In 2006 Knight starred in BBC1 music TV show, Just The Two Of Us, and is the host of the Radio 2 show Beverley's Gospel Nights, which explores the origins and impact of gospel music. Now in its second season, the show has featured interviews with stars such as Destiny's Child and Shirley Caesar.
Knight is an ambassador for many charities such Christian Aid and has travelled to areas affected by disease and poverty to help raise awareness. She is an active campaigner for anti-Aids organisations such as the Stop AIDS Campaign and The Terrence Higgins Trust and is also a vocal campaigner against homophobic lyrics in urban music. She became an MBE in 2006, the only musician to be granted such an honour in the Queen's eightieth birthday honours list.
In February 2006 Knight consolidated her move into the mainstream audience by appearing on BBC1 music show, Just The Two of Us. The show, featuring celebrities who duet with established singers, ran for two weeks and proved to be a relative disappointment in terms of audience figures – averaging between fifteen and twenty-five percent audience shares.[17] Nevertheless it provided a platform for Knight to reach out to a bigger audience and demonstrate her talent by performing a different array of songs than she would otherwise be known for. Reaching out to new audiences was also a driving force behind Knight’s decision to join Take That on their reunion arena tour. Take That - The Ultimate Tour 06, which ran from April to July 2006, sold 270,000 tickets in less than four hours on sale at the box office and featured Knight as a support act.
In March 2006 Beverley released her fifth album, a compilation set featuring the majority of her top forty UK singles entitled Voice - The Best Of Beverley Knight. The album, which was certified Gold less than a month after its release,[19] became her second highest charting of her career when it entered the UK albums chart at number ten and rose to number nine a month later. It was preceded by the single "Piece of my Heart" – a cover of the Erma Franklin classic made famous by Janis Joplin and entered the singles chart at number sixteen, spending eleven weeks inside the UK top 75 singles chart and becoming her longest-running chart single to date.
In October 2006, Knight recorded her fifth studio album, Music City Soul, in Nashville. Completed in less than five days, the album was released on 7 May 2007 and features collaborations with musicians such as Ronnie Wood and Scotty Moore. It has spawned three singles thus far, "No Man's Land", released on 16 April 2007, "After You", released on 2 July 2007 and "The Queen of Starting Over", released on 15 October 2007.
Beverley will be releasing her next album in spring 2009.
Sites: YouTube
Change Is Gonna Come
Beverley Knight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And just like the river, I've been running ever since
It's been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come
It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long time coming
I go to the movie, and I go downtown
Somebody keep telling me "Don't hang around"
It's been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come
Then I go to my brother and I say, "Brother, help me please"
But he winds up knocking me back down on my knees
There've been times that I've thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come
Beverley Knight's "Change is Gonna Come" is a powerful song that adopts the structure and melody of Sam Cooke's classic "A Change is Gonna Come." It features lyrics that express the struggle of living in a world of racial injustice, poverty, and oppression. From the opening line, "I was born by the river in a little tent," the song evokes an image of a person born into poverty, someone who has been running all his or her life, chased by the demons of racism and social inequality.
In the second verse, Beverley shares her fear of death and uncertainty about what lies beyond the sky. She acknowledges that life has been too hard, but she remains hopeful in the promise of a better future. The refrain, "it's been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come," reinforces the message of hope that permeates the song.
The third verse speaks to the experience of being warned to stay away from certain parts of town or to avoid certain people because of one's skin color or social status. The song invokes a sense of defiance, even in the face of such warnings. The final verse speaks to the experience of turning to one's own family and community for help but being met with resistance. Despite this, the singer of the song remains determined to carry on and create a better future.
Overall, "Change is Gonna Come" is a song that expresses the emotions and experiences of a person who has struggled with racism, poverty, and inequality. It is a reminder that hope and resilience can help people overcome even the most challenging obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born by the river in a little tent
I was born into poverty and have faced adversity my entire life
And just like the river, I've been running ever since
I've been constantly moving and striving for a better life
It's been a long time coming
I've been waiting for change for a long time
But I know a change is gonna come
I have faith that change will eventually come
It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
Life has been tough, but the unknown afterlife scares me
I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
I don't know what happens after we die
I go to the movie, and I go downtown
I try to distract myself from my struggles by going out
Somebody keep telling me "Don't hang around"
People warn me to stay away from certain places or people that could harm me
Then I go to my brother and I say, "Brother, help me please"
I turn to my family for help and support
But he winds up knocking me back down on my knees
Even my own family members let me down and disappoint me
There've been times that I've thought I couldn't last for long
There were moments where I felt like giving up on life
But now I think I'm able to carry on
But now I have hope and believe that I can continue to persevere
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Sam Cooke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
THEJAMEATER
A great song covered by some of the greats ! But no one nails it like this Lady.A truly wonderful British talent!!
Laura Buckley
Why does this magnificent lady bring tears to my eyes!! She feels every word she sings and I believe every word she sing. Brilliant, the best of British.
Pop art
Laura Buckley tears for me too 🙏
Chris Luxton
Great rendition - and a privilege to be there.
Joshua Toritto
I love this song, and its even better when she sings it!
Wooni
Smashed it!!!! The Voice!!! ❤️💜
Elizabeth O'Malley
Amazing!!!
Thomas Seal
She's incredible <3
vinobody
what a wild crowd!
John Rankin
They don't understand the talent.