(AI Gen) TATANKA’s River City Soul: “Marching to Sunrise” (1965)

“Music can change the world because it can change people.”
— Bono

This quote by Bono, the lead singer of U2, encapsulates the transformative power of music in effecting personal and societal change. It underscores the idea that music’s influence on individuals can ripple outward, fostering broader social movements and cultural shifts.

River City Soul: Marching to Sunrise – Full Album (1:20:39)

The stream below is all twenty-four tracks sequenced as they were generated. It is lightly mastered: a touch of EQ, Compression, and Normalization to 0 dB.

Download (FREE) All MP3s, Images: resist.zip (304.77 MB)

With my search for genres and fusions for TATANKA’s AI Gen projects, there is little I have yet to cover, so I continue to look to subgenres, in this case, 1965 Memphis Soul. The following songs are an AI Gen combination of that, R&B, and early funk. The reason each track has two versions is Suno.com generates a pair at a time, and I liked all for different reasons, so it would be sin to “waste” any. 2Fer!

The title reflects the album’s journey from struggle to triumph, a universal theme. “Marching” symbolizes perseverance, activism, and movement, while “Sunrise” represents hope, a new day, and the promise of change. It ties into the story arc—starting in hardship, marching through adversity, and emerging into the light.

Most Americans could relate right now.

Google’s Deep Dive Podcast: The Soul of Resistance

Tracks/Lyrics

Act I: Hope & Innocence (Youthful ambition, love, and the spark of change.)

“Down by the Riverside”

A joyful opener, setting the scene in 1960s Memphis. The protagonist, a young dreamer, sings about life in the city, hanging out by the Mississippi River, where folks gather to share music, stories, and dreams of a better life.

[Verse]

Down by the riverside in Memphis town

Where dreams run big and troubles drown

Folks gather ’round

The sun dips low

In the city’s heart

Where rivers flow

[Verse 2]

Young hearts dancing under streetlamp light

Songs of hope in the southern night

Life’s a rolling river

Dreams are wide

Down by the Riverside

Where days collide

[Chorus]

Oh

Memphis skies

So wide and free

Where every soul plays harmony

Down by the water

Where stories bide

In the city’s arms

We’re side by side

[Verse 3]

A young dreamer’s heart

With eyes so bright

In the hustle and bustle of urban flight

By the Mississippi

Where time stands still

Underneath the bridge

They chase their thrill

[Bridge]

Echoes of laughter

Whispers from the past

Where memories are made to last

The city sings

Its voice our guide

An endless journey

Side by side

[Chorus]

Oh

Memphis skies

So wide and free

Where every soul plays harmony

Down by the water

Where stories bide

In the city’s arms

We’re side by side

“My Baby’s Love (Keeps Me Strong)”

A sweet, upbeat love song. The protagonist is in love and feels unstoppable, drawing strength from their partner’s devotion in a world that’s tough on them.

[Verse]

Jumpin outta bed feelin light as air

My baby’s love it’s everywhere

Faces tough times without a care

With you baby nothing can compare

[Verse 2]

Stormy nights but we ain’t scared

You and me we’re the perfect pair

Every problem just a game we dared

With you my heart it’s always repaired

[Chorus]

My baby’s love keeps me strong

In a world where things go wrong

We dance to our favorite song

With you I feel I belong

[Verse 3]

Life’s a race but we never hurry

Hand in hand we crush the worry

With every step you keep me steady

With you by my side I am ready

[Chorus]

My baby’s love keeps me strong

In a world where things go wrong

We dance to our favorite song

With you I feel I belong

[Bridge]

In the dark you are my light

Huggin me so close so tight

In this life you are my fight

With you everything feels right

A

“A Job for a Good Man”

Reality sets in. The protagonist struggles to find steady work, reflecting on the harsh truth of being Black in the segregated South. Factories, cotton mills, and the hustle of making ends meet take center stage.

[Verse]

Under southern skies I roam

Heavy heart and calloused hands

Seeking a place to lay my dreams

In these unforgiving lands

Factories hum and cotton mills spin

But there’s no break for me

The hustle keeps me movin’ on with tired eyes that can’t see

[Verse 2]

Steel-toed boots on dusty ground

Echoes of a forgotten song

The foreman’s stare

The bitter glare

Tell me where I don’t belong

Faded signs and broken lines

Promises of what might’ve been

The road ahead is hard and long

And I am restless within

[Chorus]

This is a job for a good man

But they don’t see me that way

Sweatin’ hard for bits of change

Hopin’ for a better day

Harsh truths under the sun

Reality won’t let me rest

I am just another shadow in this land of endless tests

[Bridge]

Segregation’s iron wall

It stands tall and won’t bend

Dreams deferred and hopes delayed

Where will this journey end?

The sound of wheels on gravel

The whistle of the train

Carry memories of a life

Etched in sorrow and in pain

[Verse 3]

Hands of dust and shoulders bent

Beneath a sky so vast

Pickin’ cotton

Breakin’ stones

Tears fallin’ on the past

Fields stretch wide and dreams confined

Freedom whispers low

The struggle never seems to end

And my heartbeat’s slow

[Chorus]

This is a job for a good man

But they don’t see me that way

Sweatin’ hard for bits of change

Hopin’ for a better day

Harsh truths under the sun

Reality won’t let me rest

I am just another shadow in this land of endless tests

“Whispers of Change”

Civil rights movements are in the air. The protagonist overhears conversations in barber shops and churches about marches, sit-ins, and standing up for what’s right. They feel something big coming but aren’t sure if they’re ready to join the fight.

[Verse]

In a barber shop at dawn they talk so loud it bites

Snipping truth with clippers sharp standing up for rights

Old men mumble in low tones but their eyes are fire

Feel the beat of justice drums dragging through the mire

[Chorus]

Whispers of change echo down these hallowed walls

In the pews and corner stores like a clarion calls

Hear the voice within the crowd march in boots so worn

Rising up through whispered dreams a movement is born

[Verse 2]

In the church on Tuesday night they bow heads in prayer

Hopes of freedom floating high lifting hearts from despair

The preacher’s words like a river flow pure and strong

Every verse of courage sung righting every wrong

[Chorus]

Whispers of change echo down these hallowed walls

In the pews and corner stores like a clarion calls

Hear the voice within the crowd march in boots so worn

Rising up through whispered dreams a movement is born

[Bridge]

On the streets they gather close ready for the fight

With placards of resolve they’ll turn wrong to right

Every footstep shakes the ground every voice a gem

In the silence hear the roar freedom’s rising hymn

[Chorus]

Whispers of change echo down these hallowed walls

In the pews and corner stores like a clarion calls

Hear the voice within the crowd march in boots so worn

Rising up through whispered dreams a movement is born

---

Act II: The Struggle & The Fire (Challenges arise—love is tested, oppression tightens its grip, and the protagonist faces a crossroads.)

“Ain’t Gonna Back Down”

An empowering, foot-stomping anthem of defiance. The protagonist witnesses injustice firsthand and finally decides to take a stand, marching for freedom despite the risks.

[Chorus]

They’ve been chewin’ me up

They’ve been spittin’ me out

Tried to bury me deep in the cold

Cold ground

I been tested and torn

I been called the clown

That’s alright

Ain’t gonna back down

[Verse]

You can beat me with your power and preach with your pride

And you can build an institution

Take me for a ride

And you can stumble my feet as I’m walkin’ around

But I told ya

I said this ain’t gonna back down

[Verse 2]

Oh

I was just a boy on the side of the road

I was searchin’ for a feeling of why this life grows

Then I saw men in black coats

Said

“Come with me

Child”

I said

“Sure” ’cause I was a boy in a crowd

[Chorus]

They’ve been chewin’ me up

They’ve been spittin’ me out

Tried to bury me deep in the cold

Cold ground

I been tested and torn

I been called the clown

That’s alright

Ain’t gonna back down

[Bridge]

Now I’m marchin’ up to Seven Heaven Gates

I’m marchin’ now ’cause I won’t hesitate

Now we’re singin’

Bringin’ kingdoms to the ground

To the ground

They said

“Baby

Don’t look down”

[Chorus]

They’ve been chewin’ me up

They’ve been spittin’ me out

Tried to bury me deep in the cold

Cold ground

I been tested and torn

I been called the clown

That’s alright

Ain’t gonna back down

“Tears on Beale Street”

After a protest turns violent, the protagonist grieves a lost friend. The song is drenched in sorrow and anger, as Beale Street, the heart of Memphis music, becomes a symbol of both resilience and loss.

[Verse 1]

Standing on Beale Street

See the crowd all come tumbling down

Heated from the cold shoulder of the law

These are folks I’ve known some thirty years

Family who never gave up

The ties that bind

[Verse 2]

The night was bleeding

And then he was shot

Gawking at murder’s deceitful smile

He with hands made of prayer

He with his daddy’s gentle green

Protecting sister caught in crossfire

A blow to the head

Wrapped in family and strangers shouting

But still clear as anything

Standing barefoot on broken glass

His cold peaceful laugh

Blood on my apron

Ice in my gut

[Chorus]

Oh my god

Oh

My God!

Sweet lands of synesthesia!

Cause it flared up

And now he’s gone

Tears on Beale Street

Tears in their grandstand

Tears on Beale Street

[Verse 3]

It hit home (Tears)

It hit mind

It hit heart

Son of America

The flames chilled

This young life blown out

As the police dance on the ruins of a child

Still

Nothing done

[Verse 4]

She’s not adrenalized

She’s broken

Brother-in-law

Compounding

Compressing

These actions unsung

For open-air remembrance

Then the police bust it up

On their dearest love

I wish it was too damned awful to be true

I got no time

[Chorus]

It was a drive-by

Right by the court

And beloved

He never stopped laughing

Giggling through the blood

Through the tears on Beale Street

Through the tears in my hands

“Chain Gang Blues”

The protagonist is arrested during a demonstration and spends time in jail. The song is a raw, bluesy reflection on imprisonment, injustice, and the weight of systemic oppression.

[Verse 1]

Protesters all outside protestin’

Stickin’ it to the man

Tellin’ the cops

“Fuck 12”

Then sight of the crowd start arrestin’

I didn’t see it happen

But I got put in the cell

Had a court in the mornin’

Nah

Fuck it

I’ll stroll

Gets caught in the warning ‘fore I could run for the hills

Now I’m stuck at the intersection for a confession

Mr. Officer said

“Son

Whatchu know?”

And I said (Both makin ’em blue)

[Chorus]

Come on

I didn’t do it though

I

I didn’t

Your Honor

I think they know

[Verse 2]

Now I’m in the back of a truck

SSSSH of the slammer door so SCREECH

All of my friends are in jail

Systemic oppression and HTTTT

And now I’m lost

Lost in the dungeons of my cell

Long

Lost (Lost) in the company of hell

Chain gang

[Verse 3]

It’s the hardest workin’ folk the banks have robbed and raped

All our profits to the lords of property

Plowin’ fields like the Hebrews builtin’ temples for the king

Singin’

[Chorus]

Singin’

Savannah

Mississippi

Alabama

Georgia

Alabama

Lousiana

Goddamn

Florida

Down in Georgia

[Verse 4]

They put the weight on our shoulders

And the weight of our makin’

I know you all won’t believe this anyway

“Send My Love to Memphis”

A letter-from-jail song, where the protagonist writes to their love, fearing they won’t see them again. Themes of longing, regret, and faith in brighter days carry the melody.

[Verse]

I remember ridin’ down Old Decatur Road

In the last row

Singin’ every song wrong

Mmh

Can’t forget the day I found out I was goin’ away

You wouldn’t let me say goodbye

But

[Chorus]

My airs and graces left me in a jail cell

I put my faith in miracles

These days

Only time will tell

And if God sees fit

I’ll walk through those green hills again

My love

He’ll see us someday

[Bridge]

Mmm

Mmm

Oh-oh

Mmm

[Verse 2]

And I can’t shift the pain that I know you’re feelin’

I must apologise

But it’s out of my hands

And if I don’t get to see you again

Just do me one final favour

Baby

[Chorus]

Send my love to Memphis

Send my love to Memphis

My baby thinks he’ll see me there again

But I won’t let him down and

[Verse 3]

I’ll walk back through those green hills again

So in the meantime

You

[Outro]

Man

I’ll be home before you know it

If not

I’ll see you on the other side

But I feel like I’m gonna see you sooner than that

But if not

Send my love to Memphis

---

Act III: Redemption & Triumph (Love and community bring the protagonist back from despair, and they emerge stronger.)

“Preacherman Said”

A gospel-tinged song about finding strength in faith. A local preacher reminds the protagonist that struggle is temporary, and the future is shaped by those willing to stand up for justice.

[Verse]

Preacherman said there’s power in pain

Every storm passes and so does the rain

Hold on tight to the hope you hold dear

You’ll find your way when the skies clear

[Verse 2]

In the darkest night keep your flame bright

The light within you is your guiding sight

Each step you take brings you closer to gold

Strength’s in the stories you bravely unfold

[Chorus]

Preacherman said every struggle won’t last

Strength comes from scars and wisdom from past

Rise up with courage and stand firm in faith

The future’s for those who won’t run from the race

[Bridge]

When doubts creep in and shadows grow long

Remember his words press on to be strong

You’ll find victory in the heart of your fight

Faith is your armor your beacon of light

[Verse 3]

In the crowded days filled with life’s roar

Listen close to the preacher’s lore

Paths may be winding but clarity will come

Trust in your journey and all you’ll become

[Chorus]

Preacherman said every struggle won’t last

Strength comes from scars and wisdom from past

Rise up with courage and stand firm in faith

The future’s for those who won’t run from the race

“I Got to Keep Moving”

A driving, funky groove about resilience. The protagonist is free but knows they can’t stop fighting for change. The song reflects on how far they’ve come and what’s left to do.

[Verse]

Woke up this morning

Sun shinin’ bright (oo-yeah!)

Gonna keep on movin’

Through day and night (oo-yeah!)

Ain’t no stoppin’ me

Gotta fight

Gotta fight (oo-yeah!)

Keepin’ on groovin’

Gotta hold on tight

[Chorus]

I got to keep movin’

Can’t slow down (woah!)

Fightin’ for change in every town (woah!)

Road behind me

Paved with gold (woah!)

But the future’s bright

Gotta be bold (woah!)

[Verse 2]

From the pit to the peak

I made my stand (uh-huh!)

Left my mark on this big ol’ land (uh-huh!)

The journey ain’t over

Got miles to go (uh-huh!)

Fightin’ for tomorrow

In the rhythm and flow (uh-huh!)

[Chorus]

I got to keep movin’

Can’t slow down (woah!)

Fightin’ for change in every town (woah!)

Road behind me

Paved with gold (woah!)

But the future’s bright

Gotta be bold (woah!)

[Bridge]

Through the highs and the lows

I stand tall (ooh-hoo!)

With every step forward

I’m givin’ my all (ooh-hoo!)

Can’t let the struggle bring me down (ooh-hoo!)

Gonna keep pushin’

Till the freedom sound (ooh-hoo!)

[Chorus]

I got to keep movin’

Can’t slow down (woah!)

Fightin’ for change in every town (woah!)

Road behind me

Paved with gold (woah!)

But the future’s bright

Gotta be bold (woah!)

“Hold On to Love”

A powerful love ballad. The protagonist reunites with their partner, realizing that through all the hardships, love has been their anchor. It’s a song of healing and devotion.

[Verse]

We walked through the stormy nights

Heartbeats lost in lonely fights

Tears fell like the morning dew

But my heart always knew

[Chorus]

Hold on to love

Hold on tight

Through the darkness

Find the light

In your arms

I find my way

Love’s our anchor every day

[Verse 2]

We built bridges from our scars

Counted wishes with the stars

Time couldn’t break what we’d found

Love keeps spinning us around

[Chorus]

Hold on to love

Hold on tight

Through the darkness

Find the light

In your arms

I find my way

Love’s our anchor every day

[Bridge]

Through the shadows

Through the night

Two hearts beating

Pure delight

In this dance we call our own

Love’s the place we both call home

[Chorus]

Hold on to love

Hold on tight

Through the darkness

Find the light

In your arms

I find my way

Love’s our anchor every day

“Soulsville Forever”

A celebratory, full-band finale with horns blazing. The protagonist stands proudly in a changing Memphis, knowing their story is part of something bigger. The spirit of soul music and activism will live on.

[Verse]

Walked down Beale Street the other day

I didn’t know a single person now (Oh no)

I thought how things must’ve changed

When time went and tore these buildings down

Excuse me

Could you state my name? (Onest, onest, onest, onest, onest)

For I am just a man

So say it when you can (Onest)

[Chorus]

But souls can’t fall

No

No

Stay alive

Souls are forever

Mm

Soulsville forever

[Verse]

I shall be released from my mortal chains

Will I see Otis smiling down?

Oh

It’ll be so nice

Hey hey

Oh

It’ll be so nice

We think paradise

It’s in our own backyard (Backyard, backyard, backyard)

Get up off your ass and bite

[Chorus]

‘Cause souls can’t fall

No

No

Stay alive

Souls are forever

Oh Soulsville forever

Mm Soulsville forever

Mm Soulsville forever

[Bridge]

(Mm)

But in the end I know

I am broken

Mm

[Chorus]

But souls can’t fall (Souls)

No

No

Stay alive

Did you know your favorite Martian’s come alive? (Oh, Soulsville forever)

Souls are forever

(Souls can’t fall, no, no)

I said souls can’t fall (Stay alive)

Soul never stops

All wow

(Souls are forever, Soulsville forever)

Wo-oh

Wo-oh-oh

Woo

Yeah

Soulsville forever

Soulsville forever

---