Pop Song 338 of 500 'People Get Ready' The Impressions 1964

Pop Song 338 of 500 'People Get Ready' The Impressions 1964

The gospel-influenced track was a Curtis Mayfield composition that displayed the growing sense of social and political awareness in his writing.

Mayfield said,
'That was taken from my church or from the upbringing of messages from the church. Like there's no hiding place and get on board, and images of that sort. I must have been in a very deep mood of that type of religious inspiration when I wrote that song.'

Rolling Stone magazine named "People Get Ready" the 24th greatest song of all time.

People get ready
There's a train a-coming
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord
So people get ready
For the train to Jordan
Picking up passengers' coast to coast
Faith is the key
Open the doors and board 'em
There's hope for all
Among those loved the most
There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just to save his own (believe me now)
Have pity on those
Whose chances grow thinner
For there's no hiding place against the Kingdom's Throne
So 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 humming
Don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord