People Got to Be Free

Album: Freedom Suite (1968)
Charted: 1
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  • All the world over, so easy to see
    People everywhere just wanna be free
    Listen, please listen, that's the way it should be
    There's peace in the valley, people got to be free

    You should see
    What a lovely, lovely world this'd be
    Everyone learned to live together, ah hah
    Seems to me
    Such an easy easy thing it should be
    Why can't you and me learn to love one another?

    All the world over, so easy to see
    People everywhere just wanna be free (wanna be free)
    I can't understand it, so simple to me
    People everywhere just got to be free

    If there's a man
    Who is down and needs a helpin' hand
    All it takes is you to understand and
    To pull him through, ah hah
    Seems to me
    We got to solve it individually, ah ah
    And I'll do unto you what you do to me
    Said, no

    Hear the shoutin' from the mountains on out to the sea
    No two ways about it, people have to be free (they gotta be free)
    Ask me my opinion, my opinion will be
    Natural situation for a man to be free

    Get right on board now, huh, huh

    Yeah oh, what a feelin's just come over me
    Love can move a mountain, make a blind man see
    Everybody sing it now come on let's go see
    Peace in the valley now, we all can be free

    See that train over there?
    Now that's the train of freedom
    It's about to 'rrive any minute, now
    You know it's been'a long, long overdue
    Look out 'cause it's a'comin' right on through
    Ha, ha, yeah, ha, ha, yeah Writer/s: Edward Brigati, Felix Cavaliere
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 12

  • Mavis from Upper Great LakesThe Wikipedia entry for this song notes it was written and recorded before the MLK and RFK murders, but I thought as a teen that it was a response to that horrible spring. I was in Madison at a UW Summer Session when I heard it, and it will always remind me of Cool House at Elm Drive A, now Bradley Hall.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 6th 1969, the Rascals performed "People Got to Be Free" on the ABC-TV program 'The Music Scene'*...
    Fifteen months earlier on July 14th, 1968 it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart {See the next post below}...
    At the time of the quartet's appearance on the show their "Carry Me Back" was at #26 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, that was its peak position on the Top 100 {they didn't perform the song on that show}...
    * 'The Music Scene' debut on Sept. 22nd, 1969 and ran for 17 episodes.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 14th 1968, "People Got To Be Free" by the Rascals entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #64; and on August 11th, 1968 it peaked at #1 (for 5 weeks) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 8 of those 14 weeks it was on the Top 10) ...
    And on August 26th, 1968 it also reached #1 (for 1 week) on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart...
    In it's 2nd, 3rd, & 4th week at #1 prevented "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf from reaching #1, for those three weeks it was at #2; but they got some revenge, in Canada it was "Born To Be Wild" that knocked "People Got To Be Free" out of the top spot on the RPM 100 chart.
  • Magicman from Brighton, United KingdomDionne Warwick made a scintillating gospel-tinged cover of this song on her LP Soulful and People Got To Be Free was released as a single in 1968.
  • Mrcleaveland from Cleveland,I don't understand some of the comments at the top. This isn't much of a "political" song. It's another "peace, love, harmony" song, and there were dozens and dozens of them at the time. It doesn't seem controversial at all.

    However, this is all in hindsight. A lot of things that were controversial back then aren't the least bit controversial now.
  • John from Carlsbad, NmThis song impacted me powerfully when it was released and it still does today! It States God's desire for our lives and how God calls us to help lift others. It describes our essential purpose on earth.
    Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
  • Donna from College Station, TxNo 7 Oct 1968, Top 10 Singles, source Billboard hits of 20 years ago this week Oct 8, 1988
  • Sarah from Kennewick, WaGreat, Great, Great song. Beautiful in its simplicity, divine in its timelessness.
  • Eb from Richmond Hill, GaThe song is about the "CHRISTIAN BORN AGAIN EXPERIENCE" experience. The words to the last verse are scriptural, paraphrased right out of the Bible. Oh, what a feelin's just come over me
    Enough to move a mountain, make a blind man see
    Everybody's dancin', come on, let's go see
    Peace in the valley, now they want to be free . . .

  • Caren from Detroit Area, MiAnybody ever notice the similarity with "Candida" sung by Dawn (vocals: Tony Orlando)? Research shows no clear date as to when Candida was actually written. But if you slow down Candida just a bit and skipping the intros, start both songs at the beginning of their first verses, they're almost the same song. Weird. Or is it just me...
  • Tom from Niles, MiI heard this song on K-Earth 101 in Los Angeles recently. I downloaded it (legally) and I LOVE this song. I had no idea it was inspired by the death of Martin Luther King Jr. (very nice thing to do). I want to use this song in a screenplay I'm writing. I hope I get permission. TOM
  • Donovan from Sacramento, CaThis is a classic and a departure after their two previous hits: "Good Lovin'" (1966) and "Groovin'" (1967). They definitely sent a political message in the heart of the Vietnam War and problems taking place in the USA.
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