He wrote this as a protest song to support the Civil Rights Movement. Some of the lyrics were inspired by an incident where Cooke and some of his friends were arrested for disturbing the peace after they were denied rooms at a motel in Shreveport, Louisiana because they were black. This song was released a few months after the death of Cooke. He managed to create a song which expressed many African-American peoples feelings of anger and despair in the context of persistent racism, while still maintaining a hopeful tone. The title shows that Cooke didn’t just hope a change would happen, he knew it …show more content…
This Song is an anthem of the burgeoning civil-rights movement. The lyrics in this song embody the resolute attitude that was the key in the success of the movement. It is an important track to people hoping to understand what it was all about and it captures the feel of the time amazingly. The Impressions lead singer Curtis Mayfield also wrote the song “People Get Ready”, which he claims came to him when he was in a state of deep spirituality. This song seems to reflect the church roots of the movement. The lyrics come accross as prayer-like with soft and gentle