A Change is Gonna Come
By: Colby Matsumoto
When the Civil Rights Movement first began in the 1950s, African Americans began to fight for their equal rights, the same as whites. At first, protests sparked violence between the two races and officials during protests. Led by leaders like Martin Luther King, African Americans took a more vocal turn for the better. Violence decreased leading up to the 1960s thanks to walking protest and sit-ins. Sit ins took place where African Americans sat in public areas for "White Only" and were often always denied service but they would still stay seated there until the venue or where they were sitting had closed, often times they were restaurants or cafes. The Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s resulted in many historic events that influenced how society is today. Music during this time represented a beginning to a movement that bettered the lives of many African Americans today in the United States.
Sam Cooke was a singer, songwriter born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale Mississippi. Cooke was one of eight children, his father was a baptist minister. At a young age, Cooke moved with his family to Chicago in 1933 .Sometimes referred to as the father of soul music, he was first a part of a gospel group called the Soul Stirrers before going solo. Other musical groups he was involved with, when he was a teenager along with some of his siblings, were Johnny Keyes and the Magnificent's, and the Highway QC's. Once Cooke had gone solo, he created hits such as "You Send Me", "Wonderful World", "A Change is Gonna Come" and many more. His music styles included soul and pop and had a diverse audience of both black and white people. Cooke eventually created his own record label and publishing company. Cooke died on December 11, 1964 in Los Angeles, California but not before his music made a lasting impact on the Civil Rights Movement during his time.
Although his song, "A Change is Gonna Come", was not released until after his tragic death, it was one of his only political songs about the Civil Rights Movement that influenced many. The song came from a personal experience of Cooke's when he was scheduled for a gig and was denied entry by a white guard. The song "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan also highly influenced Cooke's hit song. Cooke was in such awe that a white man would write such a song during Civil Rights Movement that in return he wanted to write a song that would hopefully influence the same ideas. The song hit Number 31 when it was released in the mid 1960's and really represented as a piece of art that helped represent hope for the racial discrimination going on at the time.
In "A Change is Gonna Come", Cookes lyrics can perfectly display the emotions and hardships African Americans were facing during this time as well as the hope for the future. For example, the lyrics "I go to the movie and I go downtown, Somebody keep telling' 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", represents how discrimination in public areas, like a movie theatre, are very dangerous and there are people who try to avoid it because of the potential violence and hate that can come about from it. But, Cooke includes the hope that he knows that a change will come in the future and to think about it know, discrimination has come such a long way since the 1960s. At the end of the song Cooke sings, "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", and I think that this in particular is a sure sign of hope that change is near and it is possible and looking now it did happen. He says that there are times that he wants to give up and that he doesn't think he can last longer but he then says that he now thinks that he can carry on and he will because a change will come providing some hope for African Americans during this movement. The hope that Cooke sings and feels so strongly about comes from the influence of Bob Dylan's song, since hearing that song Cooke has a feeling that people will change and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s will be successful.
Politically speaking, these lyrics are honest as to how social interactions were during this time. At the movie theatre, whites were very discriminating against the African Americans. Also in social settings, there were separate areas for white and black people. Cooke's lyrics represent how he hope that will change in the future which was very important for African Americans to know at that time in order to keep living knowing that the movement would have a positive outcome. This song and many other songs that inspired others during this time brought the people in the community together to stick together and keep on with the Civil Rights Movement, too.
During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, there were a lot of changes and inspirations. Music especially was key in influencing hope in African American lives. Music was a starting point that helped better the lives because of artists like Sam Cooke and Bob Dylan and of course many others. Music became a sign of hope for all the lives in America during this time and it is an important aspect that helped change racial discrimination in our country today. As we know in the end, racial discrimination has been alleviated since the Civil Rights Movement first begun. Although still seen in areas of the South, racial discrimination has come such a long way since events and influences of music helped encourage and instill hope into the lives of African Americans. Since then, music has been a massive part of influencing political movements and protests going on in the world today which can obviously play an important part in historic events in American history.
http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129#tragic-death-and-legacy
http://kulturekritic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/03/sam_cooke.jpg (picture)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbO2_077ixs (video)
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-unlikely-story-of-a-change-is-gonna-come
http://www.metrolyrics.com/a-change-is-gonna-come-lyrics-sam-cooke.html
http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/civilrightsstruggle1/a/timeline1960.htm
Sam Cooke was a singer, songwriter born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale Mississippi. Cooke was one of eight children, his father was a baptist minister. At a young age, Cooke moved with his family to Chicago in 1933 .Sometimes referred to as the father of soul music, he was first a part of a gospel group called the Soul Stirrers before going solo. Other musical groups he was involved with, when he was a teenager along with some of his siblings, were Johnny Keyes and the Magnificent's, and the Highway QC's. Once Cooke had gone solo, he created hits such as "You Send Me", "Wonderful World", "A Change is Gonna Come" and many more. His music styles included soul and pop and had a diverse audience of both black and white people. Cooke eventually created his own record label and publishing company. Cooke died on December 11, 1964 in Los Angeles, California but not before his music made a lasting impact on the Civil Rights Movement during his time.
Although his song, "A Change is Gonna Come", was not released until after his tragic death, it was one of his only political songs about the Civil Rights Movement that influenced many. The song came from a personal experience of Cooke's when he was scheduled for a gig and was denied entry by a white guard. The song "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan also highly influenced Cooke's hit song. Cooke was in such awe that a white man would write such a song during Civil Rights Movement that in return he wanted to write a song that would hopefully influence the same ideas. The song hit Number 31 when it was released in the mid 1960's and really represented as a piece of art that helped represent hope for the racial discrimination going on at the time.
In "A Change is Gonna Come", Cookes lyrics can perfectly display the emotions and hardships African Americans were facing during this time as well as the hope for the future. For example, the lyrics "I go to the movie and I go downtown, Somebody keep telling' 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", represents how discrimination in public areas, like a movie theatre, are very dangerous and there are people who try to avoid it because of the potential violence and hate that can come about from it. But, Cooke includes the hope that he knows that a change will come in the future and to think about it know, discrimination has come such a long way since the 1960s. At the end of the song Cooke sings, "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", and I think that this in particular is a sure sign of hope that change is near and it is possible and looking now it did happen. He says that there are times that he wants to give up and that he doesn't think he can last longer but he then says that he now thinks that he can carry on and he will because a change will come providing some hope for African Americans during this movement. The hope that Cooke sings and feels so strongly about comes from the influence of Bob Dylan's song, since hearing that song Cooke has a feeling that people will change and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s will be successful.
Politically speaking, these lyrics are honest as to how social interactions were during this time. At the movie theatre, whites were very discriminating against the African Americans. Also in social settings, there were separate areas for white and black people. Cooke's lyrics represent how he hope that will change in the future which was very important for African Americans to know at that time in order to keep living knowing that the movement would have a positive outcome. This song and many other songs that inspired others during this time brought the people in the community together to stick together and keep on with the Civil Rights Movement, too.
During the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, there were a lot of changes and inspirations. Music especially was key in influencing hope in African American lives. Music was a starting point that helped better the lives because of artists like Sam Cooke and Bob Dylan and of course many others. Music became a sign of hope for all the lives in America during this time and it is an important aspect that helped change racial discrimination in our country today. As we know in the end, racial discrimination has been alleviated since the Civil Rights Movement first begun. Although still seen in areas of the South, racial discrimination has come such a long way since events and influences of music helped encourage and instill hope into the lives of African Americans. Since then, music has been a massive part of influencing political movements and protests going on in the world today which can obviously play an important part in historic events in American history.
http://www.biography.com/people/sam-cooke-9256129#tragic-death-and-legacy
http://kulturekritic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/03/sam_cooke.jpg (picture)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbO2_077ixs (video)
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-unlikely-story-of-a-change-is-gonna-come
http://www.metrolyrics.com/a-change-is-gonna-come-lyrics-sam-cooke.html
http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/civilrightsstruggle1/a/timeline1960.htm