(from YouTube Aug. 2007 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish and English parentage. He currently resides in Epping. With a distinctive, raspy voice, Stewart came to prominence in the late 1960s and early '70s with The Jeff Beck Group and then The Faces and began a solo career in 1969, with his debut album An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down. With his career in its fifth decade, Stewart has achieved numerous hit singles worldwide, most notably in the UK, where he has garnered six consecutive number one albums and his tally of 62 hit singles include 24 that reached the top 10, six of which gained the number one position. It has been estimated that Stewart's album and single sales total more than 250 million, easily earning him a place on the list of best-selling music artists. His biggest-selling song was the 1978 disco hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", which was atypical of his earlier output, marking the beginning of a blatantly commercial era for Stewart, and which actually damaged his credibility amongst many critics and longtime fans. Stewart was born the youngest of five children in Archway, North London, England to parents Robert and Elsie Stewart, who ran a newsagent. Rod was the first of his siblings (two brothers, two sisters) to be born in England after the family moved from Scotland. He attended the William Grimshaw School in Hornsey. The Stewart family were great fans of the singer Al Jolson and would sing and play his hits. Rod collected his records, read books about him and was influenced by his performing style. He decided to take up guitar at the age of eleven and joined a skiffle group with schoolfriends called the Kool Kats, playing Lonnie Donegan and Chas McDevitt hits. Lyrics: People get ready/ There’s a train a-coming/ You don’t need no baggage/ You just get on board./ All you need is faith/ To hear the diesels humming/ Don’t need no ticket/ You just thank the lord./ People get ready/ For the train to Jordan/ Picking up passengers/ From coast to coast./ Faith is the key/ Open the doors and board them/ There’s room for all/ Among the loved the most./ There ain’t no room/ For the hopeless sinner/ Who would hurt all mankind just/ To save his own./ Have pity on those/ Whose chances are thinner/ Cause there’s no hiding place/ From the kingdom’s throne./ So people get ready/ For the train a-comin/ You don't need no baggage/ You just get on board !/ All you need is faith/ To hear the diesels humming/ Don't need no ticket/ You just thank, you just thank the lord./ Yeah Ooh Yeah Ooh Im getting ready Im getting ready This time Im ready This time Im ready