Aural Elements in “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke

            The song begins in a very grandiose manner, carried by a melodic string section. The mood quickly changes, however, when Cooke comes in with his first words, beginning to tell of his own personal experiences, which reflect the struggles Black Americans encountered during this time period. The instrumentation pulls back and becomes very melancholy to mirror the solemn mood of Cooke’s words. With every verse change, the instrument that carries the section changes as well. The French horn leads the first verse, and as the second verse starts, the strings take over. This subtle change in sound with every verse coincides with Cooke’s vision of a gradual, but inevitable change in America’s treatment of Black Americans. With the beginning of the third verse, the beat changes from relaxed to more upbeat and stringent, conveying a sense of urgency. The bridge, which acts as the climax of the song, builds up to the line, “But he winds up knockin’ me back down on my knees.” This line is significant, because while he says it’s his brother who knocks Cooke down in his time of need, he may have just meant a fellow human, emphasizing the heinousness of humans treating one another so unjustly. The song ends how it started: grand and upbeat, signifying hope for a better future.
-Amrita

Visual Elements in "Imagine" by John Lennon

The visual projection of John Lennon’s Imagine was effective in the usage of black and white imagery and contrast. Also in the effective use of the way that Lennon walks side by side with his wife Yoko Ono to show unification and that the global society should emulate this in every facet. Lennon’s song Imagine is about imagining a universe where people of different races, cultures, and beliefs could all just sit down and be one together. The usage of walking in an enclosed area during the video shows how we should all be enclosed together as one body and one family. The black and white signifies race culture during the 60s and how the forms of discrimination were present during that time and how his song would be used to eradicate this form of racial hatred and racial tension between blacks and whites. This song’s visual displays was very effective in putting across a message and point of racial unity and equality.
-Ikenna Mba

"Imagine" by John Lennon Compared to "Moratorium" by Jaspar Johns

Jaspar Johns painted this flag for a nationwide coordinated protest against the war in Vietnam in 1969.  He was known for his pop art, specifically of the American flag.  But in this work, he strayed from his usually red, white, and blue flag and used green, orange, and black instead, portraying a toxic flag.  There is a single white dot in the middle representing a bullet hole.  The flag represented how most of the United States felt unfavorably about the war and the effects of the war on the nation.  Both this poster and Lennon’s “Imagine” show a negative view of the war. Lennon’s song has lyrics giving hope for the future at a time when war and disparity shaped the nation.  He describes a time when everyone can live in peace without war, while Johns shows what the war has done to the country through his portrayal of the American flag.  Both artists use their own talents to send a timeless message that spreads across the country and takes a stance against the violence of the Vietnam war.
-Julia

Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" vs. Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam"

Apart from both having been written and performed in the 1960's and both addressing racism, the two songs "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke and "Mississippi Goddam" by Nina Simone have very little in common. The most blatant disparity in these two songs is the overall mood. While Cooke's song has a very solemn tone, Simone's song is very upbeat, almost like a show tune. "A Change Is Gonna Come" talks about the struggles Black Americans had faced, and even though the past was terrible, Cooke preaches hope and optimism for a future in which all Americans can live together equally. "Mississippi Goddam" makes light of the racial inequality situation, taking an angle that this injustice had been going on for so long, it was almost comical. Simone's song also makes racial equality seem like a far off idea, saying "I've even stopped believing in prayer," in stark contrast to Cooke's song, which says change is on the horizon. The differences in these two songs really portrays how differently the two artists viewed racial inequality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVQjGGJVSXc
-Amrita Mitra

"Imagine" by John Lennon: Pathos

In John Lennon’s “Imagine” music video, Lennon uses visuals and diction to appeal to pathos. The video opens with a shot of Lennon and his wife, Yoko, holding hands and walking through a path of nature to the sound of birds chirping. This image naturally evokes a sense of tranquility and prosperity in the audience. Eventually, the couple reaches an entirely white house, which evokes these same feelings in the audience since white is often associated with innocence and peace. In contrast, if Lennon had used an entirely red house, the audience would feel less content and less secure, as the color red is associated with violence and anger. Additionally, Lennon looks directly into the camera, thus humanizing himself and allowing him to make a more personal connection with the audience. Finally, Lennon uses words with positive, comforting connotations such as “brotherhood,” “dreamer,” and “sharing” throughout his lyrics. By creating a sense of harmony and happiness in the audience as well as the video itself, Lennon is helping the audience better understand his overall message of the promotion of peace.

-Madi

"A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke: Pathos

Cooke uses pathos in “A Change is Gonna Come” to create an emotional connection to his audience of African Americans during the Civil Rights movement.  This song appeals to his audience through its hopeful and positivity during a time of struggle.  He relates to them in his lyrics by describing the struggle that they all were facing at the time, “Then I go to my brother and I say, "Brother, help me please.  But he winds up knockin' me back down on my knees.”  These lyrics create an emotional reaction out of his audience as they relate to the lyrics with their own experiences of prejudice.  He continues to relate to the values and beliefs of the audience through his lyrics of hope, which resembled the hope of the African Americans of the time.  The pathos of this song plays a huge part in it’s popularity among the African American community of the time because it embodied not only their struggle and anger but also their hope for the future through the chorus, “It's been a long, a long time coming but I know a change gon' come, oh yes it will."
-Julia

"Imagine" by John Lennon: Logos

In John Lennon’s “Imagine” music video, Lennon promotes his idea of living simply to create world peace by appealing to logos. One of his main appeals to logos is his use of the color archetype white. Since it took place in an entirely white house, the video evokes in its audience the feelings of purity, goodness, and innocence that are often associated with the color white. Not only is the house completely white, but it is almost empty, excluding the piano John plays and a few pieces of furniture. The audience links this emptiness to John’s promotion of simplicity. The video also features Yoko Ono, a Japanese peace activist and Lennon’s wife. While Lennon is singing and playing the piano, Yoko opens the blinds as if she is “sharing all the world,” letting in light and creating an even happier mood in the video and for the audience. Finally, the video concludes with a shot of Lennon and Ono happily kissing. In summary, John uses his video to display his life as an example of how to reach peace and happiness. The audience sees John’s life and believes that by living simply like him, they, too, can live in harmony.

-Madi

"A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke: Logos

Sam Cooke's song, "A Change Is Gonna Come," discusses the many hardships he and many other African Americans have gone through. He does this through explaining various instances, such as, "I go to the movies and I go down town, Somebody keep telling me don't hang around" and the line, "Then I go to my brother saying Brother help me please, but he winds up knockin' me back on my knees." These two occurrences offer an appeal to logos because they are concrete evidence of the message in "A Change Is Gonna Come"; despite the fact that black people have been continuously put down as a race, they are going to make a change in the unfair society. Cooke demonstrates the struggles he encounters and allows the audience to understand how difficult it is for black people in the time period by providing specific examples of the suppression. He then continues to explain how he is able to recover from this animosity and continue to fight for equality, showing that overcoming the hatred that stems from racism is truly possible.
-Lea 

"A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke: Ethos

The ethos of Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come is used to signify that a change in society will come and he uses his musical content to demonstrate the theory behind the lyrics of his song. The content of the song really does illustrate the pain of being a person of color during the 60s and how people of color yearned for change in the way the system worked. People wished that the change will come and Cooke is confident in his lyrical manifestation that a change will eventually present itself as people will learn to live with one another and live in unison and harmony. The content of the song is that change will come and this speaks volumes because it correlates to different facets of American life during the 60s specifically segregation and violence, primarily the Vietnam War. Change will come and change did come as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed and the Vietnam War was ended setting the platform for the world to progress into a new era.
-Ikenna Mba

"Imagine" by John Lennon: Ethos

Lennon wrote his hit "Imagine" alongside his wife at the time, Yoko Ono. Prior to the song, Lennon had established extrinsic ethos through his public commentary on the Vietnam war and Christianity. He criticized our involvement in war, promoting world peace among all, and the overall belief system of the Christians, stating that it creates a division in mankind. Due to this, Lennon had a previous reputation for being radical. Additionally, the song itself perfectly embodies his views regarding religion and politics and demonstrates his reputation to the public. Lennon establishes intrinsic ethos within "Imagine" by stating that there are others with his same belief system, ultimately informing the listeners that his opinions are justified. Specifically, Lennon wrote, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us…" These lines were used to provide credibility for Lennon and demonstrate the true significance of his suggested ideas for mankind.
-Lea

"A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke: Stasis Theory

 Stasis theory can be found in all types of mediums, including songs. Although music may seem like an unlikely method, Sam Cooke utilized stasis theory in "A Change Is Gonna Come" to convey his message in a way people would remember. The first canon, generating arguments, exists through Cooke's response to the ongoing racial situation of the time. His song preaches to the people who've lost hope, ensuring them that their struggles will not last much longer. His arrangement of his argument takes a narrative approach, that helps listeners remember his message by the little stories he weaves into his lyrics, such as going downtown and being told not to stay too long. Cooke expresses his argument with language in his lyrics that any black person of the 60's can understand and relate to. By choosing to express his argument through song, he ensured its lasting effects, as great pieces of music are often remembered for years to come. Even today, people know his song, whether it be because of the powerful message it held, or just the musical beauty of it. He did a good job of making sure his piece of rhetoric would last beyond its time.
-Amrita Mitra