# Bob Marley and the Wailers Song: "Get Up; Stand Up"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-marley-and-the-wailers-song-get-up-stand-up/94257>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 19, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-marley-and-the-wailers-song-get-up-stand-up/94257 "2001-11-19T19:29:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-marley-and-the-wailers-song-get-up-stand-up/94257/1 "2001-11-19T19:29:55Z")

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When Bob Marley sang “Stand up for your rights… don’t give up the fight,” to what rights and what fight was he referring? Did (does) Jamaica’s constitution (or charter or whatever) not allow certain freedoms (i.e., religion and speech?) and thus Bob felt oppressed? Was Bob hassled by The Man because of his Rastafarianism or his music? Was Jamaica in Bob Marley’s day known for eggregious human rights violations?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-marley-and-the-wailers-song-get-up-stand-up/94257/2 "2001-11-19T19:44:29Z")

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Fairly unbiased bio here (not a gushing fan site, in other words.)

[http://www.africana.com/Articles/tt\_034.htm](http://www.africana.com/Articles/tt_034.htm)

> [@](#):
>
> Although Marley had melded politics and music since the early days of “Simmer Down,” as his success grew he became increasingly political. His 1976 song “War” transcribed a speech of Haile Selassie I, the Ethiopian king upon whom the Rastafarian sect was based. In addition to Rastafarian spirituality and mysticism, his lyrics probed the turmoil in Jamaica. Prior to the 1976 elections, partisanship inspired gang war in Trench Town and divided the people against themselves. By siding with prime minister Michael Manley — and by singing songs of a political bent — Marley angered some Jamaicans. After surviving an assassination attempt in December he fled to London until the following year.

[http://www.web.amnesty.org/web/news.nsf/weball/19A95C9B0E61559A80256ADC0039D11D](http://www.web.amnesty.org/web/news.nsf/weball/19A95C9B0E61559A80256ADC0039D11D)

> [@](#):
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> Jamaica: Amnesty International to send observer to Commission of Inquiry into the July violence in West Kingston  
> AI Index: AMR 38/023/2001  
> Publish date: 05/10/2001
> 
> Amnesty International today announced that it will send an observer to the Commission of Inquiry into the violence that left at least 27 people – including two members of the security forces – dead in West Kingston in July this year.
> 
> “The Commission of Inquiry is of vital importance if Jamaica is to stop the cycle of political violence that has left so many of its citizens dead in recent years. Amnesty International believes that international scrutiny of the Commission is appropriate given the allegations of human rights abuses committed by the security forces in their attempt to restore order in the area,” the organization said.
> 
> \<snip\>
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> Jamaica has a history of political violence, dating back to the 1970s and the formation of armed gangs with political affiliations.

If you need a more complete history of 30 years of Jamaican politics, Google is your friend. 😉

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2001, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-marley-and-the-wailers-song-get-up-stand-up/94257/3 "2001-11-19T20:13:34Z")

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[[Prior to the 1976 elections, partisanship inspired gang war in Trench Town and divided the people against themselves. By siding with prime minister Michael Manley — and by singing songs of a political bent — Marley angered some Jamaicans.]]

The two political parties in Jamaica continue to battle each other with most people fiercely supporting one and opposing the other. Elections still often inspire fights in the streets. Until Manley’s recent death from cancer, one party was pretty much personified by him and the other by E. Seaga. As a rastafarian, Bob Marley fought “babylon” which basically means the “establishment” I think. He did however get Manley and Seaga to join hands onstage at one of his concerts, though, and that was a famous moment. Bob Marley is officially considered one of Jamaica’s national heroes.