Gonna Be a Countdown: A Change Is Gonna Come

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Congratulations to the Texas Rangers on their first World Series title in franchise history!! I saw them when they were the Washington Senators, when the late Frank Howard (who passed away this week) played for them. Now for hockey season! And also it’s time for another song with “gonna” in the title. Here’s today’s song. A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke “Cupid” and “You Send Me,” this (to steal the word of the month from last month) ain’t. According to Picky Wedia, this song had its origins when Sam Cooke, who was at the time one of the most popular performers (black or white), was refused a room at a hotel because of his skin color. He was subsequently arrested. The newspaper report says he was “arrested for trying to register at a ‘white’ motel.” I know. That sounds alien to us today, doesn’t it. Look at the date, though. This was sixty years ago. In my lifetime. This song was part of Cooke’s answer to the incident. He eschewed his sweet soul voice for a blues feel, backed by an orchestra. Sadly, Cooke never saw the song released as a single, as he was shot to death in a motel lobby in Los Angeles on December 11, 1964. What happened that night is still a mystery (the story I grew up hearing was that the clerk shot him in self-defense). Whatever happened, the world was robbed of a remarkable talent. And every time this song has been played since, his voice echos throughout the world. A Change Is Gonna Come Written by Sam Cooke Recorded by Sam Cooke From Ain’t That Good News, 1964 It’s been too hard living: