Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand-Up

Bob Marley was a successful Jamaican reggae musician who wrote songs concerning his beliefs within the Rastafarian religion. Specifically, his song “Get Up, Stand-Up”, expresses his opinion on supporting the fighting of rights. The genre of reggae brings a sense of calmness to a song because of the strong bass and drum instruments played. The sound of the music, alone, produces a feeling of peace and support in contrary to if the song was written to be a rock or pop song. “Reggae music is created with incredible amounts of soul and pride. It is more than just music, it is a way of life for those who live in Jamaica and many others around the world.” Reggae artists are incredibly passionate about the songs they write which allows listeners and supporters to feel the same passion of the songs and to focus more on the meaning and purpose that the song is trying to represent.
“Get Up, Stand-Up” is ultimately a song about fighting for rights, in general. However, it can also be interpreted as, specifically, fighting for the rights of the Rastafarian religion. This religion promotes a peaceful lifestyle on Earth, …show more content…
The supporters of this religion believe that Haile Selassie is the living God and that blacks are the chosen people who will, in the future, rule the Earth. According to the six basic principles of Rastafari, blacks were exiled by whites to Jamaica and they consider Jamaica to be hell, while Ethiopia is heaven. They have a strict diet and greatly respect nature and the environment. Marijuana is used often and is regarded as “an herb of religious significance.” “Marijuana is used by Rastafarians to heighten feelings of community and to produce visions of a religious and calming nature.” They believe that the use of marijuana is sacred and that the bible supports this. However, they refer to the plant as the wisdom weed or the holy herb. Bob Marley wanted the Rastafarian religion to be accepted into