The fact that “Redemption Song” was such a drastic departure from his other recordings is also evidence that Marley had a fond farewell in mind. Instead of the reggae beats for which he was known, the song presents Marley alone with an acoustic guitar playing a song that would have been a good fit on Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are A-Changin’ album. Marley was too much a force of nature to lose his personality just because he was in a new setting. The rhythmic ingenuity that marked his career can be heard in the little instrumental breakdown between verses. His vocal also drips with idiosyncratic power, from the way he hiccups his way through some of the lines to give them some extra flavor to his brilliant phrasing of the word “triumphantly.” Other songwriters might have crammed in a few other words just to fit the meter a bit more snugly, but Marley’s choice gives that word added meaning. “Redemption Song” begins with a story of how the narrator has been persecuted for years only to overcome it all with heavenly aid, leading to the aforementioned triumph. It was if Marley was letting his millions of fans know that he was going to be all right in his next journey, just as the line implies his own Rastafarian faith was giving him strength in what must have been a time of great pain and fear. As the song progresses, Marley turns his gaze outward to his adoring fans and gives them some words of advice. To do this, he borrows from a speech by noted orator Marcus Garvey, whose views on uniting all those of African descent were a strong influence on Rastafarian principles. “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/ None but ourselves can free our mind,” he paraphrases Garvey, suggesting that those he is addressing have the means within them to break free from any figurative bonds. Marley also suggests that technological advances pale in comparison to cosmic truths. “Have no fear for atomic energy/ ‘Cause none of them can stop the time.” Yet he’s dismayed at the deaths of the modern-day prophets (think JFK, MLK, etc.) at the hands of man, calling on his brethren to rise up to Biblical standards: “We’ve got to fulfill the book.” These empathetic strains and social concerns, along with its campfire sing-along quality, makes “Redemption Song” attractive fodder for cover artists, especially for those facing big crowds wanting to unleash positive vibes on the throngs. That’s probably why Bob Geldof and Steven Van Zandt teamed up for an impassioned version at the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope show in New York in 1986, or why Jackson Browne chose to perform it at the Concert for the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 1995. In addition, studio cover versions of the song started popping up almost immediately after its initial release. Everyone from Stevie Wonder to Rihanna has taken a crack at it on various projects. For a truly unique take, check out the duet by Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer of The Clash produced by Rick Rubin. Hearing Cash singing the idiomatic “I” as a direct object in the first verse is a gas, and hearing those two iconoclasts coming together on such a monumental track is unforgettable. The song has even wielded its special magic in the highest corridors of power via a rock and roll emissary. Bono is quoted in the James Henke book Marley Legend: An Illustrated History Of Bob Marley as saying, “I carried Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ to every meeting I had with a politician, prime minister, or president. It was for me a prophetic utterance, or as Bob would say, ‘the small ax that could fell the big tree.’” Yet in the chorus, it returns to a simple plea from the performer to his listeners: “Won’t you help to sing/ These songs of freedom?” Maybe he needed to ask because he knew the import of those songs. Or maybe Bob Marley knew that he wasn’t going to be around to sing them much longer himself. There is one thing that can be said for sure about “Redemption Song” though. It allowed Bob Marley to go out tri-um-phant-ly. Comments TAGS: Behind the Song, Bob Marley, redemption song Prev Next Popular Articles John Prine, Sam Stone LYRIC OF THE WEEKOCT. 6 Robert Johnson, Love In Vain LYRIC OF THE WEEKSEP. 29 Billie Holiday, Strange Fruit LYRIC OF THE WEEKAUG. 25 Latest Videos Sessions: Ryan Tanner Oct. 8 Contests ENDS NOVEMBER 15 LYRIC CONTEST Related Articles Jeff Buckley, Lover, You Shouldve Come Over LYRIC OF THE WEEK Willie Nelson, Crazy LYRIC OF THE WEEK Sting, “Why Should I Cry For You” LYRIC OF THE WEEK Bob Marley’s Legend Gets 30th Anniversary Revamp NEWS ABOUT SONGWRITER ADVERTISING DOWNLOADS INTERNSHIPS PRIVACY POLICY TERMS OF USE HELP © 2014 ForASong Media, LLC American Songwriter®; Songwriter U®; American Songspace®; and Songspace® are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP Twitter Facebook RSS Facebook Twitter RSS Tumblr Pinterest Do anyone know that Redemption song was the last song of Bob Marley.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 08:41:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015