What is Peace without War? First and foremost, Bob Marley is said to be one of the best most influential reggae singers known. The way that many artists like singers, musicians, etc., view Bob Marley as an inspiration and muse towards whatever it is that they do. Bob Marley stood up for the injustices he faced and saw in the world near and away from him. Bob Marley was one of the first “colored” person to speak up about how the world, mainly the “white man” treated “colored people.” He not only focused on the indifference on the different skin colors, but also on the poor. Bob Marley’s songs were aimed towards the freedom and liberation of the poor colored people that were in control by other countries. Most people saw his work at the time to be rebellious, but once they looked past that, most of them say that what Bob Marley was saying was in fact true.
Music was his way of communication and this is why he got attention, because so many people use it to express their feelings towards one another or to soothe the pain one feels inside as he did. Music creates atmosphere; it can bring people together, because there is more than one person feeling the exact same thing you are. In this case, these three songs “Burnin’ and Lootin’, “Concrete Jungle”, and “War”, the artist’s lyrics are powerful and meaningful to anyone whom feels the same towards political injustice, poverty, inequality and or national struggles in the wake if Imperialism. People are not being treated equally, and are being put down, The artists of the three songs, Bob Marley; he was born in Jamaica in 1945. He is a famous singer known of making peace. He sent messages through his lyrics. Bob Marley made everyone look at real situations that were going on in the world. Many people have found inspiration through his lyrics, to pursue their dreams. His beliefs and feelings are all in his music. All Bob Marley clearly wants is for everyone to enjoy their beautiful life that God has given us. In song number one, “Burnin and Lootin”, by Bob Marley, he sings about all the abuse and suffering in his city. Burnin and Lootin is when people burn and steal because of the government. Instead the community should be helping and protecting one another. Bob Marley also admits he himself was in prison. “This morning I woke up in a curfew; O God, I was a prisoner, too - yeah! Could not recognize the faces standing over me; they were all dressed in uniforms of brutality. Eh!” He is speaking of Africans from the days of slavery. Bob Marley uses this powerful line, “How many rivers do we have to cross, before we can talk to the boss? Eh! All that we got, it seems we have lost; we must have really paid the cost.” By this he means, how much longer do they need to be treated as lesser men? As “slaves”, not slaves anymore, but not treated equally, not getting paid much, so they are LIKE slaves and inferiors. He questions, what he has to do as a man to speak to the boss. All he wants to do is be his own person, he sings, “give me the food and let me grow.” Bob Marley is implying that he wants the man to let him work and create things himself. The second song I chose is, “Concrete Jungle”. In this song, they talk about his city and where he lives. He states that others opinions towards his city are negative. Bob Marley starts explaining that there is this darkness that no one is really aware of and that once you see this, there is no way to find your way out. Bob Marley has become aware of this darkness and cannot seem to find a way out and he just longs for a “sweet life”.
In class we sort of examined this song and we discussed this particular verse, “No chains around my feet, but I’m not free, I know I am bound here to captivity”. This verse seems like it is referring to slavery, but during the time that the song was written, slavery was not that big of a thing anymore. His “concrete jungle” is the city. He is stuck and surrounded by the chaos of the world around him and the “concrete” buildings around him. To Bob Marley, it seems as though nothing is getting better, but instead getting worse. The chaos that is being referred to in this song is the fact that the city he lives in is WAY overpopulated with people who are less than what is “said” to be, kind of like the slumps in some cities where they pack all the poor people in one area to keep them away. Bob Marley sees this as an injustice and speaks his mind about it in the song. The third song I chose is,” War”, Bob Marley is specifically referring to racism, inequality, and poverty. This is the most powerful and influential song from these three songs. It speaks to troubles in Africa, as well as troubles in any country in the world. Bob Marley takes everyone’s human rights into consideration. That is one reason why many people follow his music. He speaks of everyday struggles, such as, economically, physically, and mentally that anyone possibly is going through. All he wants in this world is peace, love, and equality. “Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned everywhere is war - Me say war.” Here is referring again to the upperclassman that continually tells African’s they are below them. All this fighting needs leads to fighting and needs to end. The songs have a particular way that they all go together and form this connection between each other. The way this connection is formed is through the way he is speaking FOR the people. He is using his songs and works to express and declare mainly everyone’s emotions since no one else will speak out against it. Bob Marley speaks for mainly everyone when he promotes peace instead of war/violence and hate. He is trying to get others to speak and advocate their feelings as well instead of remaining silent, but as for the time being, he spoke for many of the ones who were either too afraid or something was holding them back. Each one of the songs I chose promotes peace and love. Bob Marley wants to end all discrimination of every kind: race, social standing, etc. He wants everyone to be color blind and see eye to eye, for everyone to treat everyone as they themselves would want to be treated. He advocates that no matter any kind of color, race, social class, etc. everyone should have the same amount of freedom and say so as their neighbor.
With each and every song Bob Marley wrote and created, he allowed a voice for the people who could not or would not speak. He is an inspiration to many as I have stated earlier and was just a selfless and compassionate human being. There are several quotes that I feel would help with my belief on this: “Do not gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold”, “Who are you to judge the life I live? I am not perfect and I do not have to be! Before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean”, and “One love. One heart. One destiny.”
Mr. Bob Marley has inspired a lot of people to live their lives to the fullest and to fulfill every possible dream that they aspire to be or do, and with the knowledge I have gained from learning about this gentleman, he has also inspired me as well. I can do and become what and who I want to be, no one can tell me otherwise, even though, it has not that that has stopped me before.