People Got to Be Free

The Rascals

About People Got to Be Free

"People Got to Be Free" is a song released in 1968 by The Rascals. Written by group members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati and featuring a lead vocal from Cavaliere, it is a musically upbeat but impassioned plea for tolerance and freedom: All the world over, so easy to see! People everywhere, just wanna be free. Listen, please listen! that's the way it should be Peace in the valley, people got to be free. In the song's coda, Felix says in a half-sung, half-spoken voice, that the "Train of Freedom", is "about to arrive any minute now", that "it has been long, long overdue", and that it's "coming right on through", before the song's fade with Felix saying "Chug" repeatedly. It became a big hit in the turbulent summer of 1968, spending five weeks atop the Billboard Pop Singles chart, the group's longest such stay. It was also the group's second-most successful single on the Billboard Black Singles chart, reaching number 14 and trailing only the previous year's "Groovin'". "People Got to Be Free" was RIAA-certified as a gold record on August 23, 1968, and eventually sold over 4 million copies. It later was included on the group's March 1969 album Freedom Suite. Billboard ranked the record as the number 5 song for 1968. The single's picture sleeve photo was previously featured in the inner album cover of the Rascals' Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits compilation. The B-side, "My World", was a track from the group's Once Upon a Dream album. 


Year:
1997
3:01
243 

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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 itty bitty thing 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

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The Rascals

The Rascals (initially known as The Young Rascals) were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the #1 hits "Good Lovin'" (1966), "Groovin'" (1967), and "People Got to Be Free" (1968), as well as "A Beautiful Morning" (#3 1968) and the lesser-known "A Girl Like You". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. more »

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Written by: EDWARD BRIGATI, FELIX CAVALIERE

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Song Background
"People Got to Be Free" is a song released by the band "The Rascals" in 1968. Felix Cavaliere, the eclectic rocker and keyboardist of the band, co-wrote the song along with Eddie Brigati.
Chart Success
The song was a huge success and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, holding that position for five weeks.
Inspirational Motive
The song was written as an expression of the band's solidarity with the Civil Rights Movement, following the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.
Felix Cavaliere’s Role
As one of the primary composers, Cavaliere played a pivotal role in crafting the uplifting and universal message of the song.
Album Inclusion
"People Got to Be Free" was also a part of their album "Freedom Suite," which was a double album. This signaled the band's artistic growth and lyrical sophistication.
Grammy Nomination
The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance, Group or Duo.
Impact on Popular Culture
The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, has appeared on multiple soundtracks and compilations, and continues to be used as a symbol of the struggle for social justice and equality.
Iconic Lyrics
The song's lyrics, calling for freedom and equality, were considered daring and progressive at the time of its release, and are still celebrated today.
Inclusion in R&B Music
Despite The Rascals primarily being a rock band, "People Got to Be Free" was warmly received by the R&B audience. It reached number 14 on Billboard's R&B chart.
Song Duration
The song length is relatively short with a running time of just 2:57 minutes, but its powerful message resonates long after the song ends.
Musical Style
The song features upbeat, brass-infused and gospel-influenced melodies that elevated The Rascals' signature blue-eyed soul sound.
Global Recognition
The song gained worldwide fame, marking the high point of The Rascals' string of hit singles.

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1968

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