Today’s classic soul song of the day is “People Get Ready,” written by the great Curtis Mayfield. It’s a song that’s been covered dozens if not hundreds of times, which makes it a true classic.
“People Get Ready” is a popular song with gospel roots. The lyrics use the spiritual to inform the material, in particular the struggle of Black Americans in the 1960s against the prejudice and racism embedded in our society. To wit:
People get ready, there’s a train a comin’
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith, to hear the diesels hummin’
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord
No less an eminence than the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. named “People Get Ready” the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. Over the years the song has inspired and given solace to millions of Americans of all races and colors.
Curtis Mayfield explains where the song came from:
“While I had written a few Gospel songs, what would be looked upon as Gospel, I called them more inspirational, such things as ‘People Get Ready.’ This is a perfect example of what I believe has laid in my subconscious as to the preaching of my grandmother, and most ministers when they reflect from the Bible.”
The first version of “People Get Ready” was released by Curtis Mayfield’s group, the Impressions, in 1965. The Impressions’ version hit #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on Billboard’s R&B chart. Mojo magazine named it one of the Top 10 Best Songs of All Time and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2015 the Library of Congress admitted “People Get Ready” to the National Recording Registry for its “cultural, historic, or artistic significance.”
In 1985, guitarist Jeff Beck and singer Rod Stewart teamed up for another memorable version of the tune. Their version of “People Get Ready,” accompanied by a popular music video that got tons of rotation on MTV, peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart.
Lots of other artists covered the tune over the years, from Bob Marley and the Chambers Brothers to Bob Dylan and Dusty Springfield. One of my favorite covers is by the Blind Boys of Alabama, who brought some extra soul to their version. (My wife and I got to see the Blind Boys in concert a few years back, and their performance of “People Get Ready” was a highlight of a concert full of highlights).
Finally, it should be noted that the religious imagery of the song makes it perfect for singing in church—which my church did just yesterday. Our church, Prince of Peace of Burnsville, Minnesota, is a progressive Lutheran church and our arrangement was done by our very own Kyle Pederson, who’s a fairly successful choral composer. The song was performed by our Celebration Choir with lead vocalist Alyssa Cassada. Backing musicians included Kyle Pederson himself on piano, Dave Linde on keyboards, and Dash Leander on bass. Dr. Mark Slaughter conducted the choir and I played drums. (The video should start playing at the right place, but if not, just fast-forward to the 44:35 mark.)
