"Change Is [bad word]  
Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke's final single before his early anf untimely death, "Change Is [bad word]  solidified his gospel roots with a heartbreaking ballad that foreshadowed Curtis Mayfield's social statements of civil rights and brotherhood. (It was obviously a perfect choice for Otis Redding to cover, as he had been a huge influence). Redding's version has a bit more buoyancy than Cooke's, while retaining the song's captivating emotional message.

I was born by the river in a little tent
And just like that river I've [bad word] ever since
It's been a long [bad word] But I know a change is [bad word]  oh yes it will

It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
Cos I don't know what's out there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long [bad word] But I know a change is [bad word]  oh yes it will

BRIDGE:

And then I go to see my brother
And I ask him to help me please
And he just winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees

There were times when I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, been a long [bad word] But I know a change is [bad word]  oh yes it will