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About

Genius Annotation

“Redemption Song” is the final track on Bob Marley & the Wailers' ninth and final album made when Marley was alive, Uprising.

Unlike most of Marley’s works, “Redemption Song” is a strictly solo acoustic track with no sign of the reggae style present in nearly everything else he has made. Instead, it is a deeply contemplative and personal song that evoked the sound and style of another Bob: Bob Dylan. Nonetheless, an alternate version with a full band arrangement was eventually released as a bonus track on the 2001 reissue of Uprising and the compilation One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers.

The song is considered one of Marley’s seminal works, with Rolling Stone having listed it as #66 among The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Some key lyrics derived from a speech given by the Pan-Africanist orator Marcus Garvey.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What's the history of this song?
Genius Answer

At the time he wrote the song, Bob Marley had been diagnosed with the cancer in his toe that later took his life. According to Rita Marley, “He was already secretly in a lot of pain and dealt with his own mortality, a feature that is clearly apparent in the album, particularly in this song”.

Credits
Written By
Lead Vocals
Acoustic Guitar
Assistant Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Recorded At
Tuff Gong Studios
Release Date
January 1, 1979
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