Bob Marley

[hombre sincero]

Robert Nesta Marley nasce il 6 Febbraio 1945, segno dell'Acquario, Joseph nella partizione rasta delle 12 trib? d'Israele, nel villaggio di Rodhen Hall, distretto di St.Ann, sulla costa Nord della Giamaica. Nasce come risultato della relazione tra Norman Marley, capitano dell'esercito inglese, e Cedella Booker, giamaicana. "Mio padre era un bianco, mia madre nera, io sono in mezzo, io sono niente" - era la sua risposta preferita quando gli domandavano se si sentisse un profeta o un liberatore - "tutto quello che ho ? Jah. Cos? non parlo per liberare i bianchi o i neri, ma per il creatore". Alcuni critici, tra cui Stephen Davis, autore di una pregevole biografia, hanno sostenuto che per molti anni Marley visse da orfano e che proprio questa condizione fu la chiave per una sensibilit? poetica fuori del comune. Tralasciando la considerazione che, etimologicamente, orfano ? colui che ? privo di luce e di vera vita, ? innegabile che, fin dal primo momento in cui Marley cominci? a scrivere canzoni di protesta e di redenzione, la sofferenza dei poveri e degli oppressi sia stata espressa con immagini di bambini. Marley si ? sempre rivolto al suo pubblico e agli amici con il termine di children. E nelle sue interviste ? sempre stato esplicito sulla negativit? della sua infanzia, pozzo a cui solitamente attingono gli artisti: "Io sono nato in Babilonia. Mio padre era un capitano inglese che combatteva in guerra. Riesci ad immaginare una Babilonia peggiore?"; "Non ho mai avuto padre. Mai conosciuto. Mia madre ha fatto dei sacrifici per farmi studiare. Ma io non ho cultura. Soltanto ispirazione. Se mi avessero educato sarei anche io uno scocco"; "Mio padre era... come quelle storie che si leggono, storie di schiavi: l'uomo bianco che prende la donna nera e la mette incinta"; "Non ho mai avuto un padre e una madre. Sono cresciuto con i ragazzi del ghetto. Non c'erano capi, solo lealt? uno verso l'altro".

[hombre sincero]

Bad card
You a go tired fe see me face
Can't get me out of the race
Oh man you said I'm in your place
And then you draw bad card
A make you draw bad card
And then you draw bed card
Propaganda spreading over my name
Say yau want to bring another life to shame
Oh man you just a playing a game
And then you draw bad card, draw bad card
A make you draw bad card, draw bad card
A make you draw bad card
I want to disturb my neighbour
'Cause I'm feeling so right
I want to turn up my disco
Blow them to full watts tonight
In a rub-a-dub style. in a rub-a-dub style
in a rub-a-dub styie, in a rub-a-dub style
'Cause we guarding the palace so
majestic
Guarding the palace so realistic
Them a go tired fe see we face
Me say them can't get we out of the race
Oh man it's just a big disgrace
The way you draw bad card, draw bad card
The way you make wrong moves, make wrong
moves
The way you draw bad card, draw bad card
A make you draw bad card, draw bad card
A make you draw bad card
In a rub-a-dub style, in a rub-a-dub style


Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta
There was a Buffalo Soldier
In the heart of America
Stolen from Africa, brought to America
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival
I mean it, when I analyze the stench
To me, it makes a lot of sense
How the Dreadlock Rasta was the Buffalo Soldier
And he was taken from Africa, brought to America
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival
Said he was a Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta
Buffalo Soldier, in the heart of America
If you know your history
Then you would know where you coming from
Then you wouldn't have to ask me
Who the heck do I think I am
I'm just a Buffalo Soldier
In the heart of America
Stolen from Africa, brought to America
Said he was fighting on arrival
Fighting for survival
Said he was a Buffalo Soldier
Won the war for America
Dreadie, woe yoe yoe, woe woe yoe yoe
Woe yoe yoe yo, yo yo woe yo, woe yoe yoe
Buffalo Soldier, trodding through the land
Said he wanna ran, then you wanna hand
Trodding through the land, yea, yea
Said he was a Buffalo Soldier
Win the war for America
Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival
Driven from the mainland
To the heart of the Caribbean
Singing, woe yoe yoe, woe woe yoe yoe
Woe yoe yoe yo, yo yo woe yo woe yo yoe
Trodding through San Juan
In the arms of America
Trodding through Jamaica, a Buffalo Soldier
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival
Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta
Singing, woe yoe yoe, woe woe yoe yoe
Woe yoe yeo yo, yo yo woe yo woe yo yoe

I know
When the race gets hard to run
It means you just can't take the pace
When it's time to have your fun
You find the tears run on down through
Your tace, then you stop and think a little
Are you the victim of the system
Any day now they gonna let you down
Remember Natty will be there
To see you through
And ain't it good to know now
Jah will be waiting there
Ain't it doggone good to know you all
Jah will be waiting there
Wait in Summer, wait in Spring
Wait in Autumn, Winter thing
Tribe goes up, all the tribe goes down
Bring my children from the end of the earth
Many a time I sit and wonder why
This race so, so very hard to run
Then I say to my soul take courage
Battle to be won
Like a ship that's tossed and driven
Battered by the angry sea yeah!
Say the tide of time was raging
Don't let the fury fall
on me, no, no, no
Cause I know Jah will be waiting there
Ain't it good to know now
Jah will be waiting there
Lost and found, who speak I give
Speak I give, lost and found
Speak I give, lost and found

Redemption song
Old pirates yes they rab I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I from the
Bottom less pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation triumphantly
All I ever had is songs of freedom
Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom
'Cause all I ever had redemption songs,
redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none a 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 af freedom
'Cause all I ever had,
Redemption songs, redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none a them can stop 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 af freedom
'Cause all I ever had, redemption
songs
All I ever had, redemption songs
These songs of freedom, songs of freedom



We refuse to be
what you want us to be
we arew what we are
that's the way is going to be