Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery/
None but ourselves can free our minds.

Musically, Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” sounds sparse. In a sense it is. Marley recorded it with just an acoustic guitar—and the guitar is mixed low at that. But the melody really comes through despite the minimalist production. It adds power to the lyrics. It makes you take note of them.

Lyrically the song is loaded. It speaks to slavery, environmentalism, religion and civil action all in a four-minute song. Marley’s voice sounds especially poignant. He realizes he is saying something important and it touches him as he is singing it. He asks us to sing along with him–a song of freedom, emancipation…a song of redemption.

Redemption Song Lyrics

Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pits

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 yourself from mental slavery
None but our self 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?
Some say it’s just a part of it
We’ve got to fulfill di book

Won’t you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
‘Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Oh, have no fear for atomic energy
‘Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall dey kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Some say it’s just a part of it
We’ve got to fulfill di book

Won’t you help 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

written by Bob Marley