HuaiDan Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I love that old song by Bob Marley. Never get tired of listening to it. So simple, fun to play on my guitar, and sing out loud at bellowing volume. But the part about finding strength in the almighty always makes me a bit sad, and I find no relevance in the martyrdom of "prophets". G Em7Old Pirates, yes, they rob I. C G/B Am Sold I to the merchant ships G Em C G/B Am minutes after they took I from the bottomless pit. G Em7 But my hand was made strong C G/B Am By the hand of the Almighty. G Em C D We forward in this generation triumphantly. G C D G Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom? C D Em C D G 'Cause all I ever had, redemption songs, C D G redemption songs. G Em7 Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, C G/B Am None but ourselves can free our minds. G Em Have no fear for atomic energy, C G/B Am 'Cause none of them can stop the time. G Em7 How long shall they kill our prophets C G/B Am While we stand aside and look? G Em Yes, some say it's just a part of it. C D We've got to fulfill the book. Saying it's just and song and to just enjoy it as such would lessen the impact, I'm afraid. What is an unshakable atheist to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonolithTMA Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 That's definitely one of my favorite Bob Marley songs. I listen to all sorts of music, some of it espouses things I do not believe in, and yet the songs can move me. It is a dilemma of sorts, but in the end, I just enjoy the song, and think about what motivated the author to write it. To me, it's kind of like getting emotionally involved in good fiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marty Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 G Em7Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, C G/B Am None but ourselves can free our minds. G Em Have no fear for atomic energy, C G/B Am 'Cause none of them can stop the time. G Em7 How long shall they kill our prophets C G/B Am While we stand aside and look? G Em Yes, some say it's just a part of it. C D We've got to fulfill the book. I too, have noticed this. But it is not hard for me to turn the above verse into a story about my own de-conversion. I emancipated myself from mental slavery, because no one but myself could free my mind. I do not fear science, because you cannot stop progression, and science brings many goods along with danger. The "prophets" that "they" are killing are the Founding Fathers and inclusive leaders who try to unite society, and "we" are not really fighting them in a unified manner, so it seems like we all "stand around and look". And as a songwriter, I tell myself he just needed a word to rhyme with "look", so he spoke about fullfilling a "book". And it helps if you tell yourself that he was a Rasta, and his holy book allowed for the consumption of any seed bearing plants. Gotta like their sacraments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuaiDan Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Gotta like their sacraments. As we speak. *kof kof* I always sing the part about emancipation with real spirit. So anthemic, and it comes on a sweet D to G change at the measure. At least, I usually hold the d to the end of the measure the way I play. Adds a bit of tension before the emancipation proclamation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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