Redemption Song
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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 lyrics to "Redemption Song" address the themes of slavery, oppression, and the struggle for freedom, both physical and mental. The song begins by referencing the historical reality of pirate ships which would capture and sell people into slavery. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been forcibly taken from their homeland and separated from their community. However, the singer's "hand was made strong" by God, which enabled them to overcome their oppression and continue on. The chorus calls for collective action to sing "songs of freedom" as a means of achieving redemption.


The second verse of the song calls for a similar collective effort, but focuses on the need to "emancipate ourselves from mental slavery." This suggests that while physical freedom may be important, it is also necessary to free oneself from the mental chains of fear, self-doubt, and other internal struggles. The song also alludes to political struggles, referencing nuclear energy and "killing prophets." The final chorus returns to the idea of collective action, calling for the singing of "songs of freedom."


Overall, "Redemption Song" is a powerful and inspiring call to action, urging listeners to work together towards achieving freedom and redemption, both for themselves and for others.


Line by Line Meaning

Old pirates, yes, they rob I
I have been robbed by old pirates


Sold I to the merchant ships
I have been sold to the merchant ships


Minutes after they took I
I was taken minutes ago


From the bottomless pit
I was taken from a pit with no end


But my hand was made strong
My hand was strengthened


By the hand of the Almighty
By the hand of God


We forward in this generation
We move forward in this current time


Triumphantly
With great victory


Won't you help to sing
Won't you please join me in singing


These songs of freedom?
These songs that represent freedom


'Cause all I ever have
Because all I have


Redemption songs
Songs of redemption


Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
Free yourself from mental enslavement


None but ourselves can free our minds
Only we can free our own minds


Have no fear for atomic energy
Don't fear nuclear power


'Cause none of them can stop the time
Because no one can stop time


How long shall they kill our prophets
How long must our prophets be killed


While we stand aside and look?
While we stand idly by


Some say it's just a part of it
Some say it's just the way things are


We've got to fulfill the book
We must do what needs to be done


All I ever have
All I have


Redemption songs
Songs of redemption


These songs of freedom
These songs that represent freedom


Songs of freedom
Songs that represent freedom




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bob Marley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Robi Andi

Bob Marley , mantap..!

Akbar Sulaeman

good bob marley ??

Jill Gildart

My heart is heavy

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.

580 More Replies...

@princeofslum

-when you write that?"
-all my life

rest in peace, legend!

More Comments

More Versions