![]() ![]() Island issued the song as a single it was, however, virtually the last hurrah for the original Wailers vocal group: in 1974, after ten years together, both Tosh and Bunny Wailer got up, stood up, and struck out on their own. Up to then, most music critics and industry figures saw Jamaican music as a source of novelty hits at best, not a foundation for serious art, but there was no doubting the seriousness of The Wailers’ message once you heard ‘Get Up, Stand Up’. The same sense of foundations being laid applies to its original October 1973 release on The Wailers’ second album for the label, Burnin’, which was very well-received and proved that the brilliance of their previous record, Catch A Fire, was no fluke. In this sense, it was a cornerstone of Bob’s Island career. “Get Up, Stand Up’’’s fierce attitude is not just an ancestor of “Talkin’ Blues,” it also has the strident sense of a black uprising, as displayed in 1977’s “Exodus” (many of the latter song’s lyrics would fit comfortably within “Get Up, Stand Up”). Bob’s verses are about uplift and explanation Peter’s closing verse is about turning that spirit into action.Ĭlick to load video A foundation for serious art And in a manner similar to his version of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” (aka “Downpresser”), Tosh addresses the oppressor directly, asking what they can do to save themselves now the people have realized the truth and are ready to wield their power. Tosh spells out what the previous verses have suggested, moving from uplifting language to powerful polemic. Sung by Peter Tosh on the original recording, it presents his uncompromising militancy. The third verse of “Get Up, Stand Up” is somewhat different. The two songs have another link, with “Talkin’ Blues” wondering who will be outside fighting for their rights, and who will be hiding at home. Bob took on established Christian beliefs later, notably in “Talkin’ Blues,” from 1974’s Natty Dread album, where he went even further, saying that he felt “like bombing a church now that I know that the preacher he is lying”. The opening line berating a preacher, which argues that heaven was not “under the earth” is a reference to death: you don’t have to die to find paradise, you can create it right here. The lines denying that God will come down from the sky to sort out the world’s problems may seem strange coming from a singer who was deeply religious, but it’s perfectly in keeping with Bob’s Rasta faith: Bob’s God was not above the clouds, but living with the rest of us as Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. For the first two verses, he tells the people not to wait until the next life to find fulfillment it’s their right to be free and happy on this planet. Whatever inspired it, Bob’s message is clear. It is not easy to find concrete evidence about the details of Bob’s trip there, and he was no stranger to poverty, having grown up in the Trenchtown ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica, so chances are Bob might have been moved to write the song anyway. “Get Up, Stand Up” was apparently written in response to a visit to Haiti, when Bob saw the poverty of the island’s people. To find that reason, just look ten inches up from Bob Marley in the 60s and early 70s, and it will be standing right there: Peter Tosh, co-writer of the song, and an imposingly tall man who did not pussyfoot when it came to delivering a message. ![]() There’s a reason why The Wailers’ “Get Up, Stand Up” sounds more militant as it progresses. ![]()
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