An Analysis Black People’s Struggle In Bob Marley’s Selected Songs

AN ANALYSIS BLACK PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE IN BOB MARLEY’S

SELECTED SONGS

A THESIS

BY:

NUR FATIMAH

Reg. No : 060705017

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

FACULTY OF LETTERS

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

MEDAN

AN ANALYSIS BLACK PEOPLE’S STRUGGLE IN BOB MARLEY’S

SELECTED SONGS

A Thesis

By:

NUR FATIMAH

Reg. No : 060705017

Supervisor,

Co-Supervisor

Dra. Martha Pardede, MS

Drs. Siamir Marulafau, M.Hum

NIP.19521229 197903 2 001

NIP.19580517 198503 1 003

Submitted to Faculty of Letters

University of Sumatera Utara Medan

In partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of Sarjana Sastra

in the English Department

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

FACULTY OF LETTERS

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

MEDAN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Praise, honor, and great thank to Allah SWT, the almighty God for blessing me

and has given me opportunity to study in University of Sumatera Utara and helped me

to accomplish this thesis. Praise to the prophet Muhammad SAW, the leader of

messengers and guiding of faithful.

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to my

supervisors, Dra. Martha Pardede, M.S and Drs. Siamir Marulafau,M.Hum, for their

constructive critics and suggestions in supervising this thesis. Then I would like to thank

to the chairman and secretary of English Department, Dra. Swesana Mardia Lubis,

M.Hum.

I would like to give my great thanks and love to my family, especially my mom

(L. br Saragih) and dad (Bambang Sutedi), my lovely sisters, Nirmala and Ayu. Thank

you very much for every support, care, encouragement, advice, and love. May Allah

always bless us.

I also want to give my special gratitude to my best friend Ainiyati for all support

and kindness that has been given to me in finishing my thesis. Then I also thank to my

friends, Rika, Heni, Wilda, Alfa Reja, Otis, and many more that I cannot mention all

here. Thanks for spirit that has been given to me. I love you all.

Special thanks also I dedicated to all my brothers and sisters in GEMAPALA FS

USU, Three Angels, Sleepy Chicken, Penta Rhinos, 1216 and all seniors that always

give me all spirits and confidents in living my life. Keep on moving, make our lovely

GEMAPALA everlasting. Thanks for Leony who has shared her dormitory room and

computer during I prepare this thesis. Also for Freyzer (thanks for all silly jokes that

make my life colored), Bang Otang, Bang Topo, (thanks for all critics that help me to be

better person), for Tulup, Baonk, Bebe, Ema, Tari, Leto, Laptus, Longgur, Satara, Pumi

to encourage me to accomplish this thesis and make my life brighter.

Thanks to all people in Dokter Mansur 18, Mama Inim, Kak Emil, Uci, Om

Nayat, Om Bie, Nanda, thanks for all kindness, attention, love and tolerance. May Allah

bless you all!

Finally I realize that this thesis is still far from perfect. I welcome all critics and

suggestions to make this thesis better. May this thesis will be useful for everyone who

would like to read or analyze the subject matter that related to this thesis’ analysis.

Medan, December 2010

Nur Fatimah

060705017

ABSTRAK

NUR FATIMAH. The Analysis of Black’s Struggle in Bob Marley’s selected songs.

Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan. 2010.

Bob Marley adalah penyanyi legendaris asal Jamaica yang telah membuat

karya-karya hebat dalam bentuk lagu. Lagu-lagu yang diciptakannya telah membuat gebrakan

bagi dunia tentang sebuah kebebasan, bahkan beliau telah menjadi ikon untuk

kebebasan. Karya-karyanya banyak diciptakan untuk mengkritik ketidakadilan dan

diskriminasi ras pada masanya.

Berangkat dari permasalahan tersebut skripsi yang berjudul The Analysis of

Black’s Struggle in Bob Marley’s Selected Songs ini dihadirkan untuk mengungkap

bagaimana perjuangan orang-orang hitam dalam menghadapi hidupnya sebagai kelas

kedua dalam masyarakat Amerika dan Eropa, serta bagaimana mereka tetap

memperjuangkan kemerdekaan mereka. Dalam skripsi ini ada sembilan lagu ciptaan

Bob Marley yang dipilih untuk dianalisis. Lagu tersebut antara lain: Buffalo Soldier,

Redemption Song, Slave Driver, Blackman Redemption, Rastaman Live Up, Africa

Unite, and Survival.

Dalam menganalisa lagu-lagu tersebut dilakukan pendekatan historis-biografis,

kemudian untuk sistematika penulisan penulis menggunakan metode deskriptif, yaitu:

penulis memilih dan menyeleksi data berupa lirik lagu, menginterpretasi dan

menganalisis data dan membuat kesimpulan. Pada bab 1 skripsi inidiperkenalkan latar

belakang masalah, permasalahan, batasan permasalahan, tujuan analisis, teori analisis,

manfaat analisis, dan ulasan dari beberapa referensi yang digunakan. Bab 2 adalah

metode penelitian yang digunakan. Bab 3 berisikan sekilas sejarah kehidupan orang

hitam. Bab 4 dijabarkan analisis lagu-lagu bob marley yang menggambarkan perjuangan

hak orang hitam. Bab 5 merupakan bagian penutup yang terdiri dari kesimpulan dan

saran.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……….…………i

ABSTRACT……….……...iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS………..….………..……...iv

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION……….…..…..……….1

1.1

The Reasons for Choosing the Topic………..………..….6

1.2

The Statement of the Problem………..…..………7

1.3

Objective of the Analysis………...………. ..8

1.4

Scope of the Analysis……..………...8

1.5

Method of the Analysis……… ……….…....8

1.6

The Significance of the Analysis………...………….……9

1.7

Review of Related Literature………...…….10

CHAPTER II: METHOD OF ANALYSIS………..………….…11

CHAPTER III: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF BLACK PEOPLE IN

UNITED STATES………...………..13

3.1.

Slavery………..……….13

3.2

Revolution………..………19

PEOPLE IN BOB MARLEY’S SELECTED SONGS…….……22

4.1 Slave Driver……….………..23

4.2 Buffalo Soldier………...26

4.3 Redemption Song……….………..30

4.4 Small Axe….………..32

4.5 Get Up, Stand Up………...34.

4.6 Blackman Redemption………...38

4.7 Rastaman Live Up……….41

4.8 Africa Unite………..…46

4.9 Survival……….48

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSSION AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Conclusion………52

5.2 Suggestions………..54

ABSTRAK

NUR FATIMAH. The Analysis of Black’s Struggle in Bob Marley’s selected songs.

Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan. 2010.

Bob Marley adalah penyanyi legendaris asal Jamaica yang telah membuat

karya-karya hebat dalam bentuk lagu. Lagu-lagu yang diciptakannya telah membuat gebrakan

bagi dunia tentang sebuah kebebasan, bahkan beliau telah menjadi ikon untuk

kebebasan. Karya-karyanya banyak diciptakan untuk mengkritik ketidakadilan dan

diskriminasi ras pada masanya.

Berangkat dari permasalahan tersebut skripsi yang berjudul The Analysis of

Black’s Struggle in Bob Marley’s Selected Songs ini dihadirkan untuk mengungkap

bagaimana perjuangan orang-orang hitam dalam menghadapi hidupnya sebagai kelas

kedua dalam masyarakat Amerika dan Eropa, serta bagaimana mereka tetap

memperjuangkan kemerdekaan mereka. Dalam skripsi ini ada sembilan lagu ciptaan

Bob Marley yang dipilih untuk dianalisis. Lagu tersebut antara lain: Buffalo Soldier,

Redemption Song, Slave Driver, Blackman Redemption, Rastaman Live Up, Africa

Unite, and Survival.

Dalam menganalisa lagu-lagu tersebut dilakukan pendekatan historis-biografis,

kemudian untuk sistematika penulisan penulis menggunakan metode deskriptif, yaitu:

penulis memilih dan menyeleksi data berupa lirik lagu, menginterpretasi dan

menganalisis data dan membuat kesimpulan. Pada bab 1 skripsi inidiperkenalkan latar

belakang masalah, permasalahan, batasan permasalahan, tujuan analisis, teori analisis,

manfaat analisis, dan ulasan dari beberapa referensi yang digunakan. Bab 2 adalah

metode penelitian yang digunakan. Bab 3 berisikan sekilas sejarah kehidupan orang

hitam. Bab 4 dijabarkan analisis lagu-lagu bob marley yang menggambarkan perjuangan

hak orang hitam. Bab 5 merupakan bagian penutup yang terdiri dari kesimpulan dan

saran.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

There are many ways to express idea and feeling. One way to express idea or feeling is a song. A Song has some major elements to support the idea or the theme that will be conveyed by the singer. They are lyric, music, and melody. Lyrics of song are sometimes adapted from poem. It has the same structure and characteristic with poetry. Poetry has the stanzas; it has the same elements with song which also has the stanzas that we called the lyrics. A poem that is sung by someone can be called as a song. Sometimes songs are intended to express the unexpressed feeling, situation or the unspeakable word. Song has the same function as poetry does, because song consists of the stanzas that are sung by people.

…. Both poetry and song are literary poems that deal with emotion of a particular individual, regarding a particular situation. Furthermore, poetry verses and lines of song often follow a rhyming scheme, giving a sense of melody to the verses, even when the lines are merely recited. There are a number of different lyrics used in songs that derived from poetry. Take for instance, The Star Spangled Banner, which is the National Anthem of the United States. The lyrics of the song were actually derived from the poem of the same title, and written by Franciss Scott Key. (Poetry vs Song, www.differencebetwen.net, 22 December 2009)

From the statement above we can say that the song lyric is similar with poetry, because they have the same characteristics, but it cannot be said that poetry and song lyric are usually the same or identically similar because poetry actually has deeper discussion relates with its verses and meaning. Of course, song is simpler than poetry. However, there is a kind of poetry that is intended to be sung that is called ballad. It becomes the basic of idea that song lyric is sometimes same with poetry.

Talking about poetry, we will think about beautiful word, diction, idiom, symbols and stanzas. However, we need to know poetry at a glance. Poetry is an expression of writer’s idea that uses the selected word to beautify its stanza. We also will find some symbols in it, that’s why poetry has more specific meaning that the word itself.

Lucelles Ubercombie in Pardede’s Understanding Poetry (2008:6) says that poetry is the expression of imaginative experience, valid simply as such and significant as such communicable given by language which employ every available and appropriate device. Kasim (2005:40) mentions in Introduction to Literature (teaching materials):

Based on its form, poetry can be divided in to seven forms; they are ballad, ode, elegy, pastoral, sonnet, confessionals, and free verse. Some of that poetry was created in order to be sung and preserved orally among illiterate or semiliterate people. People sing to express their feeling.

Literature is the mirror of life. It reflects human life and all phenomena that appear in daily life. Literature can be anything that expressed even something impossible. However, the writers are not the liar because of their imaginative or even their silly mind that creates silly words as their works. Those words may have the deeper meaning that we never think before. It may contain of the various value and idea, philosophical idea for instance. Literature is the way to express the experience of the writers. They write whatever they see, whatever they hear, whatever they want to say by using selected and special ordered words to make their work beautiful.

Obviously it is possible for the reality of a fictional world to approximate to that real life, to create an illusion of everyday reality, but it is also possible for the writer to express the idea. In this case, the writer uses words as their medium to express their idea. Literature cannot be separated from the aspect of life because it is the imitation of life and it concerns with the aspect of life such as religion, social, politics, economic, cultural, historical, etc.

Songs also reflects the phenomena of daily life and the events that happened in certain time. It usually conveys the idea of the writer to describe the events that maybe have been forgotten by people and even if it is not realized by people. Therefore, I would like to discuss the aspect of life and the phenomena which are described in the songs through literature point of view that is poetry.

Songs have important function in daily life especially for expressing the unexpressed feeling. People who can’t convey their idea because they are oppressed use songs to express their feeling. For example, when there is a demonstration of students, the participants sing together in order to get more spirit. They sing the stanzas which is their protest to something.

Song and freedom are probably familiar with us. These words are used by people who create some songs for their freedom and these words can make the revolution in black people experience and free them from the slavery of white people in America and European. In this thesis, black American will be the foremost topics to discuss.

America is a big continent; it has various nations, races, ethnic and lifestyle. Nowadays, black people dominate that continent. However, if we look back to the history of America it remains a terrible memory. It leads us to remember the slavery in the United States and the brutal racial segregation that hurt the black people. It is counted among more than 36 million people of African descent lived in the United States. At the beginning of the 21st century there are millions who migrated to United State voluntarily during 20th century. They came from the island of Caribbean, continued a pattern that began the slavery era. That was the situation where the black people supposed to have the lower status than white people did and the white people enslave them. They worked hard, built the bridge, railway, and they become the soldier in civil war against the Indian people to expand United States’ region.

Black people have the high intuition of art, they create the songs and they always dancing with traditional music instruments, (Dodson, 2003). Most traditional West African

societies, the sources of the vast majority of enslaved Africans in the America, had dynamic, vibrant, and expressive cultures. The languages spoken were unusually animated, by most European standard. No festival or life cycle celebration was complete without the presence of music, the moving rhythmic center of traditional African social and cultural life.

As Amiri Baraka said in The Phenomenon of Soul in African-American Music (Dodson, 2003:180) that the work song was primarily secular, but there were always similar musical and emotional element in both aspect of black musical culture. The religious music yearns for choosing into a new life, a raising of this life onto “higher ground” an ultimate salvation of the person and their soul and freedom for this wearying slavery world. It is true that song can express the optimism and critical realism. Black people criticize their life by the songs; they also use it to claim the white people for their behaviors because they only the slaves. They can’t do anything, however many of them tried to escape and they got the worst punishment. Therefore, they use songs as the medium to express their rejection to their life. They struggled to get the same right with white people and they start to rebel and struggle their right for their live. They began to publish their freedom struggle by song lyric.

Bob Marley is one of the famous figures who contribute the work to the struggle of black people. He was born in the Caribbean island-nation of Jamaica in 1945. He and his reggae music sounded the songs for freedom. He created the songs that describe the struggle of black people against the white people. Although Marley never declares himself as a politician or prophet, his music was very much reflective the times. It inspires the people to not only recognize the continuation of the struggle for liberation and social justice but also to take up the international call to reverse the social processes of colonialism and neo-colonialism that happened from 15th century to 19th century.

By the 1970s, the African liberation movement was in full force. A campaign of solidarity would emerge as a dominant political tendency in the United States and the

Caribbean. The youth of South Africa in 1976 made a popular protest and rebellion collected the pan-African solidarity and global support for Caribbean. This same year Bob Marley and the Wailers released the legendary album “Rastaman Vibration.”

There were so many actions done by Bob Marley through his songs to struggle the blacks’ right. For example, he held a concert that was performed to help to steer Zimbabwe into independence. He held the benefit concert in Boston to raise funds for the freedom fighter in Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The concert was a success with over 25,000 people in attendance and it featured Marley straying from the script and giving a heartfelt speech on African Unity.

1.1 The Reasons For Choosing the Topic

Discrimination of black people remains in our mind and it always become the interesting to discuss. It leads our mind to remember the racial segregation that differentiates the black people with white people and slavery in America from 1619 to 1865. Blacks from the Caribbean whose ancestors immigrated or who themselves immigrated to United States, also traditionally called African-American bounded by slavery. Most of them lived in South American. In 1865 after the civil war, the President of America Abraham Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation and freeing in the southern states at war with the north by the 13th amendment of the United States constitution that outlawed the slavery. It remains the wound when in apartheid had been disappeared, but black people still suffering in living their life in America because white people still abused them and ignored their right.

Many poets and singers protested that situation and created many works that purpose to lead the spirit of the blacks. They tried to make sure the blacks to realize that they are better than white people are. Black people have culture and art, they can get more achievement, and they have the big role to America. One of the artists that make works to protest the racial

segregation is Bob Marley. He is the singer from Jamaica that created so many songs that contain the discrimination of black people.

I am interested in analyzing the idea of the struggle of black people in United States through Bob Marley’s songs because it can help us to understand the situation of black people in America. Some Marley’s songs will describe the racial segregation and describe how black people survive in that condition. Besides, it will embroider my horizon of thinking and give me some moral teaching.

1.2 The Statement of the Problem

I have listened to some Marley’s songs and understand the lyric, and found some rebellion spirit against the racial segregation that happened to the Blacks. They are underestimated by the white people, because white people always suppose they have the higher level and higher status than Blacks do. Bob Marley is an eccentric singer. He has strange performance, his clothing, dreadlock, and hairstyle, are looking so different from another singer. Moreover he made some critical songs bravely, his words showed the clear critic to the white people. There must be something wrong in his society itself that reflected in some of his songs. By analyzing these songs, I could know the reason why he created the songs and how the songs were intended to struggle the right of black people. I also could know the situation of African-American society at that time. Besides, I could know the style of language and style of words that he used to criticize the society in that discriminated the black people.

1.3 The Objectives of the Study

The analysis of these songs has definite objectives that must be achieved. The objective of the analysis is to find and give the images of Marley’s ideas of the struggle of black people during his time that is reflected in his songs. This analysis is also intended to know the reason why Bob Marley made the songs that criticized the white people and raised the black people.

1.4 The Scope of the Study

Bob Marley is one of the great singers of his period. Through his simple mind and his brave words he can create many songs that critic the public, against the discrimination, never give up idea, and rebellion. To make the clear limitation or scope of the study, I focused my study on analyzing the songs of Bob Marley which deal with society of black people and their struggle to get the same right with white people. Moreover to make the limitation of the analysis I just use the theory of poetry to analyze the song.

1.5 The Method of The Analysis

To analyze the subject matter of this thesis, I would like to use intrinsic and extrinsic approaches. The intrinsic approach includes point of view, style, image, etc. Then, the extrinsic approach is to know the external factors of literary works such as biography, economy, politic, society, history, psychology, etc.

In this thesis, I will use the historical-biographical approach since we know that this approach is the best way to analyze the subject matter. Literary work is always influenced by the writer’s living and background. It is related with the condition of the society and writer’s environment.

By using the historical-biographical approach I could know more about the writer’s background and I can get the idea easily because the text usually influenced by the situation, place, and time.

Then to make this analysis systematic, I use descriptive approach. In doing the descriptive approach, there are some stages of procedures taken. First, I have to collect Bob Marley’s song that related to the struggle of black people to his withdrawal from his background and his society. Second, all data are interpreted and the last I will further analyze it and draw the conclusion of the analysis.

I also use the library research as the method of the analysis. The analysis of the data relies on the materials, which are considered to be determining or supporting sources of discussion. All of the data are taken from the private and public library.

1.6 The Significance of the Study

Jabrohim, (Naibaho 2008: 5) states that an analysis is done due to certain significance it has. The significance of analysis can be both theoretical and practical. It means, the result of an analysis could be beneficial for developing knowledge insight, and can be applied for daily living. Based on this statement, this analysis has two major significances. Firstly, I want to learn more about the historical of black American. I believe that it can enrich me with more knowledge and moral lessons. Secondly, this analysis is specifically focuses on Bob Marley’s songs that describe the struggle of black people. People can understand more about the condition of black people in that period that is explained in this analysis.

1.7 The Review of Related Literature

I use several books in supporting this thesis. The first book that gives the big contribution in writing this thesis is Jubilee: The Emergence of Africa-American Culture. This is a book that contains the chronicle of slavery and its enormous effect on American nation’s history and economy, tracing the origin development of the slave trade, and the realities of the life for African slaves, runaways, and freedmen alike – in pre-civil war America. This book also illustrates the condition of the “peculiar institution” transferred in to a vibrant, distinctively, African-American culture, a complex, fascinating process of social cultural, political, and survived deliberately, dehumanizing, oppression, without ever surrendering their individuality.

Second book is Black Literature and Literary Theory by Henry Louis Gates, Jr (1984). It is a book that contain the characteristic of black work structurally and the works that reflected the critic of society.

The third book that I used to complete this analysis is Modern African Poetry and The

African Predicament by R.N. Egudu (1977). This book explains about the poems that have

responses to apartheid and some kind of racial discrimination. Modern African literature, as opposed to traditional, is an artistic study of the African predicament from the colonial era, through the time of the attainment of political independence, to the post independence era.

CHAPTER II

THE METHOD OF THE ANALYSIS

To analyze the subject matter of this thesis, I would like to use intrinsic and extrinsic approaches. The intrinsic approach includes point of view, style, image, etc. Then, the extrinsic approach is to know the external factors of literary works such as biography, economy, politic, society, history, psychology, etc.

In this thesis, I will use the historical-biographical approach since we know that this approach is the best way to analyze the subject matter. Literary work is always influenced by the writer’s living and background. It is related with the condition of the society and writer’s environment.

By using the historical-biographical approach I could know more about the writer’s background and I can get the idea easily because the text usually influenced by the situation, place, and time. In this thesis, I would like to use historical-biographical approach to analyze the song lyric that usually relates with the past era that influenced the content or even the style of writing, because the song lyric in this thesis is intended to reject the social condition in that time. Moreover, the lyric influenced many people to be more critical because the song criticized the social phenomenon and express the dissatisfaction of social living in certain time and place.

I also use the sociological approach. I use this approach because in this thesis I will analyze the relationship between Bob Marley’s songs with his social condition in that time. I need to know the description of the society and the social phenomena that happened and I need to get what actually he struggles for by his songs. The words in the song are very clear and simple but it stabbed listener’s hearts while listens to the songs. Besides, I also want to get the clear describing of social problems portrayed in the songs so I use this approach.

Then to make this analysis systematic, I use descriptive approach. In doing the descriptive approach, there are some stages of procedures taken. First, I have to collect Bob Marley’s song that related to the struggle of black people to his withdrawal from his background and his society. Second, all data are interpreted and the last I will further analyze it and draw the conclusion of the analysis.

I also use the library research as the method of the analysis. The analysis of the data relies on the materials, which are considered to be determining or supporting sources of discussion. All of the data are taken from the private and public library.

CHAPTER III

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF BLACK PEOPLE HISTORY

1. Slavery

Black slavery still remains the terrible memory over the world. The condition described was very terrible where there was no sun of hope and happiness in blacks’ life. It becomes the experience of black people before they arise to be the real men that have their own life and they prove that they can be like normal human. Then they get their freedom and right after all.

At first slavery grew slowly. The first Negroes who came to the colonies were brought in

1619 on a Dutch trading ship. They were treated as bound or indentured servants and served

for some years. Plantation owners took them and they quickly became good workers. After

paying their debts, many indentured servants eventually gained their freedom. They could own

land, hire out labor, learned to be skilled workers and moved to another place as they pleased.

Their children, like those of white indentured servants were born free. Unfortunately they were

treated quite differently from white indentured servants in society. Blacks were denied the rights

to bear arms, and they received harsher penalties than whites that had committed the same

offenses. One occasion punishment for Black was lifetime in servitude.

Since Negro workers were proved very valuable and more of them were needed, the

settlers come to think and treated black servants as slaves who would never be set free. Most

white colonists were convinced that perpetual bondage was appropriate status for black

servants. That some blacks were also being sold for life, a condition never applied to white

servants. European also noted other differences. They began to consider blacks as savage and

uncivilized. They started describing Africans as beast and were fascinated by resemblance that

they saw between Negroes and chimpanzees discovered in the Africans exploration. White men

conclusion that darker pigmentation symbolized the innate inferiority of blacks (Dinnersteein,

1990:17).

European political, commercial and business interest organized and managed the

European and American dimension of slave trade. Slave ship were manufactured and fitted out

in the European and American ports. These ships, manned by European and American captains

and crews, transported enslaved African from Africa to Americas. European and American

finance capital paid for the ships, the slave cargo, and the cost of transport. European and

American traders sold the slave cargo in the Americas and employed them as slave labors in

plantation, mining and other economies. Companies of American and European transformed

slave produced agricultural products into manufactured goods to be sold as consumers goods in

Europe or traded in Africa for slaves.

The European presence in Africa during the era of the slave trade was largely limited to

a series of forts, slave castles, and trading posts along the coast. When the translantic slave

trade started during the 16th century, Portuguese traders conducted raids along the West

African coast to secure their first captives. They also entered the alliances to African merchants

and political elites to secure slaves for trade. Through much of the 26th century, this was the

dominant form of enslaved African labor procurement. It was also the only time that Europeans

were significantly involved in the initial capture and enslavement of Africans in Africa.

Beginning in the 17th century and continuing through the abolition of the trade, African

merchant and commercial and political elites controlled the continental salve trade. Over the

course of its 400-year history, some 200 nation states and thousand of leaders organized and

managed the trading activities.

Slavery had existed in Africa since ancient times. Like the civilizations of ancient Egypt,

Greece, Rome, medieval Europe, and China, or the Incas and Aztecs of the Americas, many

European traders arrived on the coast of West Africa. The capture, purchase and sale of slaves

were regular features of many African societies’ commercial and social lives.

Between 1500 and the 1860s millions of Africans were captured, enslaved, and

transported to the Americas. For the vast majority, especially after the 16th century, the

enslavement process began in the interior of Africa western’s coast. Prisoners who were

casualties of wars became the candidate for trade. Some state transformed themselves into slave

trading nations and waged wars or carried out recognized raids on villages to secure their

captives

Over the years, the intercine wars in Africa become more frequent, more deadly, and

more efficient as a means of supplying African captives for the slave trade. The diffusion of

European firearms changed the nature of warfare and raiding and increased the supply of

African captives exponentially.

Following capture and initial sale in the interior, transportation to the coast became at

first of several life threatening migrations for the African captives. This often brutal experience

has been called the “long march.” They were managed to survive on long march were

imprisoned in slaves castles, or holding pens, known as barracoons until they were sold and

shipped to the Americas and Middle Passage.

Slavery has the long story in Blacks’ experience in their history life. During the

eighteenth century the number of slaves increased rapidly. It happened because there were

some justifications to defending the slavery. Various arguments were used; they are biblical,

constitutional and sociological. The biblical justification was based in part of the curse of

Canaan, the son of Ham, who was condemned to eternal servitude because his father had

looked on Noah’s nakedness. The constitutional was pointed out the United States Constitute

that did not forbid the slavery. The constitution mandated the return and the runaway slaves

grown child and must be governed as a child. Therefore, he needed the paternal guidance,

restraint and protection of his white master.

Slavery became the habit in most country in America and Europe. It happened because

slavery had been legalized by the constitutional of those countries. Slaves behaved as the

working animal. Most slaves worked for long hours, from sun up to sunset. Before daybreak,

they worked an average day 14 hours in the summer and 10 hours in the winter. Under task

system each slaves had the specific task to complete daily. If they failed, they will be punished,

whipping or flogging by the overseer. During the harvest season, they were driven especially

hard; in the off-season black had less to do, but plantation repair and maintenance chores kept

them busy. Usually owners allowed their slaves to rest on special occasions, like Christmas and

after the harvest, and some gave Sunday and occasional Saturday as holiday. Pregnant women

received time off just before and after the birth of a children then she will be sent back to the

field.

House slaves, most of them women, had relatively easier assignment than the field

slaves did. They usually worked as housemaids, cooks, seamstresses, laundresses, coachmen,

gardeners, and mammies. They also ate and dressed better than the slaves in the field. However,

there were disadvantages. They were watched more closely, were on call at all hours of the day

and night, and were often involved in personality conflict in the white household. House slaves

were constantly exposed to the whims and passions of every member of the family, from

assignment to a petty job to insult, spontaneous angry and whippings, and sexual assault (Nash,

1994:370).

Although the master had an interest in keeping the slaves’ healthy by providing

adequate care, slaves led sickly lives. Slaves clothing was shabby and uncomfortable. The

slaves’ home was a crude one room log cabin with a dirt floor; some houses were well made,

Some slaves slept on the ground or mattresses of corn shucks, using burlap bags for blankets.

The cabins were crowded, with usually more than one family living in each.

Master tried to provide a healthy diet, but some relied on corn meal, salt pork, hominy

and fatback. The food was deficient in calories and vitamins. Most slaves however, rarely

enjoyed fresh meat, dairy products, fruit or vegetables. To make up for these deficiencies they

sometimes stole from their masters’ kitchen, gardens, and barnyards. In adequate diet,

moreover let the slaves came down with vitamin deficiency disease such as rickets, pellagra,

beriberi, scurvy and even mental illness. Slaves everywhere suffered and died from intestinal

ailments in the summer and respiratory.

Government of some countries expanded their ‘slave code’ throughout the remainder of

the colonial period by placing a tight system of control over black slaves. The codes had simple

basic trust- the total submission of all slaves to their master, and by extension to all whites. The

codes specified restriction on slaves’ activities. Slaves could not leave the plantation, travel, in

groups, or hold meetings. They had no legal standing in court; no court accepted their

testimony. Laws directed slaves to step aside when white passed. Other state forbade to

teaching of writing or reading to slaves, even by their masters. The law did not recognize the

slaves’ marriage.

However, the greatest fear of slaves was not beat but the separation of families. The

slave was property or chattel so they could be freely bought or sold. They made the status of the

child follow the mother-a decision prompted by the fact that interracial sexual unions were

between white males and black females. Most settlers did try to keep children and their mother

together, but once the children become young adults, about thirteen, they were often sold

separately and without regard for their parents and kin. Frequently husbands and wives lived in

different plantation, and if the planter migrated and took his male slave along, the slave’s wife

Opposition to slavery was not often accompanied by a commitment to racial equality.

Whites believed in black inferiority and depravity and feared black competition for job and

resources. Black increasingly endures separate and inferior facilities in railway cars,

steamboats, hospitals, prisons, and other asylums. In some states, they could enter public

buildings only as personal servants of white men. They sat in “Negro Pews” in churches and

took communion only after whites had left the church. Most churches were not disposed to

welcome black as full members.

2.

Revolution

The slavery experience remained black the terrible pain that never can be cured. They began to think how could this happened and how to be free from that hell. By the time slavery grew up, blacks began to think how to rebel, escape and freed themselves from white domination. They began to make the action against their master. They escaped their family through the river in the night, attack their master and made some riot. Moreover military service was one of the ways they got their freedom. Enslaved Africans who had built most of the forts and battle works, were frequently enlisted to serve in the defences forcesof the colonial powers. They volunteered for service whenever the offer of freedom was one of the rewards. They fought not for their country but for freedom only, so that they never quest what country they stand for. For instance, on the side of British and the American colonist during the American revolution because both sides of civil war for the same reason. Some armed themselves and fought for their own freedom, they began to rebel after the opportunity to get the firearms. Maroon communities, the name of the communities that rebel their master even the government, throughout the Americas waged guerilla warfare campaigns at times full scale war against European colonis.Slavery had been a system of labor organization and management in the Americas for more than a hundred years when the British established their permanent colony in 1607. It didn’t become legally entrenched in the British collonies until mid 1660s. During collonial period, however, only the enslaved Africans consitently called for the abolition of slavery though word and deed. The first

and most consistent abolitionist were those enslaved Africans who said slavery was wrong. Fueled by ideological current of the French and American Revolutions, opponents of slavery in Pensylvania, New York, Massachutes, and Virginia established manumission societies urging the freedom of the slaves by will or deed.

Beggining in the 1830, opponents of slavery int he United States began to call for its complete and immidiate abolition. Prior to the Civil War, upward of 200.000 Americans join various anti slavery and abolition societies and waged vigoroud ideological and political campaigns against it. Black abolitionists, many of then fugitives played leading roles in building the case against slavery. They wrote the slogans and make it as the symbol of slavery, for instance the sentence “am I not a man and a brother?”. The idea that they wanted to tell to the societies was the equality, they wanted to tell that black people have the same right with anyone in this world and they are brothers. They lived America so they are brothers with white people. That sentence was written in many places and things such as plate, glass, and even it was written in the coin as the anti salvery campaigns.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected president of United States on an anti slavery platform.south Carolina withdrew from the union and trigerred the start of the Civil War. In the meantime, newly independent nations and more enlightened European collonial power abolished slavery in 1783. Argentina (1813), Columbia (1814), Central America (1824), New York States (1827), and the west indies (1834), all abolished slavery before Lincoln issued his emanciaption proclamation (1863), which freed only slaves in Southetrn states that were part of confederacy. Only the passage of the 13th amandement (1865) aftr the Civil War ended slavery in the United States.

CHAPTER IV

THE ANALYSIS OF BLACK’S STRUGGLE IN BOB MARLEY’S SELECTED SONGS

Slavery remains the terrible memory in many people’s mind. During the decades that proceeded the reform era, slavery inspired many notable literary or legal defenses. Slavery also became the images that inspired several poets and artists to make the great literary work. During the revolution era there were so many things done against the slavery. Many people protested slavery by various ways, include by songs.

There are so many singers create their songs based on slavery experience. Their songs mostly reflected the situation of slavery such as enslaved people, and some right exploitation. The songs also talked about black’s beauty, ability of art, politic, and made sure them that they have the same right with white people. Songs were also intended to make the protest to the white and claim about human equality and humanity.

Bob Marley, who was born as a child of black and white parents was the most outstanding contributor to the black revolution. His song can influence the world. He is not a prophet but he can force world to open their eyes to see the truth that black is abolished. He forced everyone to realize that there were something wrong and it must be fixed through his songs. He wants black realize what they have and proud of it.

Marley’s songs mostly simple and uncomplicated, but they can touch the heart. By this simplicity he criticized the white and led black to struggle their right. He led black to realize their real power. His songs also shake the government in his country.

Most Marley’s songs just recall black about the slavery and it is intended to raise the real spirit of black to struggle their right and against the whites. His songs also criticize the majority of white in all fields. Marley want black get the real freedom, not only on the paper.

Bob Marley created many songs about black’s experience, how they were brutalized by white. All of that bad experience is intended to raise the black’s confident to realize their culture identity and their power. When there were so many protested from not only black people but also from white people that care of social relationship and humanity, the situation changed. So, that was a good time to free the black to the real freedom that always they dreamed. In the song Slave Driver, Marley recalled the past of black people through slavery images.

Every time I hear the crack of whip, My blood runs cold

I remember on the slave ship How they brutalized our very souls

This lyric is very simple, but it gives enough attack to our mind about the slavery. Marley has described enough fear in slaves’ mind when they heard the crack of whip. It shows the traumatic mind that remains the pain that haunted black people. Slave ship is a kind of transportation that used to bring African to Europe and Americas. Most ships after 17th century had two decks, one of which was dedicated to carrying slave cargo. Men were chained together in pair, laid a flat or spoon-fashion and shackled between decks with little space to stretch out or move around. Women and children were kept on the opposite side of wall, frequently unshackled, but like men they had little space to move around.

Mortality rates were high on the Middle Passage estimated range from 15 to 20 percent of all the captives that disembarked from Africa. The voyage to Americas could last from one to three months in increase with the length of voyage. Between 1850 and 1867, the percentage of death increased in part because of ‘over packing’. Deaths were daily occurrence during the sea voyage from Africa to Americans with sickness, disease, rebellion, and suicide taking many lives. A common cause of death was the depletion of fresh water supplies during long voyages which caused many slaves to perish when they were given salt water to drink. An estimated three millions to five millions slave men, women and children perished during the Middle Passage experience.

On board slave ship, the African captives worked to clean the deck from soil. They worked under the oppression. The slave driver used the whip to punish them if they do the mistaken work. Slave drivers often wounded the slaves by their whips.

Bob Marley here remained black people about their history, how white treated them as not more than working animal. In the next lyric he added some protests.

Today they say that we are free Only to be chained in poverty Good God, I think its illiteracy It is only a machine that makes money

Once again, Marley criticized white people through his song. He said that although the government had declared black people’s freedom but there were still discrimination and racism haunted black people. There was no real freedom as what they dreamed. They are free but they were still worked and never get the adequate education. They also were trapped in poverty that seemed never end. White people just made the black people as the second class that must obey their order. They made the black people as their workers and became the machine to make money.

Slave driver the table is turned Catch a fire so you can get burned Slave driver the table is turned

Catch the fire you’re gonna get burned

This lyric show white people that black has great power now, and they can do anything they want because the table has been turned and everything has been changed. They are not the weak person that can be behaved animally anymore. They have realized their ability and their right to have the same life with white people. In this lyric Marley seem to warn the white people in order not to do the bad things to the black because they are not slaves anymore. White people are supposed to treat the black people as what they should be. It is about as human and as brother or sister because they are also God’s creature despite whatever the argument or statement that said they are cursed. That is all over, so they are not supposed to catch the fire if they don’t want to get burned.

Marley made the nice stanzas to criticize the whites. The rhyme scheme was arranged as AA-AA. He beautified his stanzas with some idioms like catch the fire and you’re gonna get burnt; the table is turned, and machine to make money.

2.

Buffalo Soldier

Buffalo soldier is the songs that remain the history of black. This song also strengthens the blacks’ confident living in America because they also had the role in coloring America’s history. Marley tells how the black drew the history of America as Buffalo soldier who won the war for America. There was the obligation of slaves to be the soldier against the Indian in South America. The colonist expanded the territorial by pushing Indians out. Based on the history buffalo soldier was the black soldier who engaged to in battles with Indian that were black people.

In the 18th century, the Florida community of fugitive slave and native Americans well known as “Seminoles” after the Creek word for “runaway”. In the 1830 the US military declared war on the Seminole but abandoned the effort offer more than 1500 US soldiers were killed. Ironically, a few decades later the US government enlisted the Seminole to battle the plains Indians know as Seminole Negro Indian Scouts, and then become one of the most decorated of the western Indian war era. However, many of the Seminole soldiers were denied US army pensions.

Seminoles term then well known more as buffalo soldier, because they had the strong body and attack their enemy cruelly. However, they are forced to be the soldier. They fought to survive their life, because it is the order. US government ordered the man slave to be the soldier and killed everyone who rejected that order. The slaves sometimes thought that it was better to be a soldier because they have the better food and suit, then would have a change to escape because most of them got the firearms.

I will analyze the song entitled Buffalo soldier by Bob Marley, then we will see how that song reflects the history of black soldier who came to war for America. In the first stanza Marley introduces who the buffalo soldier was.

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

Marley states that a buffalo soldier was the dreadlock Rasta that taken from Africa and brought to America. A soldier in slavery era was the blacks that must had the war against the Indian. They were the soldier that also engaged to build many things in America such as ports, railway, etc. That is why Marley said that Buffalo Soldier is in the heart of America, although they were only slaves. They were driven to America to fight against the native America as the US government’s order. Blacks has the important role in America development and they should proud of that.

I mean it, if you 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

Here, Marley wants that black people realize how that they really included to America’s life and they need to know that the black people, the dreadlock Rasta also struggle for America. So, white also need to remember that black have the important role to their country and black also the part of their life. In another stanza Marley said:

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?

Marley once again wants blacks to remember where they are coming from and how they come to as citizen in America. They have had the terrible experience before getting the normal

life as American. They are black and how they struggle against the white who discriminated all their right, and supposed that they are stronger than black and just think that America did not belong to blacks. Being black is not the worst thing because black also contributed so many things for America. So, every black need to know their history and realize that they are not weak and open their mind they are not nothing so that they have to get the same right with white.

...

Buffalo soldier, trodding through the land Said he wanna ran, and 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, figthing for survival Driven from the mainland

To the heart of caribbean

Buffalo soldier is in the heart of America. This statement clearly enough explain who the black people and their contribution to America.

Bob Marley speaks here about race and the behavior of white Americans in their forcing African Americans, then called buffalo soldiers, to unwillingly fight for the United States. His song "Buffalo Soldier" goes hand in hand with this notion and discusses the hardships faced by African Americans during the Civil War, as fourteen black soldiers were taken to fight for the Union. Bob Marley suggests that until all human beings are treated as equals, there will be war. However, this idea poses a question every time I look at the image of the poster.

For more than 25 years the Buffalo Soldier not only engaged in battles with Indians, but they built forts and escorted wagon trains, mail stages, and railroad crews. They mapped and charted areas and located sources of water. Black soldiers were responsible for opening millions square miles of western lands to peaceful settlement and development (Dodson, 2003:...)

The stanzas above said that the black soldier often tried to runaway from the battles and slavery but they couldn’t. They would be punished with the more cruel punishment if they are

caught by the government because US still need them to expand their colonial area. The statement ‘trodding to the land’ is the symbolized that the buffalo soldier did the long travel to the war area to fight against the Native American in the South of America.

3.

Redemption song

Perhaps the most powerful song in the history of Bob Marley is that of redemption entitled “Redemption Song”. It deals with the inner strength to overcome and live free: Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds. Have 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 “Won’t you help sing these songs of freedom Cause all I ever had, redemption songs. These songs of freedom, songs of freedom.” (Marley, “Legend”) In this block of lyrics, Marley encourages individuals to look within themselves for the freedom that will set everyone free.

Old pirates, yes, they rob i Sold i to the merchat ships Minutes after they took i From the bottomless pit But my hand was made stong By the hand of the Almighty

We forward in this generation, triumphantly

From the first stanza of Redemption Song Marley has shown the strong words, he said that “old Pirates” to symbolize the white people then they rob “I” to call black people then he describe the slavery through his word “sold I to the merchant ships”, but Marley still shows the power of black by saying that they are strong through the sentence “but my hand was made strong by the hand of the Almighty we forward in this generation.” Through a very long time of slavery, blacks are still strong and they forward in the new generation as the new black with the spirit of freedom. The new generation with the same purpose that is to get the freedom. Marley wants to make blacks understand that they are also God’s creature that have the right of freedom.

He is insisting that we stop allowing people to kill one another because of slight differences. Marley reaches out, through his lyrics, to help people realize the harsh reality of prejudice in the world. When our differences are accepted and overcome, he praises that we can all sing songs of freedom. Marley speaks about freedom in his lyrics as they pertain to us individuals as well as us as a complete entirety. Marley’s goal was to better the whole human race by uniting them through his music. In this he was successful because his music empowers individuals, inspires them, and in his eyes makes them free.

So as I look at the portrait of Bob Marley, made up of small pictures that represent the details of an influential and inspiring lifetime, I question myself: am I free? This poster acts as a leading influence on the direction of my own life as I search for freedom within myself by accepting people for what they are. I then ask, am I living for life, or am I living for death? I see a reflection of my wrongdoings as I look into the eyes of the man on the poster. I often feel that I am not living life to its fullest. It is in Marley’s lyrics that I realize the brutality and insecurity of the human race.

It is in the poster of Bob Marley that I realize the struggles in his life that he relentlessly overcame to inspire others on the idea of universal freedom. He sings beliefs of the Rastafarian culture, but preaches them to each individual. These lyrics are universal and the portrait is much the same as it is made up of intricate details of the life of Robert Nesta Marley. This song shows that Marley help the black people’s freedom by song because that’s all he had, he can’t set war or something like that.

Won’t you help to sing This songs of freedom Cause all I ever have Redemption songs

4.

Small Axe

Small axe is one of Marley’s famous songs. Small axe stands for people that weak and Marley wants to say that they are not such weak people forever. They can do anything without anyone

help. Small axe is just a little thing that if it is looked based on the size so it is not a very meaningful thing but it can cut the big tree slowly. It is the analogy that “small” people can do something against “big” people, they have power if they want to use it well. He also wants to say that a great people are not good forever. Great people sometimes are like evil man, they do everything to make them respected by many people. They also act as they are better than ordinary people so they fool some people and cover it with thousand lie to make them prosper. They always boasted themselves after getting the author, while people don’t realize their villainies. It is written in the first stanza. Besides, Marley also said that those people only work as a liar, to fool other people to get respect from wealth people and don’t see weak person’s struggle. They only think about their prosperity, but actually the real prosperity cannot be achieved by that way, so that Marley said the goodness of God endured forever. It means that it will not exist forever because actually God knows everything and He has the justice to aware the people.

Why boasteth thyself, oh evil men,

Playing smart and not being clever?

I say you're working iniquity to achieve vanity, yeah,

But the goodness of JAH JAH endureth forever.

Then Marley makes the analogy that the great people is the big tree. They have the authorization; they have prosperity and power to make people do what they wanted. They think that they are untouchable, but here Marley said that people are the small axe, that even though they are small and they are looked like have no power to protect them actually they have the power to make great people fall. Ordinary people are the small axe that has been sharpened to cut them down.

If you are the big tree,

Sharpened to cut you down,

Ready to cut you down.

In another stanza Marley said that we have to have the strong heart to make a decision and to protect ourselves from bad influence. We should have principle to live our life on the right way. We should keep the goodness in our heart in living our life because if we have the weak heart we can’t be a great person and we can’t get the prosperity.

These are the words of my master.

Keep on telling me

No weak heart shall prosper,

Oh, no they can't.

“These are the words of my master”, still describe the remains of slavery that keep on telling him. In this stanza also said that people with weak heart can’t survive and they won’t get prosperity. Moreover, this song tells us that everyone have to responsible to what they did. If they have fault they have to responsible to fix it. So that Marley said that whoever dig a pit they shall fall in it. It means people that always lie will be trapped by their own deceit. They may be safe for some times but it will not be longer, one day they will get the consequence of their fault because everything in this world bears a consequence.

And whosoever diggeth a pit, Lord,

Shall fall in it, shall fall in it.

Whosoever diggeth a pit shall bury in it,

5.

Get Up, Stand Up

This song has a basis in the Rastafarian belief to stand up for what you think is right: to speak your voice in situations of both adversity and conflict. His song makes the claim. “Life is your right, we can’t give up the fight” (Marley, "Legend"). This reinforces the idea that we make up our own life and its contents are our own doings. When faced with difficult and trying moments, we must remember that it is our right to decide what should be done.

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right Get up, stand up, don’t give up the fight

Preacher dont tell me, heaven is under the earth I know you dont know, what life is really worth Is not all that glitters in gold

Half story has never been told

We are given the power through the Creator to make our life anything we choose. This is only a simple part of the universal freedom Marley tries to emphasize in his music. As a preacher of Rastafarian culture, Marley uses his lyrics to lead people in believing that living for dying, in fact, is not living at all. He insists in this particular instance that we stop playing the game where we die and go to heaven in Jesus’ name as he writes in his lyrics. We must believe in life and live in Jesus' name, rather than die in the name of our Savior. By using the term Jesus in his lyrics, Marley reaches out to all cultures and religions. To the Rastafarians the Creator is named Jah. Marley uses the common name of Jesus to reach every single individual. His lyrics, because they are so universal, have the ability to change the way people think and feel. People everywhere can relate to the songs of this artist and realize both the happiness and suffering in life.

Marley speaks not only about the treatment of African Americans, but speaks about the entire population coming together as one to achieve a universal freedom through our sole belief in a Creator.

We will be free in the acceptance of the Creator, as he provides everlasting forgiveness for the sinners who "hurt all mankind just to save his own" (Marley, "Legend").

This thought of oneness with the Lord will unite all who choose to listen and believe. We all must unite in him, and will be free. The Rastafarian culture bestows hope to every individual who listens to Bob Marley’s lyrics, as he sings for the making of Heaven on Earth. As a social activist, his lyrics leave an indelible mark on our past, present, and future struggles to embrace a harmonious existence within the brotherhood of man on this earth. Marley tried to open our eyes that heaven is not only in the sky, means that heaven can be created by people themselves by enjoying their life and never give up. Marley, through this song wants to say that give honour to life that has been given by God and live and take care of it also never give up altough there might be so many storms that ruined it. So that Marley said ‘get up, stand up’ many times.

“Life is your right.” It is the statement of this song that makes a stronger meaning of right of life. Therefore, everyone have to struggle for their life and never give up getting the better life.

Life is your right, so we can’t give up the fight Stand up for your right, Lord, Get up Stand up. Keep on struggling on, don’t give up the fight

Then, this song tells us about the different view of religion that some black people

believe in it. They believe in Jah, the God after Jesus The Rastafari movement is a

Emperor o

Rastafarians, or Rastas. The movement is sometimes referred to as "Rastafarianism",

but this term is considered derogatory and offensive by some Rastas, who dislike being

labelled as an "ism".

We're sick and tired of your ism and skism game

Die and go to heaven in Jesus' name,

Lord We know when we understand Almighty God is a living man

You can fool some people sometimes

But you can't fool all the people all the time

So now we see the light We gonna stand up for our right

It is written in the stanza above that rastas have the different view of God as what I explain before. This stanza also explain their dislike to western because they have the different doctrine from Christian that worshiping Jesus as their God so rastas said that white people and western doctrine is wrong and fool other people. So that Marley said “you can fool some people sometimes” and he said “so now we see the light, we gonna stand up for our right”, it means that this song is also intended to make their religion accepted by many people especially black people who are Christians.

6.

Blackman Redemption

Blackman redemption is one of Marley’s songs that talk about black people. Here Marley tells characteristics of black people, he puts some word to describe it such as dreadlock, King David, Salomon and Salomon. This song related to the effort of Republic Congo freedom. Bob Marley is a singer who struggle for black people’s freedom, in this case he do some campaign to help their freedom through his song. He held the concert to free some countries such as Zimbabwe, Republic Congo, etc.

Whoa-A Natty Congo

A Dreadlock Congo

Whoa-A Natty Congo

Blackman Redemption

Then, Marley wants to say that he suggested to black people to act well and just be patient to get their freedom. Marley also suggested black people not to jumpy and bumpy, it means that Marley wants black people get their freedom by peace and no riot. They will get it by the good

way so they need not to make some riots and great attack against white. They are suggested to make peace and patient to set them free. They should show the word that war is not everything and they have to prove that they can get their freedom without war, but peace. That is why Marley says no need to get jumpy and no need to get bumpy many times.

Woe-yo yee, ye, a Blackman Redemption woe, yoe

No need, no need to get jumpy

No need, and a no need to get bumpy

And a no need, and a no need to get bumpy

No need, need, need to get jumpy

Then, in the next stanza Marley says cool runnings. Those words mean that black people have not to make the war or riot, just keep it cool, slow but sure they will get that freedom. Then Marley says ‘I beg ya’ that means he don’t want to see the war again and he thinks that it is not the good way to get the purpose because if they force their purpose by the violent way, they will never get their freedom. Marley says that black people supposed to be patient and just spread the peace to the world. Cool running also means that silently, they do the revolution silently, not by war but diplomacy.

Youth and youth agree to, cool runnings

Can you dig it, cool runnings yeah, one more time

A beg ya, cool running, can you stop it

Cool running, spread out, spread out, spread out

Spread out, look out

Can you dig it, oh yeah

A Blackman Redemption, can you stop it

Oh! no, Oh! no, Oh! no

This stanza also shows that no one can stop it. No one can stop their movement in getting their freedom because they have the right to be free and they will show that they are same with other person even with the white people.

Then in the next stanza Marley tries to introduce us who the black people are. He mentions the words King David and Salomon; those words come from their holy book named The Book of Revelation. It explains much about black people especially their belief. It tells the God that worshipped by some black people or Rastas. It also tells who God is.

According to tradition, Haile Selassie was the 225th in an unbroken line of Ethiopian

monarchs of the

century BC b

the Queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants." On the basis of the Ethiopian national epic, the conceived his child, and from this, conclude that African people are among the true children of

Israel, or Jews.

the rest of Judaism; their existence has given some impetus to Rastafari, as they feel it validates their assertion that Ethiopia is Zion.

So I try to give the conclusion that in this song Marley wants to remain the identity of black people because they almost loose it at all. As the slavery era disappeared black people began to forget who they are. They just know that they are born to be the second class people

and accept their fate to be the minority, but Marley realize that black people are still having the culture that can be showed. They have the unique identity; even they have power against the black people if they want because it is the basic right that men have to be free. In this song Marley says spread out many times. It indicates that Marley wants black people spread out throughout the world and live their live without any disturbance by another people because basically, they only enjoy their right.

Coming from the root of King David

Through the line of Solomon

His Imperial Majesty is the Power of Authorithy

Spread out, spread out, spread out, spread out

Spread out, spread out

No need, no need, no need to get jumpy

And a no need, and a no need to walk away

7.

Rasta man Live Up

Rasta man Live Up is one of Bob Marley’s song that show the identity of black people. In this song Marley tries to remain the black people all about what they have. Rastaman Live Up tells much about the culture of black people especially Rastaman.

Rastaman live up, Bongoman don't give up

Congoman live up, Bingyman don't give up

Keep your culture, don't be afraid

Of the vulture, grow your dreadlock

In the first stanza Marley tries to make black people be confident. They have to be proud of their own culture so that Marley said keep your culture. As we know black’s culture is unique but because of they are the minority so they afraid to show their culture. They prefer using western culture, such as language, belief, way life, etc. So that Marley still wants black return to their origin culture. The sentence grow your dreadlock is also the way Marley remain black people to respect black’s culture and develop it by the time. Marley tries to return the black’s identity by this song.

David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone

Samson slew the Philistines with a donkey jawbone

Iyaman live up, Rastaman don't give up

Bingyman live up, Congoman don't give up

In the stanza above Marley tries to ensure the black people that they need not to be afraid to use their culture because it is their identity. No matter if they are only the minority, they have to continue their movement without any fear. They needn’t to be afraid of white people that always humiliate them, because they will not be like that forever. There will be the time when they are fallen and from the sentence “David slew goliath with a sling and a stone”, it can be said that Marley wants black people believe that they can change the world start with the small things. David is the young man, against Goliath, a very strong man, but only with sling and stone David defeated Goliath. It is the analogy that weak person is not that weak forever; they can do anything against strong people with what they have. They don’t need help from other people.

Trodding thru creation, in a irie meditation

Seen many visions, in a this yah armageddon

Rastaman live up, Natty Dread no give up

Then, in the stanza above it can be seen that Marley include the religion term that is irie meditation. Moreover black people are remained that they have to live with their old tradition and they are supposed not to stop their creation by their belief way. This song tells us much about Rastafari movement. Rastafari movement is the way black people viewed God, they worship God by smoking cannabis.

Rastafari are

Jah as being in the form of the

and the

the human, and for this reason they often refer to themselves as "I and I". Furthermore, "I and I" is used instead of "We", and is used in this way to emphasize the equality between all people, in the recognition that the Holy Spirit within us all makes us essentially one and the same.

Some Rastas accept the Christian doctrine that God incarnated onto the Earth in the

form o

were corrupted by

is power", also object specifically to the English pronunciation of his name (/dʒi:zəs/) as impure, preferring instead to use the forms i

Rastafari is not a highly organized Rastas say that it is not a "religion" at all, but a "Way of Life".Most Rastas do not claim any sect or denomination, and thus encourage one another to find faith and inspiration within themselves, although some do identify strongly with one of the three most prominent of these being the Nyahbinghi, the Bobo Ashanti and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The name Rastafari is taken from Ras Tafari, the

composed of

Selassie's pre-regnal given name, Tafari. Rastafari are generally distinguished for asserting the doctrine that Haile Selassie I, the former, and final

of the Christia

The Rastafari movement encompasses themes such as the spiritual use of

the rejection of western society (called

teachings of Jamaican publicist, organizer, a

often regarded as a prophet).

Today, awareness of the Rastafari movement has spread throughout much of the

world, largely through interest generated by

Jamaican singer/songwriter

Rastafari faithful worldwide. About five to ten percent of Jamaicans identify themselves

as Rastafari.

When RasTafari Makonnen (a black African) was crowned as the king of Ethiopia in 1930 titled HIM Haile Selassie 1, Garvey’s followers considered RasTafari as a savior of black people from Babylon’s suppression. Garvey’s ideology then involved to be a new religion named “rastafari” and Haile Selassie became a person who deified by Rastafarians. After Bob Marley joined to ‘rastafari’ in 1967, together with his band he sounds rastafari values through reggae. Later people considered that this year was the birth of reggae.

There are many interesting aspects can be seen from Bob Marley and the Wailer’s song

lyrics. There are also many assumption about Bob Marley and The Wailer’s lyrics that

arrived from people and fans, such as Anthony Bogues in “Black Heretics, Black

Prophets: Radical Political Intellectuals”, (New York: Routledge,2003) argues that Bob

Marley and The Wailer’s song lyrics are representative of Rastafarian musical tradition

of social critique. He also notes that Marley functions as more than a musician: he is

social prophet. In that role, he articulates the complex symbol world of Jamaican culture

and biblical language to provide pointed analysis on socio-political realities. Bogues

says that in the lyrical world of Bob Marley, Babylon stands for a systemic reality that

alienates the descendant of Africa from their real selves and homeland. Having

expressed the drudgery of life under the colonial system as “trodding on the wine press

much too long”.

In the stanza above it is said that they make creation through irie meditation. It

is said because they smoke cannabis, that is called irie meditation. It is a part of

worshipping God, so they can make the imagination by the cannabis. Then they start to

make their creation. They make cannabis as their ritual of worshipping God, moreover

they do not eat meat because it is also the ritual of rastafari movement. Moreover, they

reject the western culture. They are forbidden to consume alcohol and drugs but they

allow cannabis to be consumed. Dreadlock is also their way to worship God, that’s why

Marley said grow your dreadlocks many times.

Saw it in the beginning

So shall it be in this iwa (time)

And they fallen in confusion

Well a just a step from Babel Tower

Rastaman live up, Congoman no give up (repeat)

Grow your dreadlocks

Don't be afraid of the wolf pack

And a billion man a sparking

Again in the stanza above we see that Marley tries to rise black’s spirit by saying Bongoman don’t give up or Bingyman no give up. Bongoman is one community of black singers so are Bingyman. Marley wants to make them maintain their culture and also suggested them to be united by the sentence “one man a walking, and a billion man a sparking”. It means if the movement done together in unity, it will shake the world. Then, he said that the change needn’t done by many people, it is only few people then others will follow them.

8. Africa Unite

Africa unite is the song that suggested black people to be united. Blacks that have lived in western country have almost lost their identity and began to follow the westernization while there were many countries which were still bounded under the colonization of western people. Through this song Marley want his people to be one. They can free themselves if they want to be one and support each other.

Marley is a part of a long line of African thinkers who have not only advocated the freedom of Africa from imperialism but also the imperatives of African Unity, symbolically articulated in his song “Africa Unite”. The song is important not only as an indication of the philosophy of Marley but highlights an intense connection with the politics on the ground.

Africa, Unite

'Cause we're moving right out of Babylon

And we're going to our father's land

In this song it is told that black people try to go out of western, include western culture and also western land. Babylon refers to western countries, and here Marley wants African to be united

Brain Washing

Wooo-ohhhh

Old Mr. Joe he build a house, yeah On top of some hill

Old Mr. Joe knew he had to go, so He got right down and wrote a will He say now here is to mother hen, and her chicken,

lord have mercy now

Master will you take a roll in the mud, like he know he should

The old barnyard, the old barnyard, birds and the chick,

oooh-ee

Who's got to watch out for brother mangoose,

with his top hap and walking stick It's just the poor's brainwashing

They told me a long time gone, it's just the poor's brain washing,

ooh-ee [the old brain washing] Now look at a thing like this

Cinderella and her long lost fellow, in the midnight hour,

she lost her silver slipper

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, while Jack and Jill

had themselves a fall

It's just the poor [brain washing] And I don't need it no longer It's just the poor's brain washing

Coming through to a poor man's child, ooh-ee, look at this

Little Miss Muffet she sat on her tuffet While Little Red Ridinghood delivered her Grandma's food

Ooh-ee ooh-ee, ooh-ee

Look at one more thing like this

The cow jumping over the moon, while the dish got jealous,

he grabbed the hand of the spoon

It's just the poor brain washing, and I don't need it no longer

I don't want it no longer I don't need it no longer

And I don't care for no more brain washing It isn't good for my soul...

Rastaman Live Up

Rastaman live up, Bongoman don't give up Congoman live up, Bingyman don't give up Keep your culture, don't be afraid

Of the vulture, grow your dreadlock Don't be afraid of the wolf pack

Rastaman live up, Bingyman don't give up Congoman live up, Bongoman don't give up

David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone Samson slew the Philistines with a donkey jawbone

Iyaman live up, Rastaman don't give up Bingyman live up, Congoman don't give up

Trodding thru creation, in a irie meditation Seen many visions, in a this yah

armageddon

Rastaman live up, Congoman don't give up Rastaman live up, Natty Dread no give up

Saw it in the beginning So shall it be in this iwa (time) And they fallen in confusion

Well a just a step from Babel Tower Rastaman live up, Congoman no give up (repeat)

Grow your dreadlocks

Don't be afraid of the wolf pack A tell you, one man a walking And a billion man a sparking

Rastaman live up, Bingyman don't give up Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up

Get Up, Stand Up

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right (3 times) Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight Preacher man don't tell me heaven is under the earth I know you don't know what life is really worth Is not all that glitters in gold and Half the story has never been told So now you see the light, aay Stand up for your right.

Come on Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight (Repeat) Most people think great God will come from the sky Take away ev'rything, and make ev'rybody feel high But if you know what life is worth You would look for yours on earth And now you see the light You stand up for your right, yeah! Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight Get Up, Stand Up.

Life is your right So we can't give up the fight Stand up for your right, Lord, Lord Get Up, Stand Up. Keep on struggling on Don't give up the fight We're sick and tired of your ism and skism game Die and go to heaven in Jesus' name, Lord We know when we understand Almighty God is a living man You can fool some people sometimes But you can't fool all the people all the time So now we see the light We gonna stand up for our right So you'd better get up, stand up, stand up for your right Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight Get

Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight.

Small Axe

Why boasteth thyself, oh evil men, Playing smart and not being clever? I say you're working iniquity to achieve vanity, yeah,

But the goodness of JAH JAH endureth forever.

If you are the big tree, We are the small axe. Sharpened to cut you down, Ready to cut you down.

These are the words of my master. Keep on telling me

No weak heart shall prosper, Oh, no they can't.

And whosoever diggeth a pit, Lord, Shall fall in it, shall fall in it.

Whosoever diggeth a pit shall bury in it, Shall bury in it.

If you are the big tree, We are the small axe Sharpened to cut you down, Ready to cut you down.

And whosoever diggeth a pit shall fall in it, fall in it.

Whosoever diggeth a pit shall bury in it, shall bury in it.

If you have a big tree,

We have a small axe Ready to cut you down, Sharpened to cut you down.

If you are the big tree, we are the small axe Ready to cut you down, Sharpened to cut you down.

Slave Driver

Slave driver the table is turned Catch a fire so you can get burned Slave driver the table is turned Catch a fire you're gonna get burned

Ev'ry time I hear the crack of the whip My blood runs cold

I remember on the slave ship How they brutalised our very souls Today they say that we are free Only to be chained in poverty Good god, I think it's all illiteracy It's only a machine that make money

Slave driver the table is turned

Slave driver the table is turned baby now Catch a fire so you can get burned baby now

Slave driver the table is turned Catch a fire so you can get burned

Ev'ry time I hear the crack of the whip My blood runs cold

I remember on the slave ship How they brutalised our very souls

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 analyse 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 Win the war for America

Dreadie, woe yoe yoe, woe woe yoe yoe

Woe yoe yoe yo, yo yo woe yo, woe yoe yoe

(repeat)

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 (repeat)

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