Roots Archives Forum

During the course of early last week there came a lyric line into my head saying: 'Have no fear for atomic energy'.

I was wondering 'o.k. - this is Japan calling' and I thought it over and came quickly to the conclusion 'this is from Bob Marley' and checked my collection, and yes it's a line in the lyric of 'Redemption Song'.

Was Bob Marley wrong?, or possibly better asked: what was he trying to say?
(the lyrics are credited with some sources in the net also to Lee Perry!? - but the info on the Island 'Best Of 'Legend' says just Bob Marley).

I checked with friends and no one could help me and give me an idea, and it's still in my mind - any feedback here is much appreciated.

Here's the lyric: (see second strophe/verse)

Old pirates, yes, they rob I;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless 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 have:
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them can stop the time.
How long shall they kill our prophets,
While we stand aside and look? Ooh!
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 have:
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs,
Redemption songs.
---
/Guitar break/
---
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our mind.
Wo! Have no fear for atomic energy,
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a 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 have 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.

that is more a refference to nuclear war..He wrote it in the mids of the Cold War and a lot of people where affraid of Nuclear War leading to total destruction.

it's a metafore for the powers of man and god.

Bob Marley stated that even the most destructive technology man has ever created is no match to the powers of Jah. Therefor if you beleive Jah will provide and safe you from all evil, ther is no need to fear atomic energy or anything else for that matter

I agree with JS, it's certainly not a pro-atomic energy statement, quite the opposite

Maybe he saw that it was atomic energy that would bring babylon down?

or perhaps it means... don't fight progress ?

upon 2nd thought ,i should have said ....have a knowledge and understand of progress . ?? not sure but my interpetaion would be somewhere along theese lines.

I've wondered this same thing, even before the Japan earthquake. Just what did he mean? I think it's almost as though he was taking a stoic attitude, like yeah it's our destruction but we can't stop it, (got to fulfill the book). Kind of depressing actually.

I totally agree with Jumbo Shower.

Meaning is to set us free from our prison of fears.
So one of the biggest threats of human being, atomic energy, is no reason to destroy our minds in fear.

Surely no way did Marley support atomic energy!

"Cause none of them can stop time"

This is why there is no need to fear it.

Rastas, along with others, believe there is no time that they did not exist and there will be no time that they will cease to exist.

Therefore there is no need to fear death/destruction.

...if we dismiss progress,we will never grow

thats my idea summed up.

i think marley was a very progressive person,and knew technology will be a key part of life then,now and forward . for better or worse it can a be steep price to pay to figure our way.

with all respect to those suffering and have suffered..when nuclear goes wrong its very wrong

however i dont think anyones opinion of what his song meant are wrong,they are all right.