Shige Essay n.52 - Version -
Aoi Hitorigoto #52
Version by Kato Shigeaki
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
The last day I was in a ramen shop eating salty noodles when I heard this as BGM in the restaurant. A song very similar to my favourite song by Hanaregumi "People get ready" but it was a western song for sure. In Hanaregumi's case the Japanese lyrics are mixed and the pronounce of English words are different. It bugged me and I couldn't help it so I left the noodles and went on my way back home. Arrived at home I immediately researched about "People get ready". A song that have the same beginning verses. I found out that originally the song by Hanaregumi is a cover. So now, cover of what song? I searched and searched and many artists' names came out. Of course famous artists. The most recent was Alicia Keys, some older like Jeff Buckley and Rod Steward and the most surprising one was Bob Marley. I've learnt that this song has been sung by many other artists. It made me want to blame myself for not knowing this before. Then finally I found the original writer of the song: Curtis Mayfield. He's famous as vocalist of Impressions. The song has been realeased in 1965 but still now its color didn't fade away, it's a song still loved by many singers, that's its brilliance. The story of this song remained inside myself like the taste of the noodles.
That song has its background in the difficult question of the movement for the civil rights. Curtis was a black man, he sang to resort and free his race from discrimination. Not knowing the historical scenary I didn't understand all this.
A famous song is able to capture you. The before-mentioned reggae singer, Bob Marley was a big worshipper of Curtis (The point in common between them were so many that it looks obvious), he also sang this song but it wasn't really the same. Bob Marley rearranged "People get ready" and sang it in his own way. Surprisingly that one is also my favourite song by him: "One love". Here it is the connection. I knew "One love" from the time in Hawaii that I saw a Bob Marley's picture on a T-shirt in an old clothes shop, I fell in love with that T-shirt with his face and the words ONE LOVE printed under it, I bought it and that's when it all started. When I went to the recording studio with that T-shirt somebody from the staff told me: "Oh I love that song so much!", that's how I found out that those words were the title of a song. I didn't need too much time to fall in love with the song.
He sings like this.
One love, one heart
Let's get together and feel all right
This is from me.
Close your eyes, here it comes a train
Don't bring anything with you,
it can go anywhere,
in America, in the Space
or just there, close to you
It just need love
Something like that.
Listening to "People get ready" in the end of June I went on a travel in England and Spain. Along with many many baggages.
Sorry Shige, I had to translate back your composition/translation in English >_<
I like to think to him as somebody interested in things, somebody who not knowing something goes to search it, I think it's a very beautiful side of him :)
Videos:
Hanaregumi version of People get ready
Click to viewBob Marley's One Love