-
Play on Mog
Yes, it scrobbles! Learn more
-
Play on Rdio
Yes, it scrobbles! Learn more
-
Play on Hype Machine
Yes, it scrobbles! Learn more
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.
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.
Send Ringtones to Cell Similar Music
Play Bob Marley RadioWith: Bob Marley & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Damian Marley, Ziggy Marley and more…
People who listen to this also like
| Track | Duration | Listeners | ||
|
|
Bob Marley - Satisfy My Soul | 3:00 | 161,167 | |
|
|
Bob Marley - Waiting In Vain | 4:05 | 178,246 | |
|
|
Damian Marley - Welcome To Jamrock | 3:30 | 230,350 | |
|
|
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Redemption Song | 3:54 | 292,734 | |
|
|
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Is This Love | 3:52 | 312,123 | |
|
|
Ziggy Marley - Black Cat | 2:38 | 21,393 |
Albums featuring this track
-
Gold
Bob Marley
Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $14.45
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Tours: Reimagining the Songs of Bob Marley
Bob Marley Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
New
-
Best of Caribbean Steel Drums
Bob Marley Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Legend Best Of
Bob Marley Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shouts
-
lioness28213 wrote:
I want to hear Nesta... not this version :(
-
VJ-use wrote:
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.
-
Bloodwerk wrote:
Makes me cry...everytime I hear it.
-
naffroman wrote:
Dem fine steel drums
-
useless45 wrote:
I do like this version but its got a completely different feel to it than with just bob & an acoustic.
-
GPX wrote:
I LOL'd when I heard those steel drums. Now nothing against steel drums but this is a travesty.
-
3rdsurfer wrote:
If only man lived by these words
-
Cazweigun wrote:
I'm hearing the steel band version too -_______-
-
dreadjobi wrote:
kool runnings big up dread
-
khotsokt wrote:
I agree with you guys this steel band is nonsense.
-
Force_of_Will wrote:
This steel band nonsense has got to go!
-
ReducedCapacity wrote:
yeah I got the steel band version as well............shit
-
da4cu4 wrote:
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.
-
DennisRicley wrote:
the best in the world
-
bugzyblaze wrote:
Bob, U too much mehn.......
-
xpldng_hlcptr wrote:
Amazing, just amazing.
-
xpldng_hlcptr wrote:
One of the greatest songs of all time. [2]
-
donsity wrote:
lo mejor de corazon...... XD XD
-
Liserius wrote:
`This songs of freedom...
-
VeX08 wrote:
One of the greatest songs of all time.
Track Stats
1,068,337 Scrobbles
194,363 Listeners
Recent Listening Trend
Listening Now
Top Listeners
-
yohrdan
Top Listener
-
DoctorAgon
Top Listener
-
coreybmth123
Top Listener
-
RuudVanGoal
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
icup123abc added Redemption Song to their Loved Tracks. 4 hours ago
-
AishaKalyca added Redemption Song to AishaKalyca’s library. yesterday evening
-
AngerkillerAk47, Natus-1991, coralamoe and 2 other people loved Bob Marley – Redemption Song. yesterday afternoon
-
Zeanei added Redemption Song to Zeanei’s library. Sunday evening
-
Zeanei added Redemption Song to the playlist Všetko. Sunday evening
-
smitty0121, nigwop81, Hakie1 and 8 other people loved Bob Marley – Redemption Song. Sunday evening
-
imx574 added Redemption Song to the playlist M.F.Reggae.t.c.. Friday evening
-
imx574, Strahlemaus666, lioness28213 and 1 other person loved Bob Marley – Redemption Song. Friday evening
-
natymagno tagged Redemption Song with ‘reggae’. Friday afternoon
-
kgb25, judovalle, doofussmax and 26 other people loved Bob Marley – Redemption Song. Friday morning
Related Journals
-
50 favourite songs ever.
by GregCano |
13 Jun 2010
| 7 comments
-
My Top 50 Songs of All Time
by Tenfrente |
10 Mar 2010
| 4 comments
-
[My Gang] Bob Marley - Redemption Song : Reco of the Week 23 Jun 09
by Babs_05 |
23 Jun 2009
