Of all the music being produced in the world, there are some songs that remain timeless.
Whether history corrects itself or dare chooses to repeat itself, there is always music that extends beyond these boundaries and remains relevant across age.
Take Sam Cooke’s culturally charged masterpiece “A Change is Gonna Come.”
This civil-rights anthem, although brooding, also casts a bright light of hope.
Originally, the song was released as a B-side of Cooke’s single “Shake.” Following his death, the song hit the Pop and R&B charts in 1965, climbing and peaking in the top ten and top 50.
Surprisingly, despite the song’s timeless energy, its anniversaries have passed without many commemorations. But to this day, the song remains beloved and timely.
Given the current political climate, civil issues are more relevant than ever before, with a looming sense of disorder shaking things up left and right.
Instead of everyone celebrating Cooke’s hit, perhaps it has become more of the elephant in the room—its hopes and wishes remaining persistently relevant and applicable to the current crisis.
According to an article published in the New Yorker:
“If Cooke were alive to update ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ for the current political scene, he might be tempted to rename it ‘The More Things Change.'”
Still, Cooke’s song adds itself to an important history lesson in how music has always been there to intersect and shape civil rights.
The New Yorker story explains more of the history of influence behind Cooke’s masterpiece:
“Cooke was motivated to write ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ by another sixties anthem, Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind.’ When he first heard that song, Peter Guralnick writes in 2005’s ‘Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke,’ he ‘was so carried away with the message, and the fact that a white boy had written it, that . . . he was almost ashamed not to have written something like that himself.’”
And this cover from community activist and singer-songwriter Brian Owens does just the justice Cooke requested long ago in his lyrics.
Better yet? This soulful rendition spans generations, as Owens performs it with his father, Thomas Owens.
With 46 million views and over 400,000 likes, the internet is keen on the Owens’ thoughtful performance of a truly relevant classic.
The black and white video features the two men standing face to face across a microphone hanging from the ceiling.
The smooth music rises up in the background, and Brian Owens begins the song with the familiar lyrics.
“I was born by a river, in a little tent
Oh and just like the river, I’ve been runnin’ ever since
It’s been a long, a long time comin’
But I know, a change gon’ come.”
No sooner does his father step in with the smoothest voice of his own.
As the tune progresses, the father and son duo work effortlessly together to deliver a bluesy offering of the heart. Their interpretation is pure, genuine, and simply soulful.
It is also a reminder that Cooke’s message is pertinent to our current time.
The YouTube video provides this description:
“Music and love define the artistry of singer, songwriter and dedicated community activist Brian Owens. These qualities radiate from all of his work, including his duet with five time Grammy-winning and legendary vocalist Michael McDonald on SOUL OF FERGUSON, and the heartfelt interpretation of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which Owens filmed and recorded with his father, Thomas Owens. Their powerful performance ignited the internet and has received more than 100 million views on Facebook and YouTube.”
Check out their powerful work for yourself in the video linked below!
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