People Get Ready

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'

You don't need no ticket you just thank the lord

-People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield, 1965-

Aptly themed Songs of Inspiration, the American Idol show of last night showcased Crystal Bowersox (pic'd) in her most emotional performance. Singing People Get Ready, a song I first heard from Jeff Beck's 1985 record with Rod Stewart on vocals, Bowersox managed to inspire the audience to have their own interpretation of the song.

And my interpretation is this - That "train-a-coming" is our death. The "diesels humming" is the sound of Angel Azrael's wings. So, "people get ready", as we need to go. We "don't need no baggage" because nothing in this world belongs to us. All we need to get ready is to be thankful.