It has been years since Paul Simon made his initial trip to South Africa and met Joseph Shabalala, and the other members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, in a recording studio in Johannesburg. Having listened to a cassette of their music sent by a DJ based in Los Angeles, Simon was captivated by the stirring sound of bass, alto and tenor harmonies. Simon incorporated the traditional sounds of black South Africa into the Graceland album, a project regarded by many as seminal to today's explosive interest in World music
'60s Africa found the Zulu and Sotho beginning to incorporate the influences of African American R&B, jazz, and blues into their traditional, indigenous music. New styles such as township jazz, pennywhistle street music, Kwela, and marabi were formed. Eventually, these myriad styles coalesced to create a new hybrid pop music that came to be known as mbaqanga. Though mbaqanga employs the traditional instrumentation of Western pop (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals), the approach to song structure and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrasing is uniquely African.
Recorded between 1981 and 1984, THE INDESTRUCTIBLE BEAT OF SOWETO is the first (and arguably the best) of a slew of South African pop recordings that soon followed. Characterized by insistent, rhythmically complex beats, elastic, burbling basslines, tight, ska-sounding guitar accompaniment, and thick, multi-part vocals, this music is as intriguing as it is appealing. Groups with such names as Udokotela Shange Namajaha and Amaswazi Emvelo serve up bright, infectious melodies and percussively insistent tracks that are clearly intended for dancing.
People Get Ready with Phoebe Snow
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Lyrics
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There's a train a-coming
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear diesels humming
You don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord
People get ready
For the train to Jordan
Picking up passengers
From coast to coast
Faith is the key
Open the doors and board them
There's room for all
Among the loved and lost
Now there ain't no room
For the hopeless sinner
Whoa, hard on mankind
Just to save his own
Have pity on those
Whose chances are thinner
Cause there's no hiding place
From the Kingdom's Throne
Oh 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 diesels a- humming
You don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord
Yeah yeah yeah
I'm getting ready
I - I'm ready yeah yeah yeah
Oh I'm getting ready oh - oh
I'm ready yeah
The song People Get Ready by Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Phoebe Snow is a call to action, urging people to prepare for a journey. The journey in question is not a physical one but a spiritual one. The train that is coming is not a regular train, but rather it is a metaphor for the Kingdom of Heaven. The lyrics are written in a way to encourage individuals to get ready for this journey by putting their trust in God.
The first verse of the song talks about the arrival of the train, and how one does not need any material possessions or wealth to board it. All that is required is faith that allows the individual to hear the sound of the diesel engines humming. The second verse acknowledges that not everyone will be able to board the train, specifically those who are hopeless sinners. The message here is to have pity on them and to help them find their way because there is no hiding place when it comes to the Kingdom's Throne. The final verse is an acknowledgement that one might not be fully prepared for this journey, but they are getting ready, and they are ready to take the first steps towards the spiritual journey.
The song's message is one of hope and optimism, encouraging people to put their trust in God and to be prepared for the spiritual journey that is to come. The song's lyrics are written in a way that is easy to understand and accessible to people from all walks of life, making it an essential song in the gospel music genre.
Line by Line Meaning
People get ready
Prepare yourself
There's a train a-coming
The vehicle of Salvation is on its way
You don't need no baggage
You don't need material possessions
You just get on board
You just need to accept the offer of Salvation
All you need is faith
Belief in the power of Salvation is enough
To hear diesels humming
The sound of the train approaching is a symbol of hope
You don't need no ticket
Salvation is offered freely
You just thank the Lord
Express gratitude for the gift of Salvation
People get ready
Prepare yourself
For the train to Jordan
The journey towards Salvation
Picking up passengers
Offering Salvation to all who accept it
From coast to coast
To every part of the world
Faith is the key
Believing in Salvation is the only requirement
Open the doors and board them
Invite others to accept Salvation
There's room for all
Salvation is available to everyone
Among the loved and lost
Salvation is for everyone, regardless of their past
Now there ain't no room
Not everyone will accept Salvation
For the hopeless sinner
People who have given up on themselves
Whoa, hard on mankind
The struggle of mankind on earth
Just to save his own
Selfishness as a hindrance to Salvation
Have pity on those
Show compassion for those struggling to accept Salvation
Whose chances are thinner
People who are struggling to see the value of Salvation
Cause there's no hiding place
You cannot escape the truth of Salvation
From the Kingdom's Throne
The power of Salvation comes from God
Oh people get ready
Prepare yourself
There's a train a-coming
The vehicle of Salvation is on its way
You don't need no baggage
You don't need material possessions
You just get on board
You just need to accept the offer of Salvation
All you need is faith
Belief in the power of Salvation is enough
To hear diesels a- humming
The sound of the train approaching is a symbol of hope
You don't need no ticket
Salvation is offered freely
You just thank the Lord
Express gratitude for the gift of Salvation
Yeah yeah yeah
An expression of enthusiasm for Salvation
I'm getting ready
Preparing for Salvation
I - I'm ready yeah yeah yeah
Excited and enthusiastic for Salvation
Oh I'm getting ready oh - oh
Continuing to prepare for Salvation
I'm ready yeah
Excited for the arrival of Salvation
Writer(s): Curtis Mayfield
Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
monica bella
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