A Change is Gonna Come

Sam Cooke's A Change is gonna come is criticised by some to have not fulfilled its objective as to do with racism; I do believe its impact was wide and is being felt up to date.

While racism is still a vice that can be felt on wide range its reduction since the 1950s and 60s can not be understated.Sam Cooke the 'architect' of the song A Change is gonna come was born in Mississippi in 1931. Having spent most of his time in Chicago in one way or the other shaped him to become one of the most vocal R singers in years to come. Being a son of a clergy man he started his singing career at a humble church level before rising to be the voice of the disadvantaged and the discriminated in the society.

The theme that is Racism in the song has excited many and given praise to Cooke's contribution to fight racism while others argue that it even contributed to the widening of the spirit that is racism.The song was recorded in Dec 1963 on a backdrop of the discrimination of the blacks in the US. Cooke as such was greatly moved in become one of the voice of the people through songs in way of producing songs with such message. However in attempting to preach about racism, he was very reluctant in the beginning since he did not want to loose his whites fan audience (Sanford 91).Cooke s inspiration during the writing of the song was based on the reflection double incidents that included the death of his 18 year old son and on the and the harassment he and his accompaniments went through when they were trying to record in at the "whites only motel" in October 1963.

The tonal variation carried in the song was to depict the real situation that is racism in the US the final verse being a point of stress. 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.You send me made him to become the first African America to hit the R charts in 1957.While singing the song A Change Gonna Come, Cooke used the gospel style he had previously used. Its first appearance in Aint That Good resulted in positive results with the rankings o0n the hip hop chart at 34.

Such rankings in one way or the other was depicting the courage and capability that the black Americana had. The song was widely used by civil activists in their cause in fighting the discrimination of the blacks. As such it was like an anthem to the blacks. However with time the song stagnated in fame. However Cooke could not live to see the success of the song after He was shot in a motel in Los Angeles in 1964 (Glenda 61).

A change is gonna come lyrics by Sam Cooke: I was born by the river in a little tent Oh and just like the river I've been running ever 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 But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will 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 Then I go to my brother And I say brother help me please But he winds up knockin' me Back down on my knees Ohhhhhhhhh.....

There 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 gonna come, oh yes it willDuring the period between 1965 and 1968 was characterised by the rise of the African- America Civil Rights movements in bid to outlaw racial discrimination and suffrage of the blacks especially in the southern states of the US. This boosts the relevance of Cooke's Change is Gonna Be in the sense that the pressure from the civil society was ever growing hence the optimism. While violence was an option for the rights activists in the US, Cooke's use of music was a sought of diplomatic approach. This was against the backdrop of the violence that the whites were using to dominate power.

Cooke's use of music to push for reforms over racism is actually one of the best. This is attributed to the fact that it is non-violent. This explains why many activists used his song during the peaceful demonstrations and mass action. This is due to the fact that use of violence or a method that is forceful could result to retaliation that would make the race relations change difficult to achieve. The non-violent mechanisms adopted by the activists were very effective in the late 1950s up to the 60s to the levels that the governments were shaken (Angela & Ann 36).

Cooke has in his song delivered to the target audience. This can be attributed to the style he has used in the song. The tonal variation in the song is used specifically to stress the suffering that the blacks are actually facing. This is contrary to arguments that the soft voice used in the song reflects the inferiority complex that characterises the blacks (Carole 68).The use of effect of the personal experience made him to air out the plight of the blacks as they come. This was due to the pain of victimisation.

As such it was easier for Cooke to be useful to the crusaders in public forums as he could tell his part of the story. When Cooke and his band were thrown out of a "whites only" Motel, news went round and the government continued to pressurise the government to make reforms that would ensure discrimination of the blacks is dealt with (Sara 36).The sell of the millions of copies of his work is a sure way to show that he actually had the audience of the whites. This gave him a good position o in which he could lay out the grievances of the blacks.

At the time of the release of the song A Change is Gonna Be, the blacks were being discriminated in form of under funding of schools for the blacks. Such measures made the blacks feel as if overcoming this challenge could be difficult as all resources and policy making was in the hands of the whites. he talks of 'There been time I thought I couldn't last for long' This brings the issue of the blacks at times feeling down but this is temporal as they still hope 'Change gonna come'.In the song when he talks of the help he goes to seek from the brother, he does this with symbolism on the whites being equal to the black.

Such helps in bringing reconciliatory environment forcing the hard racists to think twice of their behaviour. This diplomatic approach is important to changing the negative stance over blacks by the whites.The song was a kind of foresight of the freedom and equality that the blacks came to get later on. The unspecified time that the change will be makes the story to be relevant to the events that took place even after the death of Cooke. The emergence of Barrack Obama as the 44th American President and the first black is a fulfilment of what Cooke was up to in his song.

This is attributed to the fact that Cooke did not specifically stale the time the change will come but he talks of "It's been a long, a long time coming" (Patricia & Gordon 102).The achievements of the Civil Society struggles over had some achievements that include change in legislations that discriminated against the blacks. The civil rights for example of 1964 banned the intimidation or any discrimination of citizens in either basis of race, color, religion or origin. The voting rights Act of 1965 restored the rights of voting of the blacks who could previously not vote due to discriminatory electoral requirements.

As per the developments that took place during and after the time of Sam Cooke, it would be absolutely justified to note that Cooke's song and presentation on A Change is Gonna Come impacted positively on the fight against racial discrimination thus meeting its objective. The elements if tribalism in America today does not necessarily mean that strides towards zero rate racial discrimination are not on positive course.