December 22: "A Change is Gonna Come"

Sam Cooke's immortal "A Change is Gonna Come" was released 44 years ago yesterday. Not only does this song carry a poignant lyrical message of redemption and hope in the face of oppression, but Cooke's voice sweats and bleeds with feeling as he pushes each ragged syllable from his chest, and the simple melody and its delicate orchestration stand for me as one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever recorded.

Critic and historian Peter Guralnick describes the song as "Sam's magnum opus", and says in his linear notes to Sam Cooke: Portrait of a Legend:

"[A Change is Gonna Come] cleary stemmed from a confluence of events: Sam's appreciation for (and envy of) Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind"...; his conversations with student sit-in demonstrators in Durham, North Carolina; and his own arrest in October for trying to register at a segregated Shreveport motel. But nothing can fully explain the majesty or soaring eloquence of the song."

Said close friend and associate of Cooke's J.W Alexander:

"He was very excited, and when he finished it he explained it to me--his reason behind the lyrics. Like 'I don't what's up there beyond the sky'-- it's like somebody's talking about I want to go to heaven, really, but the who knows what's really up there? In other words, that's why you want justice on earth..."

The doubt in the existence of a divine justice and the feeling or urgency for human justice on earth, as is evident in this candid statement, is especially meaningful coming from Cooke, the son of a preacher and a deeply faithful man who began his career with the gospel group the Soul Stirrers. This song not only demonstrates Cooke's incredible songwriting skill and virtuosic singing ability, but also his faith in humanity, his trust in the energy and justice of his brothers as well as that of his God.

Below is an incredible version of "A Change is Gonna Come" from guitarist Bill Frisell and his trio, a moving performance and an apt testament to the power of Cooke's composition. Frisell plays the simple melody repeatedly, as a singer would, manipulating the notes in the same way Cooke manipulated the words. Be sure to watch to the end to witness Frisell's astounding melodic layering on his final chorus-- the effect is uncannily beautiful, like watching the explosions of dozens of fireworks as they burst into glorious light successively, creating a canvas of abstract color across a dark sky of mournful bass and gentle snare drum.

June 16, 2007 Rochester, N.Y.
Bill Frisell: guitar
with Tony Scherr: Bass,
Kenny Wollesen: Drums

I was born by the river in a little tent

And just like the river, I've been running ever since

It's been a long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come

It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die

I don't know what's up there beyond the sky

It's been a long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come

I go to the movie, and I go downtown

Somebody keep telling me "Don't hang around"

It's been a long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come

Then I go to my brother and I say, "Brother, help me please"

But he winds up knocking me back down on my knees

There've been times that I've 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

RIP Sam Cooke: 1934-1964