Origins
Cooke was greatly moved upon hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1963 and was reportedly in awe[citation needed] that such a poignant song about racism in America could come from someone who was white. While on tour in May 1963, and after speaking with sit-in demonstrators in Durham, North Carolina following a concert, Cooke returned to his tour bus and wrote the first draft of what would become "A Change Is Gonna Come."
In a sense, "A Change Is Gonna Come" is an answer to Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind", as well as a song of hope for the Civil Rights Movement. The hypothetical questions posed by Dylan, most obvious being "how many years can some people exist, before they're allowed to be free?", were answered by an implied "Fewer than you think." Though Cooke recognized "it's been a long/a long time coming", the song states that change is inevitable. A similar sentiment was echoed by Dylan in "The Times They Are a-Changin'", written and released after "A Change Is Gonna Come." The song also reflected much of Cooke's own inner turmoil. Known for his polished image and light-hearted songs such as "You Send Me" and "Twistin' the Night Away", he had long felt the need to address the situation of discrimination and racism in America, especially the southern states. However, his image and fears of losing his largely white fan base prevented him from doing so.
The song, very much a departure for Cooke, reflected two major incidents in his life. The first was the death of Cooke's eighteen-month-old son, Vincent, who died of an accidental drowning in June of that year. The second major incident came on October 8, 1963, when Cooke and his band tried to register at a "whites only" motel in Shreveport, Louisiana and were summarily arrested for disturbing the peace. Both incidents are represented in the weary tone and lyrics of the piece, especially the final verse: "there have 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 time coming, but I know a change is gonna come."
Recording
After remaining confined to Cooke's notebooks for months of touring, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was finally recorded on December 21, 1963. Recording took place at the RCA Studios in Los Angeles, California during sessions for Cooke's 1964 album, Ain't That Good News.
According to author Peter Guralnick's biography of Cooke, "Dream Boogie", Cooke gave arranger Rene Hall free rein on song's musical arrangement. Hall came up with a dramatic orchestral backing highlighted by a mournful French horn. For his vocal, Cooke reached back to his gospel roots to sing the song with an intensity and passion never heard before on his pop recordings.
Release
The song made its first appearance on Ain't That Good News, the last album to be released within Cooke's lifetime. The LP did well, peaking at number 34 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, making it more successful than Cooke's previous LP, 1963's Night Beat.
However, Cooke and his new manager Allen Klein thought the song deserved greater exposure. According to Guralnick's book, Klein persuaded Cooke to sing "A Change Is Gonna Come" on his February 7, 1964 appearance on The Tonight Show. Cooke sang the song; unfortunately, any impact it made was dimmed by The Beatles' history-making appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show just two days later. In a further misfortune, NBC did not save the tape of Cooke's performance, which has never turned up in private collections either. RCA Records had bypassed "Change" for Cooke's early 1964 single, instead releasing the tracks "Good Times" and "(Ain't That) Good News". But the company agreed to put the song out as a single late in the year, as the B-side to Cooke's latest potential hit, "Shake." At one of his last recording sessions, Cooke approved an edit to the song that would shorten it by about 30 seconds, increasing its chance for airplay on American radio stations.
Finally given proper attention, "A Change Is Gonna Come" became a sensation among the black community, and was used an anthem for the ongoing civil rights protests. On R&B radio, the song peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, and topped many local playlists, most notably in Chicago. The song had more limited success on top 40 radio. By February 1965, the song had peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and fallen off. Cooke, however, did not live to see the song's commercial success. On December 11, 1964, he was killed at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California under what many consider mysterious circumstances.
Legacy
Though only a moderate success sales-wise, "A Change Is Gonna Come" became an anthem for the American Civil Rights Movement, and is widely considered Cooke's best composition. Over the years, the song has garnered significant praise and, in 2005, was voted number 12 by representatives of the music industry and press in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and voted number 3 in the webzine Pitchfork Media's The 200 Greatest Songs of the 60s.The song is also among three hundred songs deemed the most important ever recorded by National Public Radio (NPR) and was recently selected by the Library of Congress as one of twenty-five selected recordings to the National Recording Registry as of March 2007.
Despite its acclaim, legal troubles have haunted the single since its release. A dispute between Cooke's music publisher, ABKCO, and record company, RCA Records, made the recording unavailable for much of the four decades since its release. Though the song was featured prominently in the 1992 film Malcolm X, it could not be included in the film's soundtrack. By 2003, however, the disputes had been settled in time for the song to be included on the remastered version of Ain't That Good News, as well as the Cooke anthology Portrait of a Legend.
"A Change Is Gonna Come" was a precursor to many later socially-conscious singles, including Marvin Gaye's lauded "What's Going On". Al Green, a self-professed fan of Cooke, covered the song for the concert celebrating the 1996 opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Green's live rendition was included in the soundtrack to the 2001 Michael Mann film Ali. James Taylor recorded a version specially for an episode of the same title of the television drama The West Wing. The Allman Brothers Band captured their performance of the song on their 2003 DVD Live at the Beacon Theatre.
A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam Cooke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh and just like the river I've been running ev'r since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna 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
I go to the movie and I go downtown
Somebody keep tellin' me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna 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, oh
There have 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 is gonna come, oh yes it will
Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" is a song about hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. The first verse starts with Cooke describing his humble beginnings, being born and raised in a little tent by a river. The metaphor of the river represents his life, which has been constantly moving, evolving and challenging. Cooke then sings about the long and difficult journey he has been on, but he remains optimistic that "a change is gonna come". This repeated phrase is the heart of the song, a mantra that reinforces Cooke's determination to keep moving forward despite the hardships he faces.
In the second verse, Cooke reveals that he is afraid to die because he doesn't know what's beyond the sky. This fear is not necessarily of death, but rather of what comes after; a reflection of the uncertainty he feels about his future. Again, the theme of hope shines through as he expresses his belief that a change will come. The third verse depicts the discrimination and segregation that Cooke faced as a black man in the United States. He speaks of being warned not to hang around certain places, a reminder of the racial tension and segregation that existed even after the Civil Rights Act was passed. Despite these challenges, Cooke remains steadfast in his struggle, knowing that the change he seeks is on the horizon.
The final verse leans into his frustration with people who are supposed to be allies but end up causing more harm than help. Cooke pleads with his brother, hoping he will get the support he needs, but even his brother ends up knocking him down. Despite the setback, Cooke expresses his newfound strength and determination. He admits there have been moments when he thought he couldn't go on, but now he feels that he can persevere through whatever comes his way.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born by the river in a little tent
I grew up in poverty near a river, always on the move
Oh and just like the river I've been running ev'r since
Like the river, I've been constantly moving throughout my life
It's been a long, a long time coming
I've been waiting for a long time for something to change
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
I have hope that change will eventually come
It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
Life has been difficult, but I'm unsure about what comes after death
'Cause I don't know what's up there, beyond the sky
I'm uncertain about the existence of an afterlife
I go to the movie and I go downtown
I seek entertainment and escape from my troubles
Somebody keep tellin' me don't hang around
People warn me about the dangers of my surroundings
Then I go to my brother
I turn to my family for support
And I say brother help me please
I ask for help from those closest to me
But he winds up knockin' me
Unfortunately, my brother ultimately lets me down
Back down on my knees, oh
I am left feeling defeated
There have been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
I have experienced moments of despair
But now I think I'm able to carry on
However, I now have the strength to keep going
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will
I maintain my hope that change will eventually arrive
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Sam Cooke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kateyounge3722
When I was 9, my. mum told me that black people are exactly the same as white people. Since I was 14 I have been arguing against racism, I protested in London against apartheid and that people must stop buying South African produce. I protested when Martin Luther king was shot and Steve Biko was killed by the Sth African police. I am now 70 and I am STILL arguing against racism. Will it end in my lifetime? As mum said, we are all the same and we all originate from the same place, Africa. My skin just happens to be white.
@newsupdates3958
Wow your mum is so proud
@douglasfreeman8644
Wow your mother was a wise woman
@UnknownUnknown-ig6ml
Kate Younge: Your mother was a very astute woman. She raised a respectable, compassionate, loving and caring young Kate. What a mother and you should be proud of her for so many reasons. I am certain that you raised your children the same as your mother raised you. You were blessed.
You should be given a medal. I am giving one for you and one for your wonderful mother, for raising a decent human being. Unfortunately, this world does not have many mothers as yours nor children who grow up to listen to their mothers/parents.
Yes, we are all human beings some nice and some are not. It depends on how your parents or your caregivers raised you.
You are an angel on earth without wings. Thank you for being a kind and wonderful human being who to this day remembers the teachings of her mother.
@serdaruzun4560
I don’t think racism will ever end. Our minds will always categorize everything and everyone. But who knows.
@lucymaynard6798
Lots of love to you and your BEAUTIFUL mother ❤️
@roblw44
My two best friends recently died. One of them a month ago, the other a year ago. One night the three of us were hanging out on a Saturday night having ourselves a good time, laughing and driving around when my friend in the passenger seat asked my friend sitting in the backseat to sing for us. My friend in the backseat could sing very well and was in a gospel group with his brothers. He sang "a change gonna come". Little did I know that he was going to end up singing it to his funeral months later and now he's gone now too. These men were literally like brothers to me and now each time I hear this beautiful song, I dedicate it to them. Junie and JD, this is for you. My brothers
@diekop6204
prayers up bro.
@carltheman777
prayers to you my bro
@carmenteixeira9344
May the love of the Holy Spirit be with you, dear.