Song 11: A Change is Gonna Come

This song is a refreshing change from the Depression era songs, which, quite frankly, I found rather depressing (pun intended this time). Sam Cooke was the original writer of this song, back in 1963, but the version we listened to was recorded by Seal. Yet again, there are difficult times in the background of the song, but the narrator is able to find optimism anyway. He has great faith that things will change, and, for the most part, he was right.

While this song was only moderately popular during the Civil Rights Era, it has come to signify the era over the years since. I think it is a very powerful message that certainly typifies the mood. Change was on the horizon, and it was evident because there were people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. leading the way. Myself, I believe in optimism. When things aren't going well, if you just let yourself get defeated, you will get defeated. This song is just screaming optimism. I think that, and the catchy rhythm to it, is the largest reason for this song's popularity. People don't like to face realities, and while, sometimes it is necessary (see song 10), looking ahead to a bright future leads to hope. There were many dark eras in the history of the United States, but the Civil Rights Era, in the end, led to a sense of equality that African Americans had never truly experienced before.