Redemption Song Lyrics
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Lyrics
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 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
Wo! 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 fulfill 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
Song & Lyrics Facts
Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Redemption Song" was released in 1980 as the final track on their album Uprising. Written by Bob Marley and recorded with his backing band, the song is a powerful call for freedom and redemption.
The lyrics are inspired by a speech given by Jamaican political leader Marcus Garvey, which encourages people to fight against oppression and take control of their own destinies. Musically, it is a stripped-down acoustic guitar ballad that showcases Marley's emotive vocal delivery. It has become an iconic anthem of hope and resilience, often being performed at global events such as Live 8 in 2005.