<P> Cooke incorporated his own personal experiences as well into the song, such as encounters in Memphis, Shreveport and Birmingham, to reflect the lives and struggles of all African - Americans of the time . The lines "I don't know what's up there / Beyond the sky" could refer to Cooke's doubt for absolute true justice on earth . The final verse, in which Cooke pleads for his "brother" to help him, is a metaphor for what Alexander described as "the establishment" The verse continues,' But he winds up knocking me / back down on my knees ."' </P> <P> "A Change Is Gonna Come" was recorded on January 30, 1964, at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California . The engineer present was Wally Heider, and the session was conducted and arranged by René Hall . The musicians also recorded "Falling in Love" the same day . Credits adapted from the liner notes to the 2003 compilation Portrait of a Legend: 1951--1964 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Sam Cooke--lead vocals </Li> <Li> SR Crain--backing vocals </Li> <Li> Paul Foster--backing vocals </Li> <Li> Jimmie Outler--backing vocals </Li> <Li> Richard Gibbs--backing vocals </Li> <Li> JJ Farley--backing vocals </Li> <Li> René Hall--guitar </Li> <Li> Norman Bartold--guitar </Li> <Li> Arnold Belnick--guitar </Li> <Li> Clifton White--guitar </Li> <Li> Chuck Badie--bass guitar </Li> <Li> Earl Palmer--drums </Li> <Li> Harold Battiste--piano </Li> <Li> William Hinshaw--French horn </Li> <Li> Emil Radocchia--marimba, timpani, percussion </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> William Kurasch--trumpet </Li> <Li> Louis Blackburn--trombone </Li> <Li> John Ewing--trombone </Li> <Li> David Wells--trombone </Li> <Li> Harry Hyams--viola </Li> <Li> Alexander Neiman--viola </Li> <Li> Israel Baker--violin </Li> <Li> Irving Lipschultz--violin </Li> <Li> Leonard Malarsky--violin </Li> <Li> Jack Pepper--violin </Li> <Li> Ralph Schaeffer--violin </Li> <Li> Sidney Sharp--violin </Li> <Li> Darrel Terwilliger--violin </Li> <Li> Tibor Zelig--violin </Li> <Li> Emmet Sargeant--cello </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Sam Cooke--lead vocals </Li> <Li> SR Crain--backing vocals </Li> <Li> Paul Foster--backing vocals </Li> <Li> Jimmie Outler--backing vocals </Li> <Li> Richard Gibbs--backing vocals </Li> <Li> JJ Farley--backing vocals </Li> <Li> René Hall--guitar </Li> <Li> Norman Bartold--guitar </Li> <Li> Arnold Belnick--guitar </Li> <Li> Clifton White--guitar </Li> <Li> Chuck Badie--bass guitar </Li> <Li> Earl Palmer--drums </Li> <Li> Harold Battiste--piano </Li> <Li> William Hinshaw--French horn </Li> <Li> Emil Radocchia--marimba, timpani, percussion </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> William Kurasch--trumpet </Li> <Li> Louis Blackburn--trombone </Li> <Li> John Ewing--trombone </Li> <Li> David Wells--trombone </Li> <Li> Harry Hyams--viola </Li> <Li> Alexander Neiman--viola </Li> <Li> Israel Baker--violin </Li> <Li> Irving Lipschultz--violin </Li> <Li> Leonard Malarsky--violin </Li> <Li> Jack Pepper--violin </Li> <Li> Ralph Schaeffer--violin </Li> <Li> Sidney Sharp--violin </Li> <Li> Darrel Terwilliger--violin </Li> <Li> Tibor Zelig--violin </Li> <Li> Emmet Sargeant--cello </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr>

Things are gonna change lyrics sam cooke