Extended Essay

Subject: English B

Students Name: Joana Caeiro

Provisional Research Question: “In what ways are Bob Marley’s lyrics a picture

of the social problems lived in Jamaica in the 70s?”.

Modified Research Question: “In what ways is the message of freedom present

in Bob Marley’s lyrics related to the social problems lived in Jamaica in the

70s?”.

Political instability led to rivalry between the people

Bob Marley refers to two mass political parties in Jamaica the JLP

(Jamaica Labour Party) and the PNP (People’s National Party) who “have

shared elective political power, (…) elected House of Representatives, which

now connotes governmental responsibility in internal affairs” and “have

monopolized the popular vote in the three General Elections (…) in 1944, 1949

and 1955 and in the first federal elections in 1958”. By that time, they were

fighting for control and people were becoming very anxious. Jamaican people

were divided because of the parties’ arguments. Everyone was trying to

understand which party could bring more benefits, including more jobs, given

that people were very poor, and passing through economic struggles. However,

arguments and rivalry between those got violent and street gangs started to be

against each other tragically. Everyone had guns, which is proved by the “The

Suppression of Crime Act allowed the police and the military to work together in
a novel way to disarm the people (…) the new judicial procedures of the Gun

Court Act were designed to ensure that firearms violations would be tried

quickly and harshly punished”. From 1974 to 1980 Jamaica was widespread

with political violence.

Attempt of murder

Bob Marley was feeling pressure to pick a side, because of his huge

influence, but did not want to buy that war. Thereafter he, his wife, and manager

Don Taylor were shot by unidentified assailants inside Marley's house on

December 3, 1976, two days before a free performance, Jamaican Prime

Minister Michael Manley had planned to ease tension between two competing

political parties.

Despite suffering severe wounds, Taylor and Marley's wife fully

recovered. Bob Marley sustained minor injuries to his arm and chest. Many

people believed that the performance was in favor of Manley, leading them to

believe that the attempt at his death was political.

“Ambush in the Night” analysis

As political tension was one of the main concerns of the singer, he wrote

“Ambush in the night”. The lyrics mention that there was a fight for power and

money. There were guns circulating to promote violence between the citizens.

Bob Marley says politics were trying to belittle people’s integrity turning them

against each other. In Bob Marley’s mind, the political strategy is a scheme to

reach ignorant people, the poorer, because politicians have the power to keep

people hungry and make them believe that their brothers are the enemy.

Ambush in the night is not only about what happened to Bob Marley but also
about the open fire against Jamaican poor people and fighting for dominating

and manipulating society.

“Ambush in the Night” is one of the tracks on the album “Survival”,

published in 1979 by Bob Marley and the Wailers.

This song reveals Bob Marley’s way of thinking. As in many other songs,

he refers to the problem in this particular case, political problems that improve

social problems, but after that, he shows the solution. Based on his beliefs, the

singer has faith that there is only one solution to all those problems, which is the

Lord. In his opinion, political strategy cannot touch those who believe in

Rastafari. “Every law is illegal. Every government of the face of the earth is

illegal. Only Jaa Law should be followed.”, according to Bob Marley. He

believes they are protected by Lord and they will survive despite society’s plan

to destroy them. This song talks about hope and justice even if they are only in

God.

[Verse 1]

“(Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh-wa!)

See them fighting for power (ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh-wa!)

But they know not the hour (ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh-wa!)

So they bribing with their guns, spare-parts and money

Trying to belittle our

Integrity now
They say what we know

Is just what they teach us

And we're so ignorant

Because every time they can reach us (shoobe, doo-wa)

Through political strategy (shoo-be, doo-wa)

They keep us hungry (shoobe, doo-wa)

And when you gonna get some food (shoobe, doo-wa)

Your brother got to be your enemy, we-e-ell!

[Bridge]

Ambush in the night

All guns aiming at me

Ambush in the night

They opened fire on me now

Ambush in the night

Protected by His Majesty

Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, Ooh-wa-ooh

(Ooh-wee) Ooh-wee, ooh-wee (ooh-wa), Ooh-wa

Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh wa-ooh

Ooh-wee, ooh-wee, ooh wa-ah

[Verse 2]

Well, what we know

Is not what they tell us

We're not ignorant, I mean it

And they just cannot touch us

Through the powers of the Most-High (shoobe, doo-wa)

We keep on surfacing (shoobe, doo-wa)

Through the powers of the Most-High (shoobe, doo-wa)

We keep on surviving

Yeah, this ambush in the night

Planned by society

Ambush in the night

They trying to conquer me

Ambush in the night

Anything money can bring

Ambush in the night

Planned by society

Ambush in the night”

“Redemption Song” analysis

Bob Marley’s wife, Rita Marley, confirmed that he had already been

diagnosed with cancer by the time he composed and released “Redemption

Song”. This gesture makes us believe that writing this song was the best thing

he could do before he died by offering a song that people would cherish and

treasure as his last message to the world.

“Redemption Song”, included in the “Uprising” album release by Bob

Marley and the Wailers and published in October 1980 was done in a style that

Bob Marley doesn’t usually perform on his tracks, an acoustic reggae ballad,

which is known as Bob Marley’s resume of life. It first gives us some context

about the history of Jamaica around the time of its discovery.

"Redemption Song" Lyrics:

“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”
 Bob Marley begins this song by remembering the past of Jamaican

people when old pirates brought treasure to Jamaica making it prosper.

However, this song also mentions the time Jamaican people were occupied by

Spain soon after Christopher Columbus, the European explorer, landed in

Jamaica, on May 5, 1494. This song mentions that blacks were enslaved and

sold as if they were merchandise, reporting the violation of human rights that

was experienced at that time.

The Rastafari and Bob Marley’s faith is truly present when he refers to

the Almighty (which means God) and the fact that Bob Marley’s confidence and

devotion to the Almighty have allowed him to maintain strong by His hand.

Jamaica’s history has been poetically composed by Howard Pyle, who

states:

“Jamaica, like many another of the West Indian Islands, is like a woman with a

history. She has had her experiences and has lived her life rapidly. She has

enjoyed a fever of prosperity founded upon those incalculable treasures poured

into her lap by the old time buccaneer pirates. She has suffered earthquake,

famine, pestilence, fire and death: and she has been the home of cruel

merciless slavery, hardly second to that practiced by the Spaniards themselves.

Other countries have taken centuries to grow from their primitive life through the

flower and fruit of prosperity into the seed time of picturesque decrepitude.

Jamaica has lived through it all in a few years.”

– Howard Pyle, “Jamaica New and Old” in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,

January 1890.
Works Cited:

“Mass Parties in Jamaica: Structure and Organization on JSTOR.” JSTOR, C. Paul

Bradley, www.jstor.org/stable/27853596?read-

now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents. Accessed 18 Mar. 2023.

“---.” Military Wiki, military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Gun_politics_in_Jamaica.

Accessed 18 Mar. 2023.

Figueroa, Dariel. “From Showman to Shaman: How an Assassination Attempt Changed

Bob Marley’S Life and Music.” UPROXX, 29 Aug. 2016,

uproxx.com/music/bob-marley-assassination-attempt-jamaica-kingston-1976.

Accessed 17 Mar. 2023.

Pyle, Howard. “Jamaica, New and Old (First Paper), by Howard Pyle.” Harper’s

Magazine, 1 Jan. 1890, harpers.org/archive/1890/01/jamaica-new-and-old-first-

paper.