The theme of politics in Bob Marley's music

Résumé du document

Bob Marley was originally from Jamaica, and as such, his work was deeply affected by the troubled political context the island faced after its independence. Many of his songs thus convey a political message. Some of Marley's biggest hits like 'Get up, Stand Up', 'I Shot the Sheriff', 'One love', and many others were inspired by the damaged environment of Jamaica. All these songs ingeniously expose Bob's political ideas. Marley was a defender of people's social rights and their need for social equity. As he grew up in Trenchtown among the poorest and the most desperate people of his native island, Bob was amazed by the miserable conditions he and his people lived in. As a matter of fact, his youth in the ghetto influenced his work and brought about a political dimension in his lyrics.

Extraits

[...] This idea is central in Bob's political beliefs. According to him, Jamaicans were still suffering from the slavery and colonialism period legacy that lead them to keep on being dependent to the ruling class. This mental frontier hampered the Jamaican people's personal development. That's why they have to free themselves from it. II. Marley's call for tolerance, universality and peace On the other part, Marley's political message is also composed of another dimension which is tolerance. Again, Bob Marley is the son of a white landlord and his black servant, and since he was of mixed-blood, this affected his music. [...]

[...] Catch a Fire: the life of Bob Marley. Omnibus Press. Rasta-Man-Vibration.com. (2005). Bob Marley and Jamaican Politics. Retrieved January from http://www.rasta-man- vibration.com/jamaican-politics.html Rasta-Man-Vibration.com. (2005). Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey. Retrieved January from http://www.rasta-man-vibration.com/marcus- garvey.html "Them belly full but we hungry/ A hungry mob is an angry mob/ A rain a fall but the dirt is tough/ A pot a cook but the food no' nough" Rast-Man-Vibration.com. (2005). Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey. [...]

[...] Indeed, he stresses that it only exists a single human race which to me is the biggest statement one could make to support the idea of tolerance. To conclude, Marley's work is truly politically committed. Bob Marley's political message is based one two pillars that are first, the Jamaican people's need for social justice and their fight against the oppression they were experiencing consequently, and second, a worldwide call for tolerance between ethnic communities. Bibliography MOSKOWITZ, D. (2007). The Words and Music of Bob Marley. Praeger Publishers. WHITE, T. (2000). [...]

[...] Many of his songs thus convey a political message. Some of Marley's biggest hits like up, Stand Shot the Sheriff”, and many others came out from this torn environment. All of those songs ingeniously expose at least one of Bob's political ideas. Two major themes can be excerpt from Bob's music to analyze his political beliefs. He first highlighted the lack of social justice and equity the Jamaican people was suffering from, and thus advocated that they fight back against oppression. [...]