A Change Is Gonna Come
The Neville Brothers Lyrics

The Neville Brothers' version of "A Change Is Gonna Come" covers Sam Cooke's original version, which integrated gospel and soul music to make a statement about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The song is an embodiment of the fight against racial and social injustice, and the longing for change that will break through years of oppression.

The lyrics speak to the experience of being born into a life of inequality, with the river serving as a metaphor for life's journey. The accompanying metaphorical image is that of the singer being in "a little tent," which represents the makeshift, substandard living conditions that many Black Americans had to endure. The singer has been "running ever since," which represents the exhausting effort of survival in a society that is stacked against them. Despite this, the singer remains hopeful that change is going to come.

The second verse delves further into the experience of Black Americans, highlighting the difficulty of living in a world that operates against their well-being. The singer is "afraid to die" because they do not know what is "up there beyond the sky," which is a reference to the religious beliefs that many Black Americans held or still hold. The sad truth, however, is that they are fearful of dying as much as they fear living in a society that offers them little to no moral or political support.

The chorus repeats twice in succession, 'It's been a long, long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come, oh, yes it will', which signifies the long-standing struggle that Black Americans have endured. The final verse evokes themes of community support and the power of resiliency. The singer reflects on the times when they felt like giving up, but ultimately gained the strength to carry on. The song builds to a climactic resolution that change will come, instilling hope that overcoming inequality and injustice is possible— that long awaited change is not a matter of if, but when.