The Impressions, People Get Ready

Reading Time: 2 min read

On the 21^st edition of Sunday Refresh, we’re uplifted by The Impressions, led by Curtis Mayfield, performing, “People Get Ready.”

elcome to Sunday Refresh , a column that seeks to highlight inspirational songs to uplift the spirit. These tracks that appear on Sunday Refresh may or may not be faith-based or religious; the goal is for them to make you feel better – refreshed. So, for the 21^stedition of Sunday Refresh, we highlight “People Get Ready” as performed by

The Impressions, led by

Curtis Mayfield.

“People get ready, there’s a train a-comin’ / You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.” Say that, say that ! Curtis Mayfield is an iconic soul musician and songwriter. One of his greatest songs is “People Get Ready” recorded with The Impressions. The beloved chorus of the record, excerpted above, continues:

“All you need is faith to her the diesels hummin’
Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord.”

Those lyrics are perfect. The spiritual aspect, of course, is what earns “People Get Ready” a feature on Sunday Refresh , and there’s no shortage of spirituality. Stylistically it’s a mix of everything. At its core, it’s a protest soul anthem, perfectly tailored to the turbulent 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement. Also, it’s become a beloved gospel song. Mayfield cites faith on the chorus and continues throughout the verse. “So, people get ready for the train to Jordan,” he sings, later adding, “There ain’t no room for the hopeless sinner / Who would hurt all mankind just to save his own / Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner / For there’s no hiding place against the kingdom’s throne.” The refresh is legit on “People Get Ready.”