Mayfield is probably best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and for the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly.
Perhaps because he didn't cross over to the pop audience as heavily as Motown's stars, it may be that the scope of Curtis Mayfield's talents and contributions have yet to be fully recognized. Judged merely by his records alone, the man's legacy is enormous. As the leader of the Impressions, he recorded some of the finest soul vocal group music of the 1960s. As a solo artist in the 1970s, he helped pioneer funk and helped introduce hard-hitting urban commentary into soul music. "Gypsy Woman," "It's All Right," "People Get Ready," "Freddie's Dead," and "Superfly" are merely the most famous of his many hit records.
But Curtis Mayfield wasn't just a singer. Born in in Chicago, IL, he wrote most of his material at a time when that was not the norm for soul performers. He was among the first -- if not the very first -- to speak openly about African-American pride and community struggle in his compositions. As a songwriter and a producer, he was a key architect of Chicago Soul, penning material and working on sessions by notable Windy City soulsters like Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, and Billy Butler. In this sense, he can be compared to Smokey Robinson, who also managed to find time to write and produce many classics for other soul stars. Mayfield was also an excellent guitarist, and his rolling, Latin-influenced lines were highlights of the Impressions' recordings in the '60s. During the next decade, he would toughen up his guitar work and production, incorporating some of the best features of psychedelic rock and funk.
Mayfield began his career as an associate of Jerry Butler, with whom he formed the Impressions in the late '50s. After the Impressions had a big hit in 1958 with "For Your Precious Love," Butler, who had sung lead on the record, split to start a solo career. Mayfield, while keeping the Impressions together, continued to write for and tour with Butler before the Impressions got their first Top 20 hit in 1961, "Gypsy Woman."
Mayfield was heavily steeped in gospel music before he entered the pop arena, and gospel, as well as doo wop, influences would figure prominently in most of his '60s work. Mayfield wasn't a staunch traditionalist, however. He and the Impressions may have often worked the call-and-response gospel style, but his songs (romantic and otherwise) were often veiled or unveiled messages of black pride, reflecting the increased confidence and self-determination of the African-American community. Musically he was an innovator as well, using arrangements that employed the punchy, blaring horns and Latin-influenced rhythms that came to be trademark flourishes of Chicago soul. As the staff producer for the OKeh label, Mayfield was also instrumental in lending his talents to the work of other Chi-town soul singers who went on to national success. With Mayfield singing lead and playing guitar, the Impressions had 14 Top 40 hits in the 1960s (five made the Top 20 in 1964 alone), and released some above-average albums during that period as well.
Given Mayfield's prodigious talents, it was perhaps inevitable that he would eventually leave the Impressions to begin a solo career, as he did in 1970. His first few singles boasted a harder, more funk-driven sound; singles like "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go" found him confronting ghetto life with a realism that had rarely been heard on record. He really didn't hit his artistic or commercial stride as a solo artist, though, until Superfly, his soundtrack to a 1972 blaxploitation film. Drug deals, ghetto shootings, the death of young black men before their time: all were described in penetrating detail. Yet Mayfield's irrepressible falsetto vocals, uplifting melodies, and fabulous funk pop arrangements gave the oft-moralizing material a graceful strength that few others could have achieved. For all the glory of his past work, Superfly stands as his crowning achievement, not to mention a much-needed counterpoint to the sensationalistic portrayals of the film itself.
At this point Mayfield, along with Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, was the foremost exponent of a new level of compelling auteurism in soul. His failure to maintain the standards of Superfly qualifies as one of the great disappointments in the history of black popular music. Perhaps he'd simply reached his peak after a long climb, but the rest of his '70s work didn't match the musical brilliance and lyrical subtleties of Superfly, although he had a few large R&B hits in a much more conventional vein, such as "Kung Fu," "So in Love," and "Only You Babe."
Mayfield had a couple of hits in the early '80s, but the decade generally found his commercial fortunes in a steady downward spiral, despite some intermittent albums.
On August 14, 1990, he became paralyzed from the neck down when a lighting rig fell on top of him at a concert in Brooklyn, NY. In 1993, three years after the accident which caused Mayfield's paralysis, Shanachie records released the album People Get Ready: A Tribute to Curtis Mayfield featuring a.o. Jerry Butler, Don Covay and Steve Cropper.
Mayfield received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Curtis Mayfield died December 26, 1999 at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia.
People Get Ready
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 ain't no room for the hopeless sinner
Whom would hurt all mankind, just to save his own, believe me now
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
For there is 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 hummin'
Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord
The song "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions was released in 1965 and has since become a classic of the civil rights movement. The song is a call to action for people to prepare for a journey that will take them to a better place. The train that is referenced is symbolic of a spiritual journey, with "Jordan" referring to the Promised Land.
The first verse of the song encourages people to prepare themselves to get on board the train. The lyrics suggest that all they need is faith in order to be able to hear the engines of the train. The second verse emphasizes that the journey will be open to all, regardless of their background or social status. The only requirement is faith.
Line by Line Meaning
People get ready, there's a train a comin'
Get ready for change, because something new and big is coming your way.
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
Don't worry about material possessions or bringing things with you, just be ready.
All you need is faith, to hear the diesels hummin'
Believe in yourself and trust that things will work out. Listen closely, and you'll hear the signs of change.
Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord
You don't need to pay your way through, just appreciate the opportunity that has presented itself.
So people get ready, for the train to Jordan
Be prepared for a spiritual journey.
Picking up passengers coast to coast
This journey is open to everyone, no matter where they come from.
Faith is the key, open the doors and board 'em
Believing in yourself and having faith in the journey is the key to success.
There's hope for all, among those loved the most
Everyone has the potential to succeed, and those who have a strong support system have an advantage.
There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner
Those who continue to make mistakes and hurt others will not find a place on this journey.
Whom would hurt all mankind, just to save his own, believe me now
People who are willing to hurt others for their own gain will not be welcomed on this journey.
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
Be compassionate towards those who struggle to see this journey as a possibility.
For there is no hiding place, against the kingdom's throne
No one can hide from their actions, and all will be held accountable before the higher power.
So people get ready there's a train a comin'
Be ready and open to change, and you may benefit from this journey.
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
Don't worry about past experiences or material possessions, just be present and prepared.
All you need is faith, to hear the diesels hummin'
Believe and have faith in yourself, and you'll be able to recognize the signs of change.
Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord
You don't need to earn your way onto this journey, just be grateful for the opportunity that has presented itself.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curtis Mayfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robertdarius3361
Today is Thursday March 31 . 2022. Today I lost my dad . I pray that whoever reads this , there’s hope for all and love all . Forgive .. life is to short 🙏🏾. Love u dad
@mr.o1246
Oh lord….bring back the good old music back to this cruel world we all living. 🙏
@suzybailey-koubti8342
Amen! Amen! ✝️✝️✝️
@bebopsky
Love this song! Can't imagine why 691 people as of my post would waste themselves giving this a thumbs down? One of my favorite renditions of this song, Rod Stewart's live acoustic version with strings...magnificent!
@andrewjones7150
Because they have nothing better to do with their lives other than hate a Black soulful genius.
@marshallbates4875
Grandma died last July.. She was my greatest fan.. It wasn't safe at home but it was safe with grandma. She taught me about Jesus and that I am loved!
@CJ-ix7gj
My condolences bro.. GOD bless
@BigTymer56
God bless man
@lisaeverett9819
🙏🙏🙏💖
@adriennerobinson1180
My Heartfelt Condolences to You