A Summary Of Sam Cooke's Song 'Blowin In The Wind'

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When Sam Cooke heard Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” he was moved to write a song that people could use as the civil rights movement anthem. The result was the song “A Change is Gonna Come” which was instantly embraced by African American people who were participating in the Civil Rights Movement. The song is still associated with the movement today. The song is still known for how much of his soul and heart he put into it, which allowed people to relate to it, and ultimately make it a hit. It is clear why it represents the struggles of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement; it has a strong and consistent form, powerful timbre from the combination of the vocals and instruments, and meaningful lyrics to match the message of the melody.…show more content…
He decided to split the song into 3 verses in order to incorporate different parts of his life (birth, despair, and hope). The rhythm is straight and even across the entire song; there are two strong beats in each measure with the second one being emphasized. This is consistent through every verse and refrain, which represents persistence because it is unchanged. He followed the basic stanza form that people in rock and roll use, where they use the same basic melody but different lyrics in between. Half way through the song a trumpet can be heard playing a rhythmic pattern similar to a drum line, but more syncopated then the main rhythm of the song. This rhythm is similar to an actual march, which is representative about how people were coming together to stand up for a cause during the Civil Rights Movement. By use of a slow tempo the song portrays the struggle, but also the caution of taking slow and meaningful steps instead of going full steam

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