In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption song
We sing a song for emancipation
The words fill your soul, your every frame
Out with the day with anticipation
We harmonize on the very same song
Won't you sing along
We still so far, we are, we are
(?)
Redemption song
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have (all I ever have)
Redemption song
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
(?)
(?)
(?)
(?)
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have ('cause all I ever have)
Redemption song
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption song
Redemption song
Redemption song
Redemption song
Redemption song
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption song
We sing a song for emancipation
The words fill your soul, your every frame
Out with the day with anticipation
We harmonize on the very same song
Won't you sing along
We still so far, we are, we are
(?)
Redemption song
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have (all I ever have)
Redemption song
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
(?)
(?)
(?)
(?)
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have ('cause all I ever have)
Redemption song
Won't you help to sing
Another song of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption song
Redemption song
Redemption song
Redemption song
Redemption song
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Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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I think there have been some good comments on here, but I would like to center on two lines of the song I believe to be improperly treated and, in fact, related in an interesting way. The lines are: "emancipate yourselves from mental slavery..." "we've got to fulfill the book"
Here Bob is engaged in what's called reification critique. That is, he's challenging people to think critically about their surroundings and stop taking as "natural" or "inevitable" events or situations that are products of human agency.
Why would people make such a mistake?
Well, according to (some interpretations of) Marx, the working class, or proletariat, suffers from "false consciousness." This false consciousness causes them to see capitalist expropriation as an inevitable outgrowth of material conditions, and even to identify with their oppressors in one way or another. The proletariat is much stronger than the bourgeoisie, but, because of this false consciousness, the proletariat fails to realize its revolutionary potential.
In other words, in order to achieve political emancipation, the proletariat must first achieve mental emancipation. And only they can do that.
I believe that Bob is referring to Christian eschatology in the second part. The book he is referring to is The Bible, specifically Revelation. There are those that would remain defeated when their leaders are murdered - or might even praise it in a strange way. This is because Revelation predicts things must get much worse before they get better - ie. Jesus returns. Thus, any attempt to better one's position is to go against God's will. One should welcome persecution, because that means The End - and Christian redemption - is nigh.
Bob clearly does not like this attitude.
So, there it is, in both of these lines, he's addressing arguments against a revolution of the proletariat. Get Up, Stand up!
@gnomeklpto - great comments, I appreciate your articulation of things, which happen to reflect, largely, my exact feelings on both Marley's words as well as my personal view of the status quo in our "Western" culture. Unfortunately, the proletariat majority are so far gone that I am not sure redemption is possible. <br /> <br /> Via one of the most insidious tactics used to truly brainwash people, people are led to feel that they have freed their minds, when in reality, they have simply purchased a pre-packaged and slickly-marketed set of beliefs that members of this group believe to constitute "free thought," sometimes merely because a given belief challenges the current "establishment," whatever they may perceive that to be; a salient example of this would be the monikers of "Republican" and "Democrat" - both of those are just such packages of beliefs. I am surprised people don't realize that it's highly improbable that either of the extremes put forth by those groups could be "right" or "correct."<br /> <br /> While it is true that some "established" ideals/practices/theories may need to be revised or thrown out, applied thinking/analysis should be done before doing so, lest the proverbial baby ends up thrown out with the bathwater. In my 37 years, I've observed that extremes in anything are usually poor positions to take - the seemingly sane/rational/logical "answer" is usually to be found somewhere in the middle (equilibrium).<br /> <br /> The sad fact is, people simply don't want to think - it is too hard and, besides, there is something good to watch on TV right now, so I will "think" about things later! As long as people are amused/entertained/fed or otherwise distracted, they really don't care to think. To quote Kurt Cobain, singing about this fact, "Here we are now, entertain us."<br /> <br /> Now, there are those, when blessed with time/money/opportunity for leisure, spend time thinking about how to solve or mitigate the "hard" problems (hunger, poverty, disease, etc.) of this world, but they seem to be few.<br /> <br /> -----<br /> <br /> Regarding your comments on the Book of Revelations, I completely agree that this is what Marley was referring to. And religious people I know do have the tendency to say, regarding the seemingly-downward spiral of society, "well, it's inevitable - it's been prophesied to happen, there's nothing we can do about it." Even if it proves to be true that we are in the "last days" predicted by that Biblical book, we are not justified in throwing our hands up in assumed defeat - we are to fight valiantly so that we can maintain honor. God would not have us hasten the demise of society, he'd have us fight a good fight.<br /> <br /> Anyway, that's my 2 cents, for what that's worth. :)
@gnomeklpto <br /> <br /> He means we got to fulfill the Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. No references to the "other" book are made in the song. When Marley sings "emancipate yourself from mental slavery" he is actually quoting Marcus Garvey. In November 1937 Garvey said, "we are going to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery for though others may free the body, none but ourselves can free the mind. Mind is our only ruler; sovereign."<br /> <br /> Watch the acoustic version of Redemption Song. When Bob Marley sings "we got to fulfill the book" it is Marcus Garvey's picture that is displayed.<br /> <br /> youtube.com/watch
@gnomeklpto well what he is addressing in that particular line is the fear of a nuclear holocaust which is what was consuming the minds of all at that time and still is meanwhile the real issue is that while physical slavery (catching and selling of human beings) might have ended a new type had sprung up, slavery of the mind. Communism, capitalism, feminism, christianity, islam, gay rights all these banners and flags that represent ideas block reason... All idealism ought to have a human face and human feeling but as most minds are enslaved they do not. What Bob Marley is saying to all of us living in this age of ideas is "Are you master or slave to your ideas?"<br /> <br /> The people who ask mankind to see things this way are often hated and persecuted thats why the line "how long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look". as for "have no fear for atomic energy cause no of them can stop the turn", the bible speaks of a day when the doom's day clock will strike twelve. it will come when it must so it is no use living in fear. Better get your freedom from mental slavery and live a happy life. <br /> <br /> He is so right, slavery is still on and it is not restricted by skin color anymore. Every race and place has its own variety.