Buffalo Soldier (song)
Encyclopedia
"Buffalo Soldier" is a reggae
song written by Bob Marley
and Noel G. "King Sport" Williams
from Marley's final recording sessions in 1980. It did not appear on record until the 1983 posthumous release of Confrontation, when it became one of Marley's best-known songs.
The title and lyrics refer to the black U.S. cavalry regiments, known as "Buffalo Soldier
s", that fought in the Indian Wars
after 1866. Marley likened their fight to a fight for survival, and recasts it as a symbol of black resistance.
The song's bridge, with the lyrics woy! yoy! yoy!, is similar to the chorus of the Banana Splits
' "The Tra-La-La Song
", the 1968 theme from their TV show, written by N. B. Winkless, Jr. There has never been any litigation connected to the similarity.
The song has been covered by many artists, including Cultura Profética
(on their album Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley
), Vanilla Ice
(on his 2008 album Vanilla Ice Is Back!), and Randy Marsh.
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
song written by Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and Noel G. "King Sport" Williams
King Sporty
King Sporty is a Jamaican DJ, reggae musician, and record producer for the Tashamba and Konduko labels. He is best known for co-authoring the Bob Marley song, "Buffalo Soldier".-Biography:...
from Marley's final recording sessions in 1980. It did not appear on record until the 1983 posthumous release of Confrontation, when it became one of Marley's best-known songs.
The title and lyrics refer to the black U.S. cavalry regiments, known as "Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....
s", that fought in the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
after 1866. Marley likened their fight to a fight for survival, and recasts it as a symbol of black resistance.
The song's bridge, with the lyrics woy! yoy! yoy!, is similar to the chorus of the Banana Splits
Banana Splits
The Banana Splits were four comedic animal characters who featured in a late 1960s children's variety show made for television. The costumed hosts of the show were Fleegle , Bingo , Drooper and Snork .The Banana Splits Adventure Hour was an hour-long, packaged television program that featured both...
' "The Tra-La-La Song
The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)
"The Tra La La Song " was written by Mark Barkan and Ritchie Adams to be the theme song for the children’s television program The Banana Splits Adventure Hour....
", the 1968 theme from their TV show, written by N. B. Winkless, Jr. There has never been any litigation connected to the similarity.
The song has been covered by many artists, including Cultura Profética
Cultura Profética
Cultura Profética is a Puerto Rican reggae band that debuted in 1996. They have toured in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Mexico and the United States...
(on their album Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley
Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley
Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley is an album by the Puerto Rican reggae band, Cultura Profética. The album is a live performance of a tribute the band held to Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley....
), Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
(on his 2008 album Vanilla Ice Is Back!), and Randy Marsh.