Three Dog Night is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California best … Read Full Bio ↴Three Dog Night is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California best known for their music from 1968 to 1975, during which time they achieved twenty-one consecutive Billboard Top 40 Hits and 12 consecutive Gold Albums. Three Dog Night are still active in 2012, touring and recording 43 years after their first album was released. The first of the band's 7 million-selling singles was One in 1969. They scored three number one singles: Mama Told Me (Not to Come), Joy to the World and Black and White.

The original lineup included three lead vocalists — Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells — along with Michael Allsup on guitar, Jimmy Greenspoon on keyboards Floyd Sneed on drums and Joe Schermie (from the Cory Wells Blues Band) on bass.

Three Dog Night recorded some tracks with Beach Boys producer, composer, vocalist, and instrumentalist Brian Wilson before signing with Dunhill Records and at the time went under the name Redwood. The band changed their name based on an article describing how Australian Aborigines slept with their dogs for warmth on cold nights, the coldest being a "three-dog night."

A Change Is Gonna Come
Three Dog Night Lyrics

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I was born by a river in a little tent,
And just like this river,
I've been running ever since.
It's been a too long, too long-time a-coming,
But I know a change gonna come,
Oh, yes, it is.

It's been too hard living,

And I'm afraid to die.
I don't know what's up there beyond the sky.
It's been a long time a, long time a-coming,
But I know, Lord I know a change gonna come, Lord.
Yeah, yes.

And then I went to see my brother, oh yeah.
I said, "Brother, help me, please."
He turned me down.
And then I went, I went to see my sweet mother.
I said, "Mama, Mama I'm down on my knees."
It's been a too hard living,
And I'm afraid to die.
I don't know what's up there beyond the sky.
It's been a long, long time a-coming,

But I know, but I know a change gonna come.
Oh, long.

Overall Meaning

The song A Change Is Gonna Come by Three Dog Night is a cover of Sam Cooke's original recording. It is a poignant commentary on the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle for equal rights for Black Americans. The lyrics describe a life of hardship and persecution, with the singer feeling trapped and suffocated by the constant struggle. Despite this, there is a glimmer of hope in the form of the belief that change is coming, and that one day things will be better.

The opening lines, "I was born by a river in a little tent, and just like this river, I've been running ever since," are a powerful metaphor for the constant movement and activity of life. The river represents the stream of time and the journey that we are all on, constantly moving forward no matter what obstacles we may encounter. The singer's life has been one of constant movement, with a sense of restlessness and unease that never quite goes away.

The second verse takes on a more spiritual tone, with the singer expressing a fear of death and uncertainty about what lies beyond. This is a common theme in African American spirituals and reflects the struggle of a people who have been denied a sense of agency and control over their own lives. The line "It's been a long time a-coming" speaks to the long history of oppression and struggle in America, and the sense that real change has been a long time coming.

Line by Line Meaning

I was born by a river in a little tent,
I come from humble origins, born in a small tent by a river, which has been a symbol of the constant flow of my life.

And just like this river,
Like the river, my journey and experiences have been ongoing and constant.

I've been running ever since.
From the moment I was born, I have been on a journey, constantly moving forward and evolving.

It's been a too long, too long-time a-coming,
The wait for change has been excruciatingly long, and it's taken far too much time to arrive.

But I know a change gonna come,
I remain hopeful and believe that change is imminent, and I will experience it soon.

Oh, yes, it is.
I have complete faith that change is definitely coming.

It's been too hard living,
The challenges and difficulties I have faced in life have been overwhelming.

And I'm afraid to die.
I fear what awaits me after death, and it adds to the struggles of life.

I don't know what's up there beyond the sky.
I am unsure and uncertain of what lies beyond the sky after death.

And then I went to see my brother, oh yeah.
I sought the help and support of my brother, hoping he could guide me through my struggles.

I said, "Brother, help me, please."
I appealed to my brother for assistance and aid, hoping he could provide some comfort and assistance in my struggles.

He turned me down.
Unfortunately, my brother did not give me the help or support I had hoped for or needed.

And then I went, I went to see my sweet mother.
In my desperation, I reached out to my mother, hoping she could provide me with the guidance and support I desperately needed.

I said, "Mama, Mama I'm down on my knees."
I appealed to my mother from a place of vulnerability, on my knees, feeling defeated and helpless.

Oh, long.
The wait for change has been incredibly long and arduous, but I remain hopeful that it will come soon.

Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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