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Bob Marley – Redemption Song (4:12)

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About This Track

“Redemption Song” is the last track on Bob Marley’s ninth Island music album, Uprising. At the time he wrote the song, circa 1979, Marley already had been diagnosed with the cancer that later was to take his life. According to Rita Marley, he was already secretly in a lot of pain and dealt with his own mortality, a feature that is clearly apparent in the album, particularly in this song.

Unlike most of Bob Marley’s tracks, it is strictly a solo acoustic recording, consisting of Marley’s singing and playing an acoustic guitar, without accompaniment.

The song also urges listeners to “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,” because “None but ourselves can free our minds”. These memorable lines appear to have been taken from a speech given by Marcus Garvey in Nova Scotia during October 1937 and published in his Black Man magazine:

We are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery because whilst others might free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is your only ruler, sovereign. The man who is not able to develop and use his mind is bound to be the slave of the other man who uses his mind…[1]

A full band rendition of “Redemption Song” was made available as a bonus track on the 2001 reissue of Uprising, as well as being featured on the 2001 compilation One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley & the Wailers. However, the solo performance remains the take most familiar to listeners.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Gold
    Bob Marley Play
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  • Tours: Reimagining the Songs of Bob Marley
    Bob Marley Play
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  • Legend
    Bob Marley Play
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  • Best of Caribbean Steel Drums
    Bob Marley Play
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See all 7 albums

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  • Metal_God92

    Bob Marley meets Bob Dylan

    last month

  • sahusa

    Melhor musica do bob sem duvida.

    March 2012

  • BILLTHEBEARD

    Classic Track- Thanks to Ankara’s Library Radio for this one- Warm regards Paul

    February 2012

  • lioness28213

    I want to hear Nesta... not this version :(

    February 2012

  • VJ-use

    we used to run illegal parties in the woods, taking back the land. when the police turned up at 9am the next day, we'd always whack this tune on to round the party off and get everyone chilled.. a stone-cold classic.

    February 2012

  • Bloodwerk

    Makes me cry...everytime I hear it.

    February 2012

  • naffroman

    Dem fine steel drums

    January 2012

  • useless45

    I do like this version but its got a completely different feel to it than with just bob & an acoustic.

    January 2012

  • GPX

    I LOL'd when I heard those steel drums. Now nothing against steel drums but this is a travesty.

    December 2011

  • 3rdsurfer

    If only man lived by these words

    December 2011

  • Cazweigun

    I'm hearing the steel band version too -_______-

    November 2011

  • dreadjobi

    kool runnings big up dread

    November 2011

  • khotsokt

    I agree with you guys this steel band is nonsense.

    October 2011

  • Force_of_Will

    This steel band nonsense has got to go!

    September 2011

  • ReducedCapacity

    yeah I got the steel band version as well............shit

    September 2011

  • da4cu4

    But the song played by last.fm radio is not Bob Marley himself but a steel band playing an acoustic version of the song. Not bad, but not reggae.

    September 2011

  • DennisRicley

    the best in the world

    August 2011

  • bugzyblaze

    Bob, U too much mehn.......

    August 2011

  • xpldng_hlcptr

    Amazing, just amazing.

    July 2011

  • xpldng_hlcptr

    One of the greatest songs of all time. [2]

    July 2011
See all 93 shouts

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