The song was inspired by various events in Cooke’s life, most prominently when he and his entourage were turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana. Cooke felt compelled to write a song that spoke to his struggle and of those around him, and that pertained to the Civil Rights Movement and African Americans.
http://lindaghill.com/2023/05/05/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-6-2023/
The Bag Lady 