This song is really about racism and equality but I thought it was appropriate during this time of war!!
Bob Marley – War – The importance of great lyrics and social justice.
Bob Marley – War – The importance of great lyrics and social justice.
I always love great lyrics. For me in order to be brilliant a song requires some poetic words with meaning to get your teeth into.
War by Bob Marley is a favourite of mine. It was based on the address of King Haile Selassie of Ethiopia to the United Nations and sums up my feelings.
Until we as a race reach the point where we address the difference between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ we will have war and conflict. If you have nothing you have nothing to lose.
The disaffected in our country and throughout the world will cause trouble when they see the lifestyle of others who have so much from contributing so little.
For me the issues of social justice, the protection of the environment and population control are paramount. The religious fanaticism and social unrest are a product of these. They have to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Bob summed it up:
“War”
Until the philosophy which hold one race superior
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned –
Everywhere is war –
Me say war.That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes –
Me say war.That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race –
Dis a war.
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned –
Everywhere is war –
Me say war.That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes –
Me say war.That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race –
Dis a war.
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never attained –
Now everywhere is war – war.
And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
that hold our brothers in Angola,
In Mozambique,
South Africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled,
Utterly destroyed –
Well, everywhere is war –
Me say war.
War in the east,
War in the west,
War up north,
War down south –
War – war –
Rumours of war.
And until that day,
The African continent
Will not know peace,
We Africans will fight – we find it necessary –
And we know we shall win
As we are confident
In the victory
Of good over evil –
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil –
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil –
Good over evil, yeah! [fadeout]