IndexIntroductionComparisonConclusionReferencesIntroduction"A Change is Gonna Come" belongs to the 10 best protest songs of the 60s and "What's Going On" is considered one of the most beautiful and compelling songs of protest never recorded. “A Change Is Gonna Come” was written in late 1963 during the time of the civil rights movement in the United States. The song's lyrics and its soaring symphonic music capture the feelings of longing and hope for an end to segregation. and discrimination based on race. The text does not refer directly to the black struggle for civil rights or to any particular episode of segregation or discrimination experienced by the author. The author of this song is Sam Cooke, he was a singer, songwriter and civil rights activist. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "What's Going On" is a song by American recording artist Marvin Gaye, released in 1971. on Motown subsidiary Tamla. Inspired by police brutality, according to Buskin, cops were arresting several young anti-war protesters in San Francisco, incidents witnessed by Renaldo "Obie" Benson. The song was composed by Benson, Al Cleveland and Gaye and produced by Gaye himself. Comparison These two extraordinary and profound songs seek a change. A change achieved without violence or brutality, only with peace and love. You might realize that by reading the lines “Father, father, /We don't need escalation/See, war is not the answer, /For only love can conquer hate” and the line “Don't punish me with brutality ” of “What’s Going On” by the incredible singer Marvin Gaye. Sam Cooke expresses this feeling of change when he sings "It's been a long, long time, / But I know a change will come, oh yes it will." According to the verse “Picketlines and picket signs”, these songs are used in a way to protest injustices suffered in the United States of America. These two songs have huge relevance to the topics studied in English class because police brutality was one of the topics studied; furthermore, similar topics such as discrimination and segregation against blacks can be found. All of these themes gave rise to the Civil Rights Movement and these two songs speak to these themes. It is very important that people do not forget that these problems are still present even if nowadays we cannot see them or do not directly feel their impact. At the time the songs were written, the situation in the United States was much worse than today. This was the main reason that inspired these two singers to compose music. The authors felt the need to express themselves against the violence and hatred that was happening against black people and the way to express it was through songs. The title of Sam Cooke's song, "A Change Is Gonna Come" is linked to the song because it expresses the feeling of hope for change, especially for those who have seen their rights trampled upon and as we know these were African Americans. The song is waiting for something that will come in the future that will make things better. Marvin Gaye's title, "What's Going On" refers to the song because the composer wonders what is happening while he witnessed the protest. Benson discussed what he witnessed with friend and songwriter Al Cleveland, who in turn wrote and composed a song to reflect Benson's concerns. This song describes the current situation and the benefits for the whole society if the dialogue took place today, while events are ongoing: the Vietnam War which wastaking away so many children and brothers. The image used in the first song is that of a flowing river, referring to the Mississippi Delta where he experienced a poor life. This metaphor means that, just like the river, his life was spent rushing and with many difficult moments. This can be read in the line "I was born by the river in a little tent / Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since"; this verse and the troubled waters refer to the violence and brutality he and his people endured. In the second song, the image used is of American families who lost someone to the war and all the pain they went through because of their loved ones. the dead ones: “Mother, mother / There are too many of you to cry”. Both songs have a sad emotional content, but in the first there is more suffering: "It's been too hard to live, but I'm afraid to die" and in the second it's a feeling of loss due to all the families who have lost a loved one : “There are too many of us crying... There are too many of us dying.” There is a feeling of hope in the first song, where the singer hopes for a change to come: "But I know a change will come, oh yes it will." The level of directness and indirectness is different in the two songs. In the case of Sam Cooke, the level is indirect because the author is not addressing anyone in particular, but blacks in general, meaning people who publicly reject him and others because they are black: “I go to the movies and I go downtown, someone keeps telling 'I don't stick around' and in 'What's Going On' the level is direct as Marvin Gaye addresses the family members directly: 'Mother, mother, / There are too many of you crying, / Brother, brother, brother , / there are too many of you are dying… Father, father, everyone thinks we are wrong.” On the other hand, both songs are indirect with respect to the political message they want to convey. Then, as now, everyone can deduce its true meaning and message from the political context of American society. The message was probably not too explicit to avoid the authors or singers being accused of supporting civil rights movements that opposed current government practices. There is a reflection on the relationship between the lyrics and the music because at the beginning of “A Change Is Gonna Come” the lyrics are calm like the music but as the song continues, the lyrics start to have a stronger message and the pace of the music also accelerates. This song begins with a melodramatic sound of strings and horn. With the first verse, Cooke refers to the long wait of black people: "It's been a long time, it's been a long time." Furthermore, in the verse “Then I go to my brother, / And I say brother, help me, please, / But he ends up throwing me, / Back to my knees,” he refers to the white population, who denied justice to blacks. , civil rights and peace. Marvin Gaye's song has a constant musical rhythm with a very calm tone due to the doubts of the composer - Benson, about the shocking events of the period he was experiencing. Soul music has its roots in traditional African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues and as a hybridization of their respective religious and secular styles – both in lyrical content and instrumentation – that began in the 1950s. The term "soul" had been used among African American musicians to emphasize the feeling of being an African American in the United States. Sam Cooke had a huge importance for soul because he took it to a new level and created a more elegant sound, clean style with his realistic lyrics and voice rooted in the Gospel. Because of his successes and the impact his song had on America, he is remembered as the "King of Soul" and the man who "sang change." ConclusionIn my opinion these two 2019].