From Curtis Farr:No other song has ever matched the sadness, authenticity, and hopefulness that this Sam Cooke tune has for me. I first heard it in college at a time when I felt alone and exhausted. I was tired of working so hard to hide who I was because of the shame that I felt regarding my sexuality. This song was particularly encouraging; it always seemed to spark a bit of hope that I was going to be okay—that a change was going to come.
While it was written about coming out from under the shadow of racism, I believe that its major theme of overcoming adversity applies to most people in one way or another at varying severities. It preaches hope despite the all-too-commonness of our "brothers and sisters" knocking us down when we should be building each other up. The greatest part of this protest song is that it doesn't preach hope for revenge, but hope for redemption.
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Curt-
ReplyDeleteWe're glad your days in the wilderness are over and you can thrive in the garden of that redemptive love. Thanks for sharing!