Boats: Redemption Song

Bob Marley: Redemption Song

[purchase]

OK - There are two songs that I thought for sure would be featured this week, but it's Friday night and neither has made the cut yet. One is When The Ship Comes In by Bob Dylan and the other is Redemption Song by Bob Marley. Since Dylan was featured in another, and more fun, context, I figured I'd take care of Marley here. This song is not about boats, but the first verse features a ship in a very powerful image that most people are familiar with:

Old pirates, yes, they rob I;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit.

I'm not being faux-modest when I say that I just don't have the chops to do this song justice. It has become something of an anthem for many people over the years. It is beautifully written. And more than anything it is delivered with intangible authority and compassion that only Bob Marley can deliver.

But, I'm not a Marley devotee, or even a serious fan, so in this case I'm much more comfortable letting the music speak for itself.

So, dig it.