Pathos in "A Change is Gonna Come"

Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" appeals to the emotions of any listener going through a period of hardships. Being that the song was written in 1963, it has been related to the Civil Rights movement, but Cooke never specifically mentions the time period. The motivation of the song is to remind the listener to keep on keeping on, by instilling hope and reassuring this feeling. The line "But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will" does just that. It first proposes a positive view of the future and guarantees its coming. Not only does Cooke just tell the listener these things, he expresses his own hardships and how he continues to look forward to the coming change. In the last verse, he writes, "There were times when I thought I couldn't last for long/ But now I think I'm able to carry on." This brings sympathy to the listener, yet still enforces the theme of hope and attaining ultimate triumph. Cooke encourages the listener to do as he did. In this case, blacks were able to apply this message to their struggles within their communities and look forward to fighting for equality and unlimited freedom under the law.

Some hardships during 1960s:

Bad Seating

Exclusion

    

Segregated Schools

Rhetorical Appeal: Same Love (pathos)

During the performance of "Same Love" pathos pours from every lyric like an overflowing cup of emotion from which every member of the audience graciously sips. The overall moral of the song, being equality of gay couples in America, in its own right contains enough pathos to fill an entire post, let alone the pathos enriched lyrics to entice the listener. The message this song conveys appeals to the emotional connection that the audience would have in regards to the problems faced by same sex couples. More specifically artist Macklemore states "if i was gay i would think hip hop hates me, have you read the youtube comments lately?", this is a reference to the fact that society uses the term "gay" as "synonymous with the lesser" and that "[we've] become so numb to what we're saying." These lyrics evoke the emotions of remorse for the actions of society and the idea that we need to change the way we act towards others.

Rhetorical Situation: "A Change is Gonna Come"

                Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” protests the ongoing racism across the United States during the 1960’s and campaigns for an egalitarian society for the future. This period is long known for its Civil Rights Movement, one geared to overcoming white supremacy and racial segregation. The Jim Crow laws of this time urged that blacks were inferior to whites in all aspects of life; morally, socially, and economically. Therefore, blacks were subject to unfair, inexcusable behavior that included lack of career opportunities, exclusion from stores, restaurants, and other “public” entities, as well as constant, demeaning verbal and physical abuse. In hopes of bringing attention to these harsh living standards, blacks engaged in nonviolent marches, student sit-ins, and boycotts, some traveling hundreds of miles to participate. As the song highlights, though long and strenuous, it was a matter of time before legislation was passed to condemn the heinous acts towards blacks. Change is inevitable.

 

Audience Analysis: "A Change is Gonna Come"

The audience of "A Change is Gonna Come" is anyone  aware of the civil rights movement or possibly a means to reach out to those against. With the civil rights movement being a prominent event in the media, almost the entire audience would be aware of the references the song uses and the message it is trying to convey on the topic. The song actively works with the audience, with the audience being protestors, to give them a sense of support and to make them feel as if they have a voice reaching much farther than a single voice of their own ever could.

Underneath It's The Same Love

Rhetorical Situation

Music giants joined forces to promote marriage equality as both gay and straight couples were married simultaneously on the 56th Grammy’s, featuring Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Madonna, Queen Latifah, Mary Lambert and Trombone Stone. The song titled “Same Love” became the anthem for gay rights and equality in 2013 & 2014 when released by the Hip-Hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on the heel of their rising star power in pop culture. 

Macklemore, having an uncle who is gay, felt that to see his uncle truly happy would require him being able to marry his partner. Additionally, Mary Lambert, who co-wrote and sang on the song, is herself a lesbian and saw the need for marriage equality. Madonna and Queen Latifah, too, are long time gay rights activists, added their voices to the cause with their actions in pulling off this instantaneously classic performance. 2013 was landmark year for gay rights as the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of recognizing gay marriages in all states where it’s legal. The court struck down DOMA(Defense of Marriage Act 1996) which limited the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman for the purposes of federal benefits, as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.

“A certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it all

But it’s a damn good place to start

No law is gonna change us

We have to change us

Whatever God you believe in

We come from the same one

Strip away the fear

Underneath it’s all the same love

About time that we raised up”

Audience Analysis: "Same Love"

"Same Love" is a song geared towards the youth of the current generation. With growing up in the current age and understanding the complications of gay marriage, youths understand the references made with little to no research on the topic. The audience can also be anyone experiencing these same hardships. Although not all of the previous group resides within the youth category, it provides a wider purview of audience. The overall audience is anyone in support of the current gay rights cause. Due to the fact one person alone does not have to be in more than one of these categories, it allows for a very wide audience.