A Change Is Gonna Come chords by Otis Redding

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Key: Ab

Difficulty: Novice

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME
As recorded by Otis Redding
(From the 1965 Album OTIS BLUE/OTIS REDDING SINGS SOUL)

Verse 1:
Ab                                             Bm
I was born by a river in this little old tent
Bm                      Fm
Oh just like this river  I've been running ever since
Ab                     Bm        Db
It's been a long long, long time coming
Db    C                  Fm
But I know, but I know a change is gotta come
Ab
Oh yes it is

Verse 2:
Ab
It's been too hard living, oh my
Ab                   Bm
And I'm afraid to die
Bm                           Fm
I don't know what's up there
Fm
Beyond the clouds
Ab                     Bm
It's been a long long, long time coming
Db          C          Fm                     Bm
But I know, but I know a change is gotta come
Ab
Oh yes it is

Bridge:
Bm                             Ab         Bm
There was a time I would go to my brother
Bm                                 Fm          Bm
I asked my brother, "Will you help me please?"
Bm                                  Fm
He turned me down and then I ask my dear mother, oh
B7
I said "Mother!"
B7                          Eb
I said "Mother! I'm down on my knees"

Verse 3:
Ab
It's been a time that I thought
Ab                                    Bm
Lord this couldn't last for very long
Bm                                     Fm
But somehow I thought I was still able   to try to carry on
Ab                     Bm
It's been a long long, long time coming
Bm  Db  C  Fm
But I know a change is gonna come
Ab
Oh, yes it is

Bridge:
Bm                                    Ab                               Bm
Just like I said, I went to my little bitty brother, my littlee brother
Bm                                  Fm       Bm
I asked my brother "Brother help me please?"
Bm                              Fm                                  B7
He turned me down and then I go to my little mother, my dear mother
B7
I said "Mother!"
                         Eb
I said "Mother! I'm down on my knees"

Verse 4:
Ab
But there was a time that I thought
Ab                               Bm
Lord this couldn't last for very long
                                   Fm
But somehow I thought I was still able to try to carry on
Ab                     Bm
It's been a long long, long time coming
Db           Cm          Fm
But I know, but I know a change is gotta come
Fm               Db                         Cm
Ooh it's been so long, it's been so long, a little too long
Cm           Fm
But a change has gotta come

Outro:
Ab                        Db
I'm so tired, so tired of standing by myself
Cm       C
And standing by my self
Fm
And standing up alone
Fm
But a change has gotta come
Fm
You know and i know
Fm            Db
You know that I know
Db          Cm
I know that you know, honey
Cm            Fm                     Ab   Db
That a change is gonne come, oh my