War (Bob Marley song)
Encyclopedia
"War" is a song recorded and made popular by Bob Marley
. It first appeared on Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1976 Island Records album, Rastaman Vibration
, Marley's only top 10 album in the USA. The lyrics are almost literally derived from a speech made by Ethiopia
n Emperor Haile Selassie I
before the United Nations General Assembly in 1963.
as song writers, and not to Bob Marley. However, based on two simple guitar chords, the semi-improvised, spirited melody put to Selassie's words is unmistakably Marley's (and neither Cole nor Barrett are singers). Barrett's brother and collaborator, Wailer musician Aston "Family Man" Barrett (who created the bass line, key to the song's efficiency) has since brought law suits against the Marley estate for unpaid royalties and credit for songs such as War that were either written by others and not by Bob Marley, or in collaboration with Marley. One such suit resulted in a $500,000 settlement in 1994. A later suit filed in the UK was dismissed. Wailers group leader, arranger and bass player Barrett has lost the case; but it also appears that Bob Marley had several of his multi-million selling 1974-1976 songs credited to close friends and relatives because he was under an unfavorable publishing contract, signed in April 1968 with Cayman Publishing, that would have otherwise deprived him of much of his songwriting royalties. Crediting close friends, such as football player Allan "Skill" Cole
or drummer Carlton Barrett therefore enabled Bob Marley to circumvent the law until new, more favorable agreements were made. The songs concerned include the hit "No Woman No Cry", credited to ghetto friend Vincent 'Tata' Ford (who cannot sing or play an instrument), and several others; This was revealed in Stephen Davis' biography "Bob Marley," thus leading to a lawsuit by Cayman owner Danny Sims, who sued the Bob Marley estate in the 1980s, years after Marley's passing. Eventually Sims lost the case "Let bygone's be bygone's" as legally, he made his claim too late. Sims sold his publishing contract to Marley producer Chris Blackwell's Blue Mountain music in 1986.
, worship Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
as the incarnation of God, and refer to him as "Ras Tafari," "Jah" or “The Lion of Judah” which Marley does in many of his songs. To him, Selassie was not only one of the most prominent African leaders of his time, he was also identified as God returning to earth as "King of Kings, Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19, 16), imperial titles born both by Selassie I and Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II before him. It was Menelik II, however, who created this self-styled imperial title in the late 19th Century after he succeeded in uniting his country, later known as Ethiopia
. Marley did however accept Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity 8 months before his passing.
Haile Selassie I gave the "War" speech on October 4, 1963, calling for world peace at the 1963 U.N.
Conference in New York City
. This historical speech was spoken a few weeks after the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded in Ethiopian capital city Addis Ababa where Selassie chaired a summit meeting gathering almost every African head of state (The King of Morocco had declined the invitation). For the first time in history, a head of state could therefore speak in the name of Africa with full legitimacy before the U.N. General Assembly.
This U.N. speech resounded even louder as Haile Selassie I had made a name for himself on the international scene in 1936, when he spoke at The League of Nations
(L.O.N.) in Geneva. It was there that Selassie warned the world that if member state Ethiopia was not militarily supported by other member states to fight the fascist Italian invasion of his country then taking place, as the L.O.N. status guaranteed, the League of Nations
would then cease to exist as a matter of fact. And according to him, without much needed L.O.N. tutelage (as dictators Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin were about to join forces), the rest of the member states were to suffer the same fate as his country. Which they did, as Mussolini soon allied with Hitler, actually making Ethiopia the first country to be occupied in World War II
, nearly two years before the Sino-Japanese war. This visionary speech granted Selassie much respect around the world, eventually leading to British military support, which helped freeing his country in 1941. Addressing the world again in 1963, Selassie's words bore full weight. In picking this utterance for lyrics, Bob Marley thus projected two dimensions of the Ethiopian Emperor: the head of state as well as the Living God Rastafarians see with him.
. Spoken in Ethiopia's official Amharic language at the U.N., the 1963 speech was published in English in Important Utterances of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I 1963-1972. The book gave permission to freely use its contents: "Any portion of this book could be reproduced by any process without permission." The song uses part of Selassie’s speech that calls for equality among all without regard to race, class, or nationality in his hymnal cry for peace. It also asserts, quoting Selassie directly, that until the day of an equal society, there will be war. In the original speech, Selassie urged U.N. officials and country representatives to disarm nuclear weapons, and to end international exploitation (specifically with Africa). The song honors Haile Selassie I while calling for action against racial inequality and international injustice. The part of the speech used by Bob Marley was preceded by the following words:
Last May, in Addis Ababa, I convened a meeting of Heads of African States and Governments. In three days, the thirty-two nations represented at that Conference demonstrated to the world that when the will and the determination exist, nations and peoples of diverse backgrounds can and will work together. In unity, to the achievement of common goals and the assurance of that equality and brotherhood which we desire. On the question of racial discrimination, the Addis Ababa
Conference taught, to those who will learn, this further lesson:
Here is the part of Haile Selassie’s speech put to music by Marley in his original song “War” (Bob Marley slightly modified the original words, changing each "that until" to "until"):
That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola
, in Mozambique
and in South Africa
in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil. – Haile Selassie I
A different mix, which includes a different horn arrangement, released as a bonus track in the Deluxe Edition (2002) of the Rastaman Vibration
album, revealed that Marley had recorded an extra verse also adapted from the original speech:
Until bigotry and prejudice, malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good will, yeah, war. Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings equal in the eyes of the almighty, war. Everywhere is war.
In his speech to the U.N., Selassie reminded his listeners that these are only words; their value depends wholly on our will to observe and honour them and give them content and meaning.
With such potent and meaningful lyrics, the song soon became one of Bob Marley
's greatest classics, carrying the Rastafarian message to the world in Haile Selassie I's own words. As from 1977, when Bob Marley & The Wailers embarked for their first major world tour in June, "War" was sung at most concerts until Marley's last show on September 23, 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Two live recordings of the song have since been released officially by Tuff Gong/Island Records. The first one was issued on the 1978 "Babylon by Bus
" album recorded live at the Pavillon de Paris in Paris, France on June 26, 1978. The second was recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London, England on June 4, 1977, and was issued on the 2002 Deluxe Edition of the Rastaman Vibration
album.
& the Wailers can also be heard. A vinyl single released in Jamaica on Bruno Blum's Human Race label in December 1997 includes samples of Bob Marley
's voice saying "Rastafari is the prince of Peace." But most importantly, the song features the original recording of Haile Selassie I's Amharic speech done in 1963, overdubbed on a new rhythm track played by Wailers original members. The B-side offers a welcome English translation of the speech by Bruno Blum, whose spoken rendition of War includes the second part of the speech not used by Bob Marley
:
The basis of racial discrimination and colonialism has been economic, and it is with economic weapons that these evils have been and can be overcome. In pursuance of resolutions adopted at the Addis Ababa summit conference, African states have undertaken certain measures in the economic field which, if adopted by all member states of the United Nations, would soon reduce intransigeance to reason. I ask, today, for adherence to these measures by every nation represented [here] which is truly devoted to the principles enunciated in the charter.
We must act while we can, while the occasion exists to exert those legitimate pressures available to us lest time run out and resort be had to less happy means.
(...)
The great nations of the world would do well to remember that in the modern age even their own fates are not wholly in their hands. Peace demands the united efforts of us all. Who can foresee what spark might ignite the fuse ?
(...)
The stake of each one of us is identical-life or death. We all wish to live. We all seek a world in which men are freed of the burdens of ignorance, poverty, hunger and disease. And we shall all be hard-pressed to escape the deadly rain of nuclear fall-out should catastrophe overtake us.
(...)
The problems which confront us today are, equally, unprecedented. They have no counterparts in human experience. Men search the pages of history for solutions, for precedents, but there are none. This then, is the ultimate challenge. Where are we to look for our survival, for the answers to the questions which have never before been posed ? We must look, first, to the Almighty God, Who has raised man above the animals and endowed him with intelligence and reason. We must put our faith in Him, that He will not desert us or permit us to destroy humanity which He created in His image.
And we must look into ourselves, into the depth of our souls. We must become something we have never been and for which our education and experience and environment have ill-prepared us. We must become bigger than we have been : more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community.
A second mix of this new recording was also released, charting at the #1 spot in the U.K. Echoes magazine in April 1998. This time it featured samples of Bob Marley
& the Wailers' song Selassie Is the Chapel (adapted from Crying in the Chapel
), where Bob and Rita Marley's voices can be heard on a sizeable part of the record, as well as Selassie's original "foundation lead vocal," creating a virtual duet between Haile Selassie I and his apostle Bob Marley. Both new versions were recorded at Kingston Musick Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, engineered by Rudy Thomas. They include Wailers survivors Aston "Family Man" Barrett on bass guitar and piano, Mikey "Boo" Richards" on drums and Earl "Wire" Lindo on keyboards, along with guitar and backing vocals by Bruno Blum
. Percussionist Norbert "Nono" Nobour and backing singer Tatiana Prus were later added. The sessions were produced by Bruno Blum
and mixed by Thierry Bertomeu at AB Studio in St. Denis, France.
Released in Europe on Blum's Rastafari label in early 1998, both "War" and "War/Selassie Is the Chapel" were successful singles contributing to the "new roots" reggae scene where Rastafarian themes sung by the likes of Garnett Silk, Luciano
and Dennis Brown
were popular again after more than a decade of decline. Several singles derived from this new recording were subsequently issued on the label, including Buffalo Bill's War/Warmongers, Big Youth
's We No Want No War and Joseph Cotton's Conflicts backed by Doc Reggae's spoken French version Guerre. A full length CD album entitled The War Album, including all versions, was issued in Europe on the Rastafari label in 2001. A vinyl album was released in Jamaica on the Human Race label in 2004, and the full War Album was reissued in 2010 as part of the Human Race label double CD anthology.
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...
. It first appeared on Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1976 Island Records album, Rastaman Vibration
Rastaman Vibration
Rastaman Vibration is a roots reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers released on April 30, 1976. The album was a great success in the USA, becoming the first Bob Marley release to reach the top ten on the Billboard 200 charts Rastaman Vibration is a roots reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers...
, Marley's only top 10 album in the USA. The lyrics are almost literally derived from a speech made by Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n Emperor Haile Selassie I
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
before the United Nations General Assembly in 1963.
Songwriting Controversy
The song is credited to Alan "Skill" Cole and late Wailers' percussionist Carlton "Carly" BarrettCarlton Barrett
Carlton "Carly" Barrett was an influential reggae drummer and percussion player. His musical development in the early years were with his brother Aston "Family Man" Barrett as a member of Lee "Scratch" Perry's "house band" The Upsetters. The brothers joined Bob Marley and The Wailers around 1970...
as song writers, and not to Bob Marley. However, based on two simple guitar chords, the semi-improvised, spirited melody put to Selassie's words is unmistakably Marley's (and neither Cole nor Barrett are singers). Barrett's brother and collaborator, Wailer musician Aston "Family Man" Barrett (who created the bass line, key to the song's efficiency) has since brought law suits against the Marley estate for unpaid royalties and credit for songs such as War that were either written by others and not by Bob Marley, or in collaboration with Marley. One such suit resulted in a $500,000 settlement in 1994. A later suit filed in the UK was dismissed. Wailers group leader, arranger and bass player Barrett has lost the case; but it also appears that Bob Marley had several of his multi-million selling 1974-1976 songs credited to close friends and relatives because he was under an unfavorable publishing contract, signed in April 1968 with Cayman Publishing, that would have otherwise deprived him of much of his songwriting royalties. Crediting close friends, such as football player Allan "Skill" Cole
Allan Cole (footballer)
Allan Cole is a Jamaican former footballer who played at both professional and international levels as striker.-Career:Cole played in the NASL with the Atlanta Chiefs, and in Brazil with Náutico....
or drummer Carlton Barrett therefore enabled Bob Marley to circumvent the law until new, more favorable agreements were made. The songs concerned include the hit "No Woman No Cry", credited to ghetto friend Vincent 'Tata' Ford (who cannot sing or play an instrument), and several others; This was revealed in Stephen Davis' biography "Bob Marley," thus leading to a lawsuit by Cayman owner Danny Sims, who sued the Bob Marley estate in the 1980s, years after Marley's passing. Eventually Sims lost the case "Let bygone's be bygone's" as legally, he made his claim too late. Sims sold his publishing contract to Marley producer Chris Blackwell's Blue Mountain music in 1986.
Background
Marley, along with fellow RastafariansRastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
, worship Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
as the incarnation of God, and refer to him as "Ras Tafari," "Jah" or “The Lion of Judah” which Marley does in many of his songs. To him, Selassie was not only one of the most prominent African leaders of his time, he was also identified as God returning to earth as "King of Kings, Lord of Lords" (Revelation 19, 16), imperial titles born both by Selassie I and Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II before him. It was Menelik II, however, who created this self-styled imperial title in the late 19th Century after he succeeded in uniting his country, later known as Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Marley did however accept Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity 8 months before his passing.
Haile Selassie I gave the "War" speech on October 4, 1963, calling for world peace at the 1963 U.N.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Conference in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. This historical speech was spoken a few weeks after the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded in Ethiopian capital city Addis Ababa where Selassie chaired a summit meeting gathering almost every African head of state (The King of Morocco had declined the invitation). For the first time in history, a head of state could therefore speak in the name of Africa with full legitimacy before the U.N. General Assembly.
This U.N. speech resounded even louder as Haile Selassie I had made a name for himself on the international scene in 1936, when he spoke at The League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
(L.O.N.) in Geneva. It was there that Selassie warned the world that if member state Ethiopia was not militarily supported by other member states to fight the fascist Italian invasion of his country then taking place, as the L.O.N. status guaranteed, the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
would then cease to exist as a matter of fact. And according to him, without much needed L.O.N. tutelage (as dictators Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin were about to join forces), the rest of the member states were to suffer the same fate as his country. Which they did, as Mussolini soon allied with Hitler, actually making Ethiopia the first country to be occupied in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, nearly two years before the Sino-Japanese war. This visionary speech granted Selassie much respect around the world, eventually leading to British military support, which helped freeing his country in 1941. Addressing the world again in 1963, Selassie's words bore full weight. In picking this utterance for lyrics, Bob Marley thus projected two dimensions of the Ethiopian Emperor: the head of state as well as the Living God Rastafarians see with him.
The Lyrics
Although credited to Emperor Haile Selassie I, whose Christian name is Tafari Makonen, the text was actually written by Lorenzo Tazaz, a close contributor who wrote many of the Ethiopian leader's most important speeches, including one given in 1935 to the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. Spoken in Ethiopia's official Amharic language at the U.N., the 1963 speech was published in English in Important Utterances of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I 1963-1972. The book gave permission to freely use its contents: "Any portion of this book could be reproduced by any process without permission." The song uses part of Selassie’s speech that calls for equality among all without regard to race, class, or nationality in his hymnal cry for peace. It also asserts, quoting Selassie directly, that until the day of an equal society, there will be war. In the original speech, Selassie urged U.N. officials and country representatives to disarm nuclear weapons, and to end international exploitation (specifically with Africa). The song honors Haile Selassie I while calling for action against racial inequality and international injustice. The part of the speech used by Bob Marley was preceded by the following words:
Last May, in Addis Ababa, I convened a meeting of Heads of African States and Governments. In three days, the thirty-two nations represented at that Conference demonstrated to the world that when the will and the determination exist, nations and peoples of diverse backgrounds can and will work together. In unity, to the achievement of common goals and the assurance of that equality and brotherhood which we desire. On the question of racial discrimination, the Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
Conference taught, to those who will learn, this further lesson:
Here is the part of Haile Selassie’s speech put to music by Marley in his original song “War” (Bob Marley slightly modified the original words, changing each "that until" to "until"):
That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil. – Haile Selassie I
A different mix, which includes a different horn arrangement, released as a bonus track in the Deluxe Edition (2002) of the Rastaman Vibration
Rastaman Vibration
Rastaman Vibration is a roots reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers released on April 30, 1976. The album was a great success in the USA, becoming the first Bob Marley release to reach the top ten on the Billboard 200 charts Rastaman Vibration is a roots reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers...
album, revealed that Marley had recorded an extra verse also adapted from the original speech:
Until bigotry and prejudice, malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good will, yeah, war. Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings equal in the eyes of the almighty, war. Everywhere is war.
In his speech to the U.N., Selassie reminded his listeners that these are only words; their value depends wholly on our will to observe and honour them and give them content and meaning.
The Song
The original version of "War" was recorded at Harry J's studio in Kingston, Jamaica, by engineer Sylvan Morris. It includes Aston "Family Man" Barrett on Fender Jazz bass, his brother Carlton 'Carly' Barrett on drums, Earl "Chinna" Smith on guitar, Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion and Tyrone Downie on keyboards. Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt and Rita Marley sing harmony vocals as the I Three. It was produced by Bob Marley & The Wailers and mixed at Miami's Criteria studio by Aston "Family Man" Barrett and Chris Blackwell with engineer Alex Sadkin.With such potent and meaningful lyrics, the song soon became one of 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...
's greatest classics, carrying the Rastafarian message to the world in Haile Selassie I's own words. As from 1977, when Bob Marley & The Wailers embarked for their first major world tour in June, "War" was sung at most concerts until Marley's last show on September 23, 1980 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Two live recordings of the song have since been released officially by Tuff Gong/Island Records. The first one was issued on the 1978 "Babylon by Bus
Babylon by Bus
Babylon By Bus is a live album released by Bob Marley & The Wailers in 1978. The tracks on this album are considered, with two exceptions, to be from the Pavillon de Paris concerts over 3 nights, 25-27th June 1978, during the Kaya Tour, though there are discrepancies in the track listing.Like the...
" album recorded live at the Pavillon de Paris in Paris, France on June 26, 1978. The second was recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London, England on June 4, 1977, and was issued on the 2002 Deluxe Edition of the Rastaman Vibration
Rastaman Vibration
Rastaman Vibration is a roots reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers released on April 30, 1976. The album was a great success in the USA, becoming the first Bob Marley release to reach the top ten on the Billboard 200 charts Rastaman Vibration is a roots reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers...
album.
Haile Selassie version
Two other hit versions of the song featuring Bob MarleyBob 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...
& the Wailers can also be heard. A vinyl single released in Jamaica on Bruno Blum's Human Race label in December 1997 includes samples of 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...
's voice saying "Rastafari is the prince of Peace." But most importantly, the song features the original recording of Haile Selassie I's Amharic speech done in 1963, overdubbed on a new rhythm track played by Wailers original members. The B-side offers a welcome English translation of the speech by Bruno Blum, whose spoken rendition of War includes the second part of the speech not used 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...
:
The basis of racial discrimination and colonialism has been economic, and it is with economic weapons that these evils have been and can be overcome. In pursuance of resolutions adopted at the Addis Ababa summit conference, African states have undertaken certain measures in the economic field which, if adopted by all member states of the United Nations, would soon reduce intransigeance to reason. I ask, today, for adherence to these measures by every nation represented [here] which is truly devoted to the principles enunciated in the charter.
We must act while we can, while the occasion exists to exert those legitimate pressures available to us lest time run out and resort be had to less happy means.
(...)
The great nations of the world would do well to remember that in the modern age even their own fates are not wholly in their hands. Peace demands the united efforts of us all. Who can foresee what spark might ignite the fuse ?
(...)
The stake of each one of us is identical-life or death. We all wish to live. We all seek a world in which men are freed of the burdens of ignorance, poverty, hunger and disease. And we shall all be hard-pressed to escape the deadly rain of nuclear fall-out should catastrophe overtake us.
(...)
The problems which confront us today are, equally, unprecedented. They have no counterparts in human experience. Men search the pages of history for solutions, for precedents, but there are none. This then, is the ultimate challenge. Where are we to look for our survival, for the answers to the questions which have never before been posed ? We must look, first, to the Almighty God, Who has raised man above the animals and endowed him with intelligence and reason. We must put our faith in Him, that He will not desert us or permit us to destroy humanity which He created in His image.
And we must look into ourselves, into the depth of our souls. We must become something we have never been and for which our education and experience and environment have ill-prepared us. We must become bigger than we have been : more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community.
A second mix of this new recording was also released, charting at the #1 spot in the U.K. Echoes magazine in April 1998. This time it featured samples of 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...
& the Wailers' song Selassie Is the Chapel (adapted from Crying in the Chapel
Crying in the Chapel
"Crying in the Chapel" is a song written by Artie Glenn for his son Darrell to sing. Darrell recorded it while still in high school in 1953, along with Artie's band the Rhythm Riders. It became a local hit and publishers got a hold of it and it went nationwide. He released the original version as...
), where Bob and Rita Marley's voices can be heard on a sizeable part of the record, as well as Selassie's original "foundation lead vocal," creating a virtual duet between Haile Selassie I and his apostle Bob Marley. Both new versions were recorded at Kingston Musick Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, engineered by Rudy Thomas. They include Wailers survivors Aston "Family Man" Barrett on bass guitar and piano, Mikey "Boo" Richards" on drums and Earl "Wire" Lindo on keyboards, along with guitar and backing vocals by Bruno Blum
Bruno Blum
Bruno Blum is a singer songwriter, guitar player and music producer nicknamed "Doc Reggae." Born in Vichy, France on October 4, 1960, he is mostly known for his work in the reggae music field, and also works as a comic book artist, illustrator, painter, photographer, writer and speaker.He was the...
. Percussionist Norbert "Nono" Nobour and backing singer Tatiana Prus were later added. The sessions were produced by Bruno Blum
Bruno Blum
Bruno Blum is a singer songwriter, guitar player and music producer nicknamed "Doc Reggae." Born in Vichy, France on October 4, 1960, he is mostly known for his work in the reggae music field, and also works as a comic book artist, illustrator, painter, photographer, writer and speaker.He was the...
and mixed by Thierry Bertomeu at AB Studio in St. Denis, France.
Released in Europe on Blum's Rastafari label in early 1998, both "War" and "War/Selassie Is the Chapel" were successful singles contributing to the "new roots" reggae scene where Rastafarian themes sung by the likes of Garnett Silk, Luciano
Luciano
Luciano is a Jamaican second generation roots reggae artist and poet....
and Dennis Brown
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...
were popular again after more than a decade of decline. Several singles derived from this new recording were subsequently issued on the label, including Buffalo Bill's War/Warmongers, Big Youth
Big Youth
Manley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....
's We No Want No War and Joseph Cotton's Conflicts backed by Doc Reggae's spoken French version Guerre. A full length CD album entitled The War Album, including all versions, was issued in Europe on the Rastafari label in 2001. A vinyl album was released in Jamaica on the Human Race label in 2004, and the full War Album was reissued in 2010 as part of the Human Race label double CD anthology.
Cover versions
- Jamaican versions (different compositions) based on the "War" rhythm include DillingerDillinger-Films:*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger*Dillinger , a film made about the life of the gangster John Dillinger...
's King Pharaoh Was a Baldhead, Big YouthBig YouthManley Augustus Buchanan , better known as Big Youth , is a Jamaican deejay, mostly known for his work during the 1970s....
's We No Want No War and Buffalo Bill's Warmongers.
- Washington, DC hardcore punkHardcore punkHardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band SoulsideSoulsideSoulside were a post-hardcore band from the greater Washington, D.C. area. The original name of the band was Lunchmeat, formed in 1985. The name was changed to Soulside in spring 1986 and they disbanded in summer of 1989, after an extensive European tour and recording the definitive Hot Bodi-Gram...
covered "War" on their 1988 Dischord RecordsDischord RecordsDischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
release, Trigger. This song was later included on the Soulside partial discography, Soon Come Happy, released in 1990.
- The Catalonian band Sopa de CabraSopa de CabraSopa de Cabra was a musical group from Girona, Catalonia, Spain, active from 1986 to 2002. They are considered to be one of the leading representatives of the rock català movement, though the band preferred not to be placed in the same category as other Catalan-language groups, some of whom had...
recorded a Catalan rock and roll version of War - "Guerra" - in the live album Ben endins (1991).
- In 1992 Ruth Joy recorded War on her debut album Pride And JoyPride and Joy"Pride and Joy" is the second track on Stevie Ray Vaughan's first album Texas Flood. It is a blues song and is one of his most famous tracks. Parts of the solos are from "I'm Cryin'". Vaughan wrote this song for his wife at that time, Lenora, but she thought it was written about a former...
.
- In 1992 Sinéad O'ConnorSinéad O'ConnorSinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
performed War a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
on Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
with slightly modified lyrics, referring to child abuse rather than racism. At the end of this performance, she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul IIBlessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
to protest the Catholic Church covering up cases of child molestation by priests. In 2005 O'Connor released a studio version of "War" on her album Throw Down Your ArmsThrow Down Your ArmsThrow Down Your Arms is a 2005 album by Sinéad O'Connor and shows influence from Jamaican roots reggae and the Rastafari tradition. Throw Down Your Arms is a collection of classic roots reggae songs performed by O'Connor and produced by Sly and Robbie....
.
- Alpha BlondyAlpha BlondyAlpha Blondy is a reggae singer and international recording artist. Alpha Blondy was born Seydou Koné in Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire. He sings mainly in his native language of Dioula, in French and English, and sometimes in Arabic or Hebrew...
song "La Guerre" is a direct translation of "War" in French, available on the 1994 EMI album Dieu.
- In 1996 the song was covered by the Brazilian thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band SepulturaSepulturaSepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
(appeared on RatamahattaRatamahatta"Ratamahatta" is Sepultura's ninth official single, and the last of three to be taken from the album Roots, released in 1996. It is also the last Sepultura single to feature founding frontman Max Cavalera. The song is amongst the band's best-known and remains a concert staple to this day...
single, the Blood RootedBlood RootedBlood-Rooted is an album by Sepultura, released on June 3, 1997. It was a collection of unreleased tracks, b-sides, remixes, and live recordings. It was also the last officially recognised Sepultura album featuring original singer Max Cavalera, who left in December 1996...
rarities compilation and the re-issued version of the Roots album).
- Brazilian band Tribo de Jah also have recorded a Brazilian PortugueseBrazilian PortugueseBrazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects written and spoken by most of the 190 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a few million Brazilian emigrants, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Canada, Japan and Paraguay....
version featuring O RappaO RappaO Rappa is a Brazilian reggae/rock band from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They combine many styles such as Rock, Reggae, Funk, Hip hop and Samba...
's lead singer Marcelo FalcãoMarcelo FalcãoMarcelo Falcão Custódio is a Brazilian musician, the lead singer of the group O Rappa.-Biography:Falcão was born and grew up in Engenho Novo in Rio de Janeiro....
.
- In 1997 Bruno BlumBruno BlumBruno Blum is a singer songwriter, guitar player and music producer nicknamed "Doc Reggae." Born in Vichy, France on October 4, 1960, he is mostly known for his work in the reggae music field, and also works as a comic book artist, illustrator, painter, photographer, writer and speaker.He was the...
released a spoken English version of "War" which includes the full length speech, available on the Jamaican "War" vinyl single by Haile Selassie I (Human Race Records) and on The War Album (Rastafari Records, 2001). Music played by The Wailers.
- In 1998 Bruno BlumBruno BlumBruno Blum is a singer songwriter, guitar player and music producer nicknamed "Doc Reggae." Born in Vichy, France on October 4, 1960, he is mostly known for his work in the reggae music field, and also works as a comic book artist, illustrator, painter, photographer, writer and speaker.He was the...
released a spoken French version available on The War Album (Rastafari Records, 2001) as well as the B-side of Joseph Cotton's Conflicts vinyl single (Rastafari Records, 2010). Music played by The Wailers.
- Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals covered "War" along with their own song "With My Own Two Hands" on their DVD Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
- 2007: Dispatch: Zimbabwe: July 13–15, a 3 night reunion concert for Dispatch with special quests Bongo Love and the African Children's Choir. Was a benefit concert to help Zimbabwe with poverty, disease, and famine. In memory of Elias a friend of theirs from Zimbabwe who died because he did not receive the medical attention that he needed. Dispatch played "War" but they were not able to put it on the CD of the show because they didn't have legal rights.
- Lauryn HillLauryn HillLauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
occasionally performed the song live, along with the other compositions of Bob Marley, during her shows circa 2007 and 2008.
- Uruguayan band El Congo recorded a Spanish version of the song on a 1999 album.
- 2009: War/No more trouble played by street musicians around the world for the "Playing for Change" project.http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/8/War_No_More_Trouble
- In 2009 American metal band Shadows FallShadows FallShadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from Eastern philosophy and some references to the Rastafari culture...
released their album "Retribution" which has a rendition of the song on it. The song is not a pure cover, but utilizes about 70% of the lyrics.
- Alicia Keys regularly performs the song at her shows, and has performed the song at least once with Marley's son Julian Marley.