Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come

First performance: 23/03/1988

Coverinfo

Bruce covered the song 2 times (soundcheck included):
 
 
2003-04-29 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ 
Billed as "The Hope Concert," the event was a benefit for Robert Bandiera Jr., son of the local band leader and guitarist Bobby Bandiera, a longtime colleague of Springsteen and Bon Jovi. Bobby Bandiera and his band are the house band. Leads vocals are taken by Southside Johnny on "A Change Is Gonna Come".
  
 
 
1988-03-23 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA 
Bruce performed this song during a wonderful soundcheck with a lot of covers :
 

Songinfo

"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a song by American recording artist Sam Cooke. It initially appeared on Cooke's album Ain't That Good News, released March 1, 1964 by RCA Victor; a slightly edited version of the recording was released as a single on December 22, 1964. Produced by Hugo & Luigi and arranged and conducted by René Hall, the song was the B-side to "Shake". The song was inspired by various personal events in Cooke's life, most prominently an event in which he and his entourage were turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana. Cooke felt compelled to write a song that spoke to his struggle and of those around him, and that pertained to the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans. The song contains the refrain, "It's been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come." Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, "A Change Is Gonna Come" is widely considered Cooke's best composition and has been voted among the best songs ever released by various publications. In 2007, the song was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress, with the National Recording Registry deeming the song "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important."
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

2021-02-24 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce plays the 'good times' during his 18th episode of 'From My Home to Yours' The episode was called "New Born Soul". Later in the episode he plays Soul Stirrers - Jesus, I'll never forget
Bruce: Now if you want the rebirth of the soul, you will need the gospel. So coming up right now is the incredible Soul Stirrers, featuring the, once again, miraculous voice of Sam Cooke, when he was at his most youthful, and maybe at his best. 
 
2020-04-24 SiriusXM Studio, New York City 
Bruce plays ' good times ' during his second 'From His Home to Yours':
Bruce: " The other sexiest man that ever lived — my God, what a voice! And what a beautiful record."
  
 
PODCAST with Barak Obama on 22th of February 2021: American Skin: Race in the United States
Discussing the best Protestsongs, Bruce and Barak Obama mention ' a change is gonna come ' : 

BO: "That song can make me cry, there is something about when he starts singing"
Bruce: 'You can feel the historical pain that's in it and yet the elegance and the generousness of his voice' 
  

Lyrics

I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ev'r since
It's been a long time, 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 tellin' 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, oh
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, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will