cooke, Sam. A Change Is Gonna Come. RCA Victor, 1964. Audio Recording.
Shmoop Editorial Team. "A Change is Gonna Come Meaning." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
