Redemption Song
ボブ・マーリー & The Wailers Lyrics


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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
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

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
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Whoa, have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-ah can-ah stop-ah the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs

All I ever have
Redemption songs




These songs of freedom
Songs of freedom

Overall Meaning

The song Redemption Song by Bob Marley and The Wailers is a powerful message of hope and freedom. The lyrics speak of the oppression and enslavement of the artist's ancestors while acknowledging the strength and resilience they showed in the face of such adversity. The opening verse talks about how the pirates robbed and sold the singer's ancestors to the merchant ships, but their spirit remains unbroken because of the strength given to them by the Almighty. The song then shifts to a message of self-liberation, urging people to emancipate themselves from mental slavery as no one else can free our minds but ourselves.


The second half of the song talks about the killing of prophets and highlights the need to fulfill the Book, which can be interpreted as fulfilling one's purpose in life. The artist calls for unity and encourages people to join him in singing songs of freedom so that their voices can be heard and have an impact in creating a better world. The final line of the song repeats the phrase "these songs of freedom" emphasizing the importance of freedom and our collective responsibility to secure it.


Line by Line Meaning

Old pirates, yes, they rob I,
I was robbed by old pirates.


Sold I to the merchant ships,
I was sold to merchant ships.


Minutes after they took I From the bottomless pit.
I was taken from a deep despair.


But my hand was made strong By the hand of the Almighty.
God made me strong.


We forward in this generation Triumphantly.
We are moving forward as a generation, victorious.


Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom? 'Cause all I ever have: Redemption songs, Redemption songs.
Join me in singing these songs of redemption and freedom, as they are all I have.


Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, None but ourselves can free our minds.
Free your mind from mental enslavement. Only you can do it.


Have no fear for atomic energy, 'Cause none of them can stop the time.
Do not fear atomic energy, as it cannot halt time.


How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
How much longer will we allow our leaders to be killed before we take action?


Some say it's just a part of it, We've got to fulfill the Book.
Some believe it is inevitable, but we must fulfill our destiny.


Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom? 'Cause all I ever have: Redemption songs, Redemption songs, Redemption songs.
Join me in singing these songs of redemption and freedom, as they are all I have.


Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, None but ourselves can free our minds. Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy, 'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time.
Free your mind from mental enslavement. Do not fear atomic energy. It cannot halt time.


How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look?
How long will we be silent bystanders as our leaders are killed?


Yes, some say it's just a part of it, We've got to fulfill the book. Won't you have to sing These songs of freedom?
Some believe it is inevitable, but we must fulfill our destiny. Are you willing to sing these songs of freedom?


'Cause all I ever had, Redemption songs, All I ever had, Redemption songs, These songs of freedom, Songs of freedom.
All I have are these songs of redemption and freedom. Join me in singing them.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bob Marley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@ommanipadmehum4975

Go ahead
No matter what
Love, be kind, take the suffer give the joy give the smile be the heroes as hard it is, as worth it is
And be inspired by great men and women, by nature and animals, by great creations and arts and music

Make your way
Make your way through life
And at the end of your last breath,
Pay tribute to the steps

All my blessings
And all my power
All my strength and faith
I give you
All your suffering and grief and sorrow
I remove from you

I am arrived i am home
I am solid i am free
In the ultimate i dwell



@ysolomon2168

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
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
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
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look? Ooh
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfil the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Woah, have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfill the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
All I ever had
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
Songs of freedom



@trillrudeboy

Sadly, you are all wrong.

Believe it or not, people outside of the United States are not concerned with slavery or racism like they are there.
I lived in the Caribbean for a while, people are not controlled by the media as much, which just fuels race hatred.
Race issues are a US thing, because corporations and the government want it to be.

Marley was Rastafarian, which is a cult that broke away from Christianity during war time. It was started by a political activist who made up false claims in order to stir up political unrest. Rastafarians smoked weed while they worshiped God. The were conned to believe the emperor of Ethiopia was the second coming of Christ Jesus. The con artist lied and told the Jamaicans that Christ only came for white people and the emperor was Christ coming back to save African decent people. This was obviously a lie. Christ came to save whoever would believe. The emperor of Ethiopia was a Christian and hated the cult that started up in his name. He fought it and wanted Jamaicans to know Christ had already died for them. He actually commissioned the building of many Christian churches in Jamaica to help save some of those that went astray. Marley was one of these people. When he found out the man they were worshiping rejected being Christ, he prayed for forgiveness to God.

Redemption Song is directed towards Jesus who is named the "Redeemer" sent here to save us from our sins against God the Father.

The pirate ship robbed him from the grave or bottomless pit. Jesus taught us that all who are not saved, are already dead in spirit. Becoming a believer snatches you from darkness and renews your soul. After being saved, he was delivered to the hands of the almighty God. He sings songs of freedom from the punishment of sin. Marley was born many many generations after slavery had been abolished. He is speaking in first person in his song. He was never made a salve physically and rescued.

Jesus tells a story to his disciples not to fear death when they go out into the world. He tells them to not fear him who can destroy the body but to fear Him who can destroy the body and soul in hell. The Atomic weapons verse was directed at this scripture. At the time of this song, nuclear warfare was a worry of many people. Marley is reminding his listeners to not fear death but only fear God.

The creator of the illustration added racism to the song. When Marley talks about killing their prophets, the illustrator shows many African American civil rights leaders but this is not what Marley was speaking of. There are many versus in the bible where God and his disciples speak to the Jews who were persecuting them about how they killed God's prophets. I believe the verse Marley is referencing though is:

Acts 7:52
Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

Marley is telling his listeners to "stay strong" even though they may kill them. In this bible verse, Jesus had already been crucified, risen from death and ascended to heaven. The Jewish leaders were rounding up Christians and killing them. One of his disciples told them this verse when they were questioning him. The persecutors picked up stones and threw them at him until he died.

If you do not know enough about scripture or Bob Marley to catch all what I have already said, then the last part should tip you off. "We have got to fulfill the book". The last book of the bible "Revelation" was written by John, one of Jesus's disciples. John was made a prophet and given visions of the future. The book describes all the things that will come to pass as we proceed in time, until things are finished. This book must be fulfilled. Rastafarians believed that the emperor being Christ was one more step in the fulfillment.



All comments from YouTube:

@al-mazerhussien3992

Dear person who may be reading this I wish you a beautiful life abundance and health

@garyjones9910

Why thank you

@agansley

Thx

@paradigmshift3879

Love, peace, health, happiness to you and your family Al-mazer thank you for your warm heart, kind words and presence.

@martamoreira1706

That’s so beautiful! Wishing you the same ✨

@karenyoudenvengeruk2897

Much love sweet person, may your life always shine bright with much joy and abundance.

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@ypndublin4219

Who is listening in 2024 😢

@DaniloAWGE

me i love bob

@Wayshayna

🦋

@ricardothompson2700

I listen to Bob almost every day.

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