▁R I AA - cert ified ▁as ▁a ▁gold ▁record ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁and ▁eventually ▁sold ▁over ▁ 4 ▁million ▁copies . ▁ ▁It ▁later ▁was ▁included ▁on ▁the ▁group ' s ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁album ▁Fre edom ▁Su ite . ▁Billboard ▁ranked ▁the ▁record ▁as ▁the ▁number ▁ 5 ▁song ▁for ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁single ' s ▁picture ▁sle e ve ▁photo ▁was ▁previously ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁inner ▁album ▁cover ▁of ▁the ▁Ras cal s ' ▁Time ▁Peace : ▁The ▁Ras cal s ' ▁Great est ▁H its ▁compilation . ▁ ▁The ▁B - side , ▁" My ▁World ", ▁was ▁a ▁track ▁from ▁the ▁group ' s ▁Once ▁Upon ▁a ▁Dream ▁album . ▁ ▁While ▁" Pe ople ▁Got ▁to ▁Be ▁Free " ▁was ▁perce ived ▁by ▁some ▁as ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁assass in ations ▁of ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King , ▁Jr . ▁and ▁Robert ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁earlier ▁that ▁year , ▁it ▁was ▁recorded ▁before ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁death . ▁ ▁In ▁fact ▁it ▁was ▁partly ▁a ▁reaction ▁to ▁an ▁ugly ▁encounter ▁where in ▁the ▁long - ha ired ▁group ▁was ▁threatened ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁str angers ▁after ▁their ▁tour ▁vehicle ▁broke ▁down ▁in ▁Fort ▁Pier ce , ▁Florida . ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁is ▁clearly ▁a ▁product ▁of ▁its ▁times ; ▁however , ▁two ▁dec ades ▁later ▁writer ▁Dave ▁Marsh ▁included ▁it ▁as ▁number ▁ 2 3 7 ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁Heart