Can someone explain the evolution of 2Pac's song 'Changes'?

[dnjp4life]

I'm a bit confused about exactly when this song was first recorded and how it evolved over time. 
On my laptop I have the song 'Changes 92' which would indicate that it was done in 1992.  The beat is very similar to the one that most people know from 2Pac's Greatest Hits album, only with slightly different samples used throughout.  Does this mean that the song released on the Greatest Hits album is basically the same, only with an updated beat, and if so, was it completed after 2Pac was killed or before, and did 2Pac intend for it to come out on a future project of his?  And what about the song titled 'Things Are Changing' which was mentioned in another thread?

[Mietek23]

'Pac recorded "Changes" in 1992 but Amaru released it in 1998 using new beat that sampled the same track as the OG. "Things R Changing" is basically a 2Pac solo version of "Words 2 My First Born" with slightly different lyrics.

[OG The Cricket Loc]

'Pac recorded "Changes" in 1992 but Amaru released it in 1998 using new beat that sampled the same track as the OG. "Things R Changing" is basically a 2Pac solo version of "Words 2 My First Born" with slightly different lyrics.

Thats right my nigga. Pac never approved that version of the track his money hungry mom released 98. Its some fake shit dont listen to that bullshit loc.

[doublee313]

'Pac recorded "Changes" in 1992 but Amaru released it in 1998 using new beat that sampled the same track as the OG. "Things R Changing" is basically a 2Pac solo version of "Words 2 My First Born" with slightly different lyrics.

Thats right my nigga. Pac never approved that version of the track his money hungry mom released 98. Its some fake shit dont listen to that bullshit loc.

His mom messed up on a lot of stuff, however she got this one right.  Changes is a classic IMO.

[OG The Cricket Loc]

'Pac recorded "Changes" in 1992 but Amaru released it in 1998 using new beat that sampled the same track as the OG. "Things R Changing" is basically a 2Pac solo version of "Words 2 My First Born" with slightly different lyrics.

Thats right my nigga. Pac never approved that version of the track his money hungry mom released 98. Its some fake shit dont listen to that bullshit loc.

His mom messed up on a lot of stuff, however she got this one right.  Changes is a classic IMO.

Classic? Smh. Pac never approved that bullshit nigga. Bump and support his real work, not fake shit.

[DeeezNuuuts83]

It's not really THAT different from the original version... unlike some of the later stuff as time passed.

OP to answer your question... the weird thing about Things R Changing is its relationship to Words 2 My First Born.  When the bootlegs first surfaced, Things R Changing was an alternate title to Words 2 My First Born, but they were used alongside each other by the bootleggers.  However, it was odd when Things R Changing actually leaked and ended up being a slightly different track as pointed out before, considering the beat is the same, the lyrics are 98% the same (minus a few extra bars at the end of Pac's first verse along with a specific chorus), though I was always curious how the two titles got mixed up in the first place since they ended up being two similar but distinct tracks.

It also leads me to wonder about Runnin on E, which, when bootlegged, also had the alternate title Bad Boy Killaz (even though they never really say that phrase anywhere in the song), though it ended up being a rumored separate track later on.