A Change Is Gonna Come

• By: Sam Cooke

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
river /ˈrɪvər/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another such stream.
born /bɔːrn/ A1	verb - brought into life.
tent /tent/ A2	noun - a portable shelter made of cloth, supported by poles and stretched tight by cords or loops attached to pegs driven into the ground.
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move at a speed faster than a walk
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	noun - an act or process through which something becomes different. verb - make or become different.
hard /hɑːrd/ A2	adjective - difficult to accomplish; demanding considerable effort and skill.
living /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ A2	noun - the pursuit of a way of life or means of support.
afraid /əˈfreɪd/ A2	adjective - feeling fear or anxiety; frightened.
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - stop living.
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
movie /ˈmuːvi/ A1	noun - a film; motion picture.
downtown /ˌdaʊnˈtaʊn/ A2	noun - the main business or commercial area of a town or city.
brother /ˈbrʌðər/ A1	noun - a male sibling.
knees /niːz/ A2	noun - the joint between the thigh and the lower leg in humans.
able /ˈeɪbl/ A2	adjective - having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something.
carry /ˈkæri/ A2	verb - support and move (someone or something) from one place to another.

Grammar:

• I was born by the river

  ➔ Passive Voice (Past Simple)

  ➔ Uses the structure "was/were + past participle" to indicate that the subject "I" received the action of being born. It emphasizes the place where the action happened rather than who performed the action.

• just like the river, I've been a runnin'

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ Uses "have/has been + verb-ing" to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present. "I've been a runnin'" indicates a continuous state or activity since the past.

• It's been a long time comin', but I know

  ➔ It + be + adjective + time + to-infinitive / Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ This sentence is a shortened version of "It has been a long time that a change has been coming.". "Comin'" is a shortened form of "coming," and functions as part of a reduced relative clause modifying "time."

• I'm afraid to die

  ➔ Adjective + infinitive

  ➔ The structure "be + adjective + to + infinitive" expresses a feeling or state about doing something. Here, "afraid" is the adjective, and "to die" is the infinitive expressing the object of the fear.

• Don't hang around

  ➔ Imperative (Negative)

  ➔ This is a negative imperative used to tell someone not to do something. The structure is "Don't + base form of the verb."