Slavery In Bob Marley's Redemption Song

Redemption Song recounts the story of slavery; Bob Marley sings about faith, self-preservation, hope, and freedom in his depiction of the Afro-Jamaican emancipation from slavery. In the opening lines of Redemption Song, the prevalence of “i-talk” is quickly established. Lines 1 through 4 proclaim these words, “Old pirates yes they rob I, Sold I to the merchant ships. Minutes after they took I, From the bottom less pit” . The notion of oneness as one Afro-Jamaican nation is evident in these lines. The “I” had to the endure the turmoil of being abducted from their homeland, and being sold off to bidding nations. Marley from the onset of this song crafts the aura that all those listening to this song are a product of those same individuals that were once taken from their homes and placed into “strange lands”. After Marley establishes the dynamic between “I” and “strange lands” he continues Redemption Song by adding “holy” aspects to his song. Scattered throughout Redemption Song, Marley sings about many Biblical principles, “But my hand was made strong, By the hand of the Almighty…How long shall they kill our prophets…We've got to fulfill the book” . The traditional definition of “holy” is satisfied by the utilization of these lines in Marley’s song. The “Almighty”, “prophets” and “the book” all signify the impact God has on the lives of both the Afro-Jamaicans of generations ago but also on the 20th century Afro-Jamaicans …show more content…
In “Voices of the Civil Rights Movement”, it was said that, “In 1960, when Black students sat in and were beaten at segregated lunch counters across the South, they sang. They sang as they were dragged into the streets. They sang in the paddy wagons in the jails. And they sang when they returned to the Black community’s churches for strategy rallies” . Regardless of the environment, African-Americans young and old, used song to relay their message and sustain themselves in times of