Yesterday, Today and Forever

I do not remember a time when there was not music in my home it just seems to always be there. We children were called into the living room to listen to some new records my dad had bought. This was the time of Vinyl records. We kids looked at each other thinking to ourselves oh lord here we go again, we could be outside playing. My dad did this every few weeks. We would have to listen to some long story about the artist, how this song was for dancing, or we needed to learn this song for church. This song was recorded in 1964, A Change Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.


This haunting, painful, soulful voice like something I had never heard before came out of the record player; we all sat there not a sound coming from anybody listening to Sam Cooke singing A Change Gone Come. I know my daddy played that four or five times straight. Nobody realized at the time but my daddy was crying. Nobody understood why. It must have been something really bad to make my daddy cry.


So later when we (my sisters) asked my momma why did that song make daddy cry. She explained to us about the message the song had. Of course being young children, we did not really understand. At the time, I had no knowledge of the struggles African Americans were going through. This song became popular during the Civil Rights Movement. However, the song has stayed with me all these years.

As an adult, this song still brings tears to my eyes and joy to my soul. It gives me the type of joy makes me look forward to another day, another challenge or whatever the world has to offer. My tears are not from sadness but from somewhere in my soul. It hits the heart where there are no limitations; it discretely, yet directly addresses the ills of today’s society.

Sam Cooke today would be impressed by the various artist that have recorded this song. I feel men give the better rendition. I do not know if it has to do with the struggles men go through or just something they feel. Do not misunderstand there are woman who blow this song out of the water. Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Lauryn Hill and Tina Turner, each makes it her own. As far as the men go, there is a lot but my favorites are of course the original Sam Cooke, Luther Vandross, James Taylor, Al Green, Bob Dylan, and Seal. Three Dog Night has even done it and it is amazingly wonderful. All these voices touch me deep inside.

Here are a few different renditions of the song. Enjoy

http://www.imeem.com/marie12/music/SS9Qap4K/sam_cooke_a_change_is_gonna_come/

http://www.imeem.com/people/J5sJ5zP/music/5sXMUU8s/tina_turner_a_change_is_gonna_come/


http://www.imeem.com/t44j21h/music/YRQggk1x/three_dog_night_a_change_is_gonna_come/

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1y82c_luther-vandross-a-change-gonna-come_music