The group was founded as The Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks, and Arthur Brooks, who moved to Chicago, Illinois and added Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield to their lineup to become Jerry Butler & the Impressions. By 1962, Butler and the Brookses had departed, and after switching to ABC-Paramount Records, Mayfield, Gooden, and new Impression Fred Cash collectively became a top-selling soul act. Mayfield left the group for a solo career in 1970; Leroy Hutson, Ralph Johnson, Reggie Torian, and Nate Evans were among the replacements who joined Gooden and Cash before the group's demise in 1983.
Inductees into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Impressions are best known for their 1960s string of hits, many of which were heavily influenced by gospel music and served as inspirational anthems for the Civil Rights Movement.
Personnel:
Jerry Butler (1958 - 1960)
Curtis Mayfield (1958 - 1970)
Sam Gooden (1958 - 1983)
Arthur Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Richard Brooks (1958 - 1962)
Fred Cash (1960 - 1983)
Leroy Hutson (1970 - 1973)
Ralph Johnson (1973 - 1976)
Nate Evans (1976 - 1979)
Reggie Torian (1973 - 1983)
Discography
Albums
1963: The Impressions
1964: Keep on Pushing
1964: The Never Ending Impressions
1965: One by One
1965: People Get Ready
1966: Ridin' High
1967: The Fabulous Impressions
1968: We're a Winner
1968: This Is My Country
1969: The Young Mods' Forgotten Story
1969: The Versatile Impressions
1969: Amen
1970: Check out Your Mind!
1972: Times Have Changed
1973: Preacher Man
1974: Finally Got Myself Together
1974: Three the Hard Way
1975: First Impressions
1975: Sooner or Later
1976: It's About Time
1976: Originals
1976: Loving Power
1979: Come to My Party
1981: Fan the Fire
Find The Way
The Impressions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are living their lives
So much pain
And sacrifice
To lead a new life
That's free from all sorrow
To make a way
For a new tomorrow
We got to find the way
(Got to find the way) To make a better day
We got to find the way
To make all men free in this torn down world
Of misery
So many people, child
(Look at all the people) With hope in their hearts
Are trying to make a world
In which they have an equal part
But what's the use in trying (What's the use in trying?)
When nobody cares?
Nowhere to turn to, people (Nowhere to turn)
It just isn't fair
We got to find the way
Make a better day, yeah (Make a better day)
Make a stand, lend a hand
Do what is right, do what we can
To bring joy to the land (Joy, joy, joy)
We got to find the way
Make a better day, yeah, yeah, yeah (Make a better day)
Make a stand, lend a hand
Do what is right, do what we can
To bring joy to the land (Joy, joy, joy)
So many people, so many people
And the devil, y'all
(Joy) Got to find the way
To make a better day
Do what we can (Joy, joy)
To bring joy to the land (Joy)
Do what is right
Listen to the preacher man (Joy, joy, joy)
That's the simple message
To bring joy to the land
Hey, hey, brothers
And sisters
The Impressions' "Find the Way" is a song that portrays the struggles of people who are trying to make a change in the world. The lyrics talk about how some people are sacrificing everything to make a new life that is free from all the pain and sorrow they have experienced before. The song inspires listeners to find ways to make a difference in a world full of misery. The lyrics also touch on the fact that many individuals feel they are hopeless as nobody cares or listens to their opinions, leaving them feeling lost and unsupported.
The chorus is a call to action that urges people to find the way to create a better tomorrow. The lyrics encourage listeners to stand up, lend a hand, do what is right, and bring joy to the land. The song calls on all people to unite and work together to create a better world where all men are free from the troubles of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
So many people
There are numerous individuals living their lives
Are living their lives
Going through life, attending to their daily activities
So much pain
There is an abundance of agony
And sacrifice
As well as, people letting go of things in order to achieve their dreams
To lead a new life
To live in a new way, different from before
That's free from all sorrow
That has no sadness or grief
To make a way
To create a path
For a new tomorrow
For a future that is different from the present
We got to find the way
It is important that we discover a means to an end
(Got to find the way) To make a better day
The goal is to improve our circumstances
To make all men free in this torn down world
To ensure that all humankind is unbound in this broken world
Of misery
Of pain and suffering
So many people, child
A whole lot of individuals present here, my friend
(Look at all the people) With hope in their hearts
These folks have aspirations in their minds
Are trying to make a world
They are endeavouring to establish a universe
In which they have an equal part
Where they each get to play a fair role
But what's the use in trying (What's the use in trying?)
What is the point of putting in effort?
When nobody cares?
If no one wants to help
Nowhere to turn to, people (Nowhere to turn)
There is no safe haven, nowhere to seek refuge
It just isn't fair
The situation is unfair
Make a stand, lend a hand
Take a stance and provide assistance
Do what is right, do what we can
Make the correct decision and execute as much as possible
To bring joy to the land (Joy, joy, joy)
Spread happiness around the nation
So many people, so many people
A vast number of individuals are present
And the devil, y'all
And, likewise, evil is also prevalent
Listen to the preacher man (Joy, joy, joy)
Hear out the man who delivers sermons
That's the simple message
That's the basic idea being presented
Hey, hey, brothers
Hey, hey, siblings
And sisters
As well as sisters
Writer(s): Richard Tufo
Contributed by Jeremiah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Keith Fuqua
on People Get Ready
Amen brothers. Get ready people