Are You Ready?

"Are You Ready?" is definitely the best-remembered song by the short-lived blues-rock band Pacific Gas & Electric, from their third album for which it is the title track. It was written by drummer Charlie Allen and John Hill. In fact, this was their only charting hit. However, another song in the PG&E cannon might yet get a second-wind: their version of "Staggolee" was also part of the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's film Deathproof.

Isn't this a dark little piece of gospel-funk? It sounds both inspirational and apocalyptic at the same time. The opening line, "There's rumors of war," is a shout-out to the Bible verse Matthew 24:4 (King James). The promise that "He'll carry you home" is a shout-out to the traditional African American spiritual song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The line "Brothers and sisters, I have many" might be an inversion of the classic riddle "Brothers and sisters I have none, but this man's father is his father's son."