Bob Marley Redemption Song Analysis

Bob Marley And The Wailers “ Redemption Song”

By Nigel Ng Yi Wen On September 9, 2016

It was in the year 1979 that Bob Marley And The Wailers released their

11th studio album “Survival”. Which was an album with an outwardly militant theme. A year later on the 10th of June they release their 12th studio album

“Uprising” which was the final album featuring Bob Marley. The album

Uprising comprised of 10 songs one of them being Redemption Song.

What if you had the chance to leave a final message before dying? What would you say? Would it have been something that summed up your beliefs and everything that you stood for in life? Essentially Bob Marley did have the opportunity with Redemption Song.

“Redemption Song” was the 10th and final track from

In the song we can only imagine how much pain and suffering he was going through while composing the song. Unlike most of his songs redemption song sees Marley pulling away from his roots of reggae beats. At first the song was recorded with his band The Wailers but his producer Chris Blackwell suggested that he try a solo acoustic version and that’s what stuck. Hence In the video he is seen singing and playing an acoustic guitar without his band.

Redemption Song is a song unlike any of his previous tracks. It sounds completely raw and is easily distinguished by the tone of his voice. Through the song you can feel the emotion of the artist and you can tell what he was feeling and going through while he was writing the song. Redemption song sends a very heartfelt and meaningful message. It can be heard throughout the duration of the song. It keeps its listeners wondering and questioning about what the meaning behind the song is.

Some say Redemption Song tells a story about modern day slavery and how through believing in a greater power than ourselves can help us persevere through the hardship of life As The song starts with the words “Old Pirates

In my opinion originality really stood out in his music especially in

Redemption Song. How his voice resonates so clearly, how the song progresses and how he was able apply such bombastic words in to the song.

It is a shame that Marley passed away without ever being able to see the success of the song as Redemption Song has seen a lot of glory in recent years. In

July 2003 the Redemption Song statue was unveiled in Emancipation Park, New

Kingston with the words “ None But Ourselves Can Free Our Minds” on the base of the dome. In 2004 Rolling Stone placed the song at #66 among the “Top

500 Greatest Songs All Time”. In 2009 Jamaican Poet And Broad caster

Mutabaruka chose “Redemption Song” as the most influential recording in

Jamaican music history. And in 2010 New Statesman listed it as one of the top 20 political songs.

Redemption song has been remade and covered by many artist ranging from Johnny Cash to the likes of Stevie Wonder. In recent years the song has been covered by the likes of Rihanna for Haiti Relief after the earthquake