*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”
Sam Cooke is responsible for composing and performing one of the most essential tunes of the civil rights era, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, from his 1964 album Ain’t That Good News.
In October 8, 1963, he was already hugely successful commercially when he was refused a room at a Holiday Inn in Louisiana, despite making reservations ahead of time. He was also arrested for disturbing the peace as a result of protesting the racist treatment that he received. This was just one example of mistreatment that he experienced as a result of Jim Crow laws, but it well illustrates that being famous didn’t shield black people from the negative effects of bigotry.
Along with his personal experiences, the legendary soul singer was inspired to compose “A Change Is Gonna Come” after listening to Bob Dylan’s 1963 classic protest song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.” If a white man was able to pen an insightful civil rights anthem, then a highly skilled singer-songwriter who personally experienced racial discrimination should be able to. Cooke succeeds in tapping into his personal experience to compose his own deeply moving anthem of hope.
Tragically Cooke died on December 11, 1964, prior to the song being released as a single (a B-side to “Shake”) The tune was only a modest hit at the time, but shortly after it became widely associated with the civil rights movement. Sadly, it continues to remain relevant.
* Protest Music Hall of Fame: A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke – The Ongoing History of Protest Music
Sam Cooke https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEBlaMOmKV4&list=RDwEBlaMOmKV4&start_radio=1__;!!DZ3fjg!8ywnhchUeSI_eZG8I4WitChEMc2qWVyps1IgmTLNm_Zt7gODhT9PbrW10-VzrlTdkmk78CSCxibWLXCGjQTsSsHGyWLWcA$
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