Redemption Song by Bob Marley

"Redemption Song" is the last track on Bob Marley's ninth album, Uprising.
Unlike most of Bob Marley's tracks, it is strictly a solo acoustic recording, without accompaniment, we can’t do a song more relaxing than this one. However for live performances, a full band is used.
At the time he wrote the song, circa 1979, Marley had a cancer that later take his life, this song is considered Marley's seminal work.
Bob Marley was a leader of Rastafari movement, that was a « messianic religio-political movement ».

The song talk about god because Bob Marley evoques  « Minutes after they took I from the bottom-less pit But my hand was made strong By the hand of the almighty » and « How long shall they kill our prophets ».

The song also urges listeners to "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery," because "None but ourselves can free our minds". These lines were taken from a speech given by Marcus Garvey in Nova Scotia (a Canadian province)  during October 1937.
Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) was a publisher, journalist, Black nationalist, he was founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League.

The song has been covered by a wide and varied group of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Joe Strummer, Johnny Cash, U2, The Frames, Cast, Ben Harper.
A biography of Joe Strummer is also called "Redemption Song".

Old pirates yes they rob 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
Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourself from the 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 of freedom
Cause all I ever had redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from the 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 of freedom
Cause all I ever had redemption songs
All I ever had, redemption songs
These songs of freedom, songs of freedom

Lucien Chollet 2nd4