Sam Cooke - "Mean Old World"

I was at a hotel the other day waiting to do an interview. In the room I was in, there's a record player, and someone had put Sam Cooke on. "Mean Old World" started playing, and it just fit the warm, lazy-afternoon vibe so perfectly it felt like it had been made for that exact moment. Now when I hear "Mean Old World," I think of that day.

Sam Cooke - "A Change Is Gonna Come"

For months, without me really becoming cognizant of it, I've been drawn to Ali. Michael Mann's 2001 biopic of the legendary boxer has popped up on TV enough that I found it to be a comforting presence, while also realizing that I'd underrated the film at the time of its release. It had gotten to the point that I'd watch it on flights, getting swept up all over again by Will Smith's performance and the film's emotional thrust. It's become one of those guide films for me now, a way to recenter myself. The movie is endlessly inspiring.

The other day, a DJ played "A Change Is Gonna Come" and I immediately associated its use in Ali. So I'm playing it for you today.