Babylon

"Babylon" is a term in the vocabulary of Rastafari adherents. It has spread a bit outside of it, though not that much. Not in the sense that Rastafari people use it, anyway.

Of course, the term Babylon refers to the history of Babylon/the Babylonian kingdom, a powerful kingdom mentioned in the Bible, enslaving Israelites, after capturing them. Historians found that the ancient "Babylon" was historically located in what is now Iraq - around the river Eufrate, about 80 km from Bagdad. It has become a source of nationalistic, historical pride in greatness among Iraqi people, including as part of the rhetorics of politicians (like Sadam Hussein), similar to how historical Rome is still viewed in Italy.

The history of Rastafari, and of Afro-Jamaican people, already explains the use of the term, relating to the obvious parallels: Africans were likewise enslaved, after being captured, and brought to another powerful kingdom to work as slaves, like the Israelites in the Bible. These Africans were brought to the "Babylon" of European colonies, and their oppressive systems, since the 16th c.

That same Bible also mentioned other kingdoms and powers, such as Egypt, of course also enslaving Israelites. Maybe it was seen early on by the early Rastas that using the term "Egypt" would be problematic for being an African country, or more abstract: to literally a place on the map, elsewhere than present-day Babylon (Europe/the West and its American colonies) the term normally refers too.

The long history of Babylon - which can be found elsewhere on the Internet - is in itself insightful. It represents - in a sense - also the history of big cities, urbanness. In certain epochs - at the peak of its power, such as between 1770 and 1670 BC - Babylon was the biggest city of the whole world, and according to some historians possibly the very first city in history with more than 200.000 inhabitants.

BIBLE

Its figuring in the Bible is also interesting, even confirming Babylon's metaphorical use in the Bible. Babylon was an enslaving power of Israelites, but also the counter-kingdom against God and godliness: immoral, corrupt, and evil. Due to these Biblical referrences, including about the Babylonian captivity, - relatively many in the Book of Daniel, by the way - also in the Jewish tradition, Babylon represents for present-day Jews still oppressors and hostile nonbelievers, while in the Christian world it came to symbolize vane worldiness (i.e. greed, vanity, lust) and evil.

By comparison, Babylon is as such referred to much less in the Quran and Islam, and mostly related to stories about Abraham and thus older Judaic stories. This referrence is partly neutral (geographical), and partly condemning (like in the Bible), contrasting the "magic" Babylon was known for, as well as te worldly power of king Nimrod, to the true Abrahamic God, in the same vein as the Bible.

RASTAFARI

So, one might argue, the symbolic use of "Babylon" in these major religions (notably Judaism and Christianity) is comparable to its use in Rastafari terminology. In that sense it follows on the Biblical influence on Rastafari, since the movement arose in Jamaica in the 1930s. This includes, though, a "reinterpretation" of the Bible from an African perspective. Terminology like "Babylon" and "Zion" (Sodom and Gomorrah, walls of Jericho, and more) are part of that, as well as many general referrences to Bible texts, stories, and psalms. As said, reinterpreted by Africans in a (former) colonial and downtrodden situation.

This reinterpretation is quite interesting, I find. The Rastafari, I contend, "amplified" the term Babylon both culturally and philosophically. It "updated" it also for the present time. More on this later.

The meaning of "abstract evil", as Babylon has in Christianity, or "enemy oppressors" in Judaism, both fed into the Rastafari definition of the term "Babylon". In fact, it is an excellent example of the Hegelian "thesis-antithese- then synthesis" principle. The Rastafari use of the term "Babylon" therefore can be seen as a "synthesis" of earlier Biblical refrences, shaped by the history of the African diaspora, including slavery, oppression, and poverty in the present.

Some say, Rastas mean with Babylon really only "the West", i.e. Europe and North America: the modern, wealthy, economic powers in this world, whereas some associate the term, specifically with "capitalism", and capitalist exploitation, world wide, but dominated by the West.

The truth is, that there is no "one authorative" definition among the Rastafari of "Babylon" as term, mainly because Rastafari is not a strict, rigidly organized or centralized religion, and many not even call it a "religion", but rather a "(spiritual) movement", loosely connected.

Many Reggae lyrics, especially since the 1970s, express Rastafari ideas, and therefore the term "Babylon" recurs a lot in Reggae lyrics. In many, many lyrics, too much to count. It spread that Rastafari term internationally, especially since Bob Marley's rise to fame in the course of the 1970s.

A common term among Rastafari adherents, and in (Roots) Reggae lyrics, its use is not only broad, but also "wider" and more varied than one might think.

I find intriguing, and almost beautiful, didactically, how "expressive" and communicative" the term Babylon is within the Rastafari movement and ideas. It brings the message across, including nuances, in a single term that seems "vague", but in reality captures all dimensions. This adds to its deep, philosophical meaning. It relates to the relatively free and "loose" and not-so-rigid structure of the Rastafari movement, when compared to "mainstream", over-organized (a personal opinion) religions, connected with dominant power structures (Christianity, Islam etc.).

Its figuring in a variety of Reggae lyrics include "Babylon" referring to "oppressive authorities", sometimes quite specific state forces or police officers, sometimes a level above that (political structure, economics). In other lyrics even levels above that are referred to as "Babylon": evil systems keeping poor people down, and fighting against the Rasta people, not just locally in Jamaica, but worldwide. It then represents a "system", without an explicit geographical reference.

GEOGRAPHY

I contend, however, that the interesting about the Rastafari use of "Babylon" is that, even as literally referring to a "system", of e.g. capitalist exploitation, it suggests geography indirectly. Being an Afrocentric movement, the Rastafari see "Babylon" as the enemy of African people, as Rastafari seeks the upliftment of and for many repatriation to Africa, in the line of Marcus Garvey's teachings.. Babylon thus implicity also represents "the West", with its developed and invading (mostly capitalist) economic dominance, going against Africa-focussed Rastafari values in Jamaica itself, as well as increasingly intruding and invading the African continent itself, with corrupting effects on original cultures.

This is the unique, amplified meaning of "Babylon" in the Rastafari definition. Its utility lies precisely in its "vagueness" or, otherwise said, multi-interpretability: from a "place" that you can leave, to a state of mind, an (oppressive) system, authorities, confusion, and corruption in a more abstract sense. It is also associated with "captivity", and therefore contrasted with freedom.

COPING WITH BABYLON

The breadth and depth of this definition of Babylon also is discussed in the 2007 documentary Coping With Babylon, including the different (often personal) interpretations and definitions by Rastafari adherents (including artists), either specific or general. Some in the documentary perhaps simplify its meaning, as relating it to one world power, the US, or New York, at the time of the documentary involved in a controversial invasion of Iraq. Broader - deeper - definitions also got a place in the documentary, though.

Similarly, in Reggae lyrics - of which I heard a lot throughout my life - Babylon is used clear, but also wide: Babylon the state/authorities in Jamaica, Babylon system, policemen, a place keeping you captive and limited (trampling rights), as well as an international phenomenon. Recurring is "Babylon" standing for the modern "Western world", including capitalist exploitation and modern technology.

The Biblical allusions to the ancient Babylon, refer to greed and lust. Especially regarding the latter, in most Reggae lyrics and Rastafari utterances, another Biblical loanword "Sodom and Gomorrah" tends to be used more often. The connection with "confusion" of Babylon kingdom (the story of the tower and the many languages) in the Bible, is however still maintained among many Rastafari. Also in the documentary Coping With Babylon some associate Babylon with "confusion": confusing righteous people.

ETYMOLOGICALLY

While linguists are not sure about "Babylon's" etymological origins, a connection with the Semitic term for "gate" (Bab) seems confirmed. In present-day standard Arabic, the word for "gate" is pronounced as Bawwaba.

Some historians point out, though, that this was a later term/meaning added to an older, perhaps even nonsemitic place name. The added "El" refers in the Semitic tradition to "God", as known of course in many Biblical names (Daniel, Gabriel, Michael, Elijah, Ezequiel, Israel, etcetera), though it might have been meant plural in the case of Babel/Babylon ("gate of the gods").

The informal term "babbelen" in Dutch (for: chatting) seems to derive from this Biblical story, and there are similar examples in other European languages. The term "Bable" for a dialect in NW Spain (Asturias , northern León) might be one, but that might be coincidence (formal "Castilian" Spanish would after all be "habla" - speech - with the first H unpronounced).

DEFINITIONS

In this by the way recommendable documentary Coping With Babylon, a Jamaican scholar on Rastafari (Barry Chevannes) at the University of the West Indies, justly pointed at the wide, varied meaning with which Babylon is used among the Rastafari: a wider powerful, economic system, exploiting poor people, African people, and all its collaborators. A lot of "wrongs" in this world fit in this in general, yet - at the same time - its meaningful and specific enough.

In the song Who Art Babylon, Reggae singer Ricky Grant specifically addresses how to "define" the term Babylon, rather than using it in his lyrics in some ways (as many Reggae artists do). Grant sings that Babylon consists of: "not only oppressors", but also "the clothes you wear etc.": i.e. the wider economic system we are all made to depend on, and "all things of vanity"..

Burning Spear in Mek We Yadd (and some other songs as well, like This Man) sings as lyrics: "in a time like now, any man could be Babylon..", pointing thus at the psychological "collaborators" (to use a war-time term) with an oppressive system, even if not directly recognizable as such. Indirectly referring to the "confusion" associated with Babylon.

When I was in Jamaica (in 2006 and 2008), I heard differing definitions among Rasta-adherents and -sympathizers. A Jamaican said to me: "Jamaica is nice. Not much Babylon here.. there is still some here and there, though".. Away from the geographical - Jamaica being a former slave plantation island where Africans were forcibly brought to - it has here come to mean something like an ideology, evil influence, or universal "economic corruptive force" that is everywhere, but can and should be avoided, wherever you are.

Others, like many Reggae singers, use it as such too (corrupting system), but also often as "place", "location": "down here in Babylon", "leave Babylon" (and go to Zion/Africa).

The common recurrence of the expression "Babylon must fall (or Go Down)" in many Reggae lyrics, combines several meanings: that of a wicked place, as well as of a wicked system, "falling" both physically and, more, metaphorically, i.e. its power stopped and broken.

BOB MARLEY

All these varied meanings are also heard throughout the lyrics of the internationally best-known Reggae artist: Bob Marley.

Some, like myself, have pointed at some commercializing aspects of Marley's music, led by Island boss and producer Chris Blackwell, aimed at catering to White tastes (openly stated as goal by Chris Blackwell, himself a White Jamaican).

This was noticeable in the aspects Blackwell had most influence on (production, "sound" etc., instrument choice), yet, overall, Bob Marley kept his authenticity. Muiscally in part, but even more so lyrically. Admirably, Bob did not compromise his message, and continued with his rebellious message against oppression of African and poor people, standing up for rights, Black and African pride. Criticizing and fighting of "Babylon" was certainly part of this.

Maybe not all people who got to know Bob's songs worldwide knew immediately what Rasta people mean with "Babylon". It does not seem to be a "racial" reference, maybe helping the spread of the music among easily scared White people. If Bob used "white racists" instead of Babylon in some of his lyrics, some would stay away of Bob's music. Yet, these are the fans one should not want to have, I argue.

However, this was neither a "mincing" of words or a deliberate cowardice eschewing "code word" Bob used, to not offend his potential public (or to use an uglier word "market"), or to not thwart producer Blackwell's commercial goals. No, Bob Marley with the common use of "Babylon" just followed the common Rastafari terminology, as it got known before him, and simply followed that spiritual/rebellious tradition.

Like other Rastafari adherents, he also found that Babylon wickedness goes beyond mere racial features, but is a mentality and system, albeit racially unequal. The fact that Bob was half-white (he had a White father) also relates to this, but also full-black Jamaican Reggae artists, of course use Babylon beyond mere race.

CURRENT TIMES

Scholar Berry Chevannes in the documentary Coping With Babylon says something interesting about the use of Babylon, as I mentioned before, pointing out that Rastafari adherents do not just live in the past, but go with their times, and refer to current, contemporary times and events too, thus in a sense re-applying and updating the term "Babylon" to present-day circumstances and situations.

Here it becomes even more intellectually challenging, I think.

Some questions I would like to ask, in relation to this, questions I tried to answer for myself.

2020

The fact that I write this in January 2021, short after a disrupted, odd "coronavirus"/pandemic-dominated year in the whole world, is certainly relevant in this regard. The official story of a bat virus spreading to humans causing a later international pandemic, mankind needeed to confront jointly, was naively believed quite internationally.

Over time, this was questioned more and more by critical thinkers. First these (like David Icke) were considered as fanatical "conspiracy thinkers" who tend to mistrust everything politicians say (justly or not). Yet over time, many reasonable, nuanced - and even medically and scientifically knowledgeable people - came to the conclusion that "things do not add up".

From the natural origins among bats (if so, why does the Chinese state obstruct research into how the virus came about, and the relation to a lab in Wuhan?), to the use of a "pandemic" for economic, elitist goals, with an undemocratic, unexplainable role of a nonelected, nonmedical entrepreneur as Bill Gates as in time main funder of the World Health Organization. This raised in my opinion just suspicion.

Later figures about the actually more limited mortality of this Covid-19 virus, as it got known, than first stated, especially as the virus matured after April 2020. In fact, regarding mortality, it got to similar levels as a medium- to severe flu virus in previous years.

The draconian "lockdown" policies international governments chose supposedly to halt the pandemic throughout the year, - with devastating effects - seemed absurdly dictatorial and disproportionate, in light of these objective facts. The damage to economy, and culture!, and the increase of poverty it caused were even criminal, with the "remedy" proving to be much worse than the cure.

2020 was the first year in modern history that "healthy" people were massively confined/locked in at home for health reasons, with the excuse of a new infectious virus. This was - to make matters worse - presented often in a patronizing manner, as if citizens were all children. The fact that in some countries, like Spain, people could not leave their own house for periods (not even across the street) under threat of stationed police officers, night curfews, the closing down of all clubs, restaurants, theatres (from one day to the other) in many countries, banning of free social gatherings, all led to an absurd dystopia in many countries across the world (to differing degrees), only supported by a stimulated, media-wide irrational fear (for a relatively mild virus!).

Moreover, the fact that in many poor countries, the "stay home" orders also disregarded (or ignored) that many people have to leave their house, simply to eat, to survive.

More people died because of all these policies, than ever would have of Covid-19, is the sad conclusion, I am afraid we must come to after 2020.

This is gettng discussed now openly, also because of increased open objections of (imparcial, uncorrupted) doctors and scientists. Despite increased dictatorial tendencies in many countries calling themselves "democratic" (even here in the Netherlands, where I write this from), there is still a free press and internet, even if now more harassed and bothered by (even paid) proponents of these corona policies.

Let's say it is a "plandemic", as some say. Evidence seems to suggest this, but let's keep the question a bit open. If it is indeed a "plandemic", would the Rastafari people call it (part of) "Babylon" too?

The ones benefitting seem to confirm that it is indeed a "Babylon plan" as Rastafari would define it. A rich economic elite, rich White people in Western countries, controlling most wealth in this world, are connected to the World Health Organization (WHO), and these policies. Bill Gates, but also Rockefeller (starting the WHO once), and others, sometimes are even mentioned condemningly in Reggae lyrics. Sizzla spoke of "Rockefeller handcuffing the world" in his song Babylon Judgement from 2016, a bit - even very much! - predicting the current situation.

In fact, many Reggae lyrics seems to have predicted this odd 2020 "pLandemic" (as it can be seen), referring to wealthy elites, o/downpression, curtailing popular movement, trampling rights, limiting freedoms, of poor Jamacans, Africans, but in fact all poor people. In fact, already since the 1970s.

This is all defined more or less os "Babylon" or "Babylonians", in Reggae lyrics, referring to systems, politicians, elites, inequality, injustice, a.o..

ISMS

Critics of the corona policies - seeming to have the facts more and more on their side - compare them sometimes with Fascism, others with (Chinese-style) Communism, both totalitarian systems, disregarding individual rights. The lab in Wuhan, and the annoying secrecy of the corrupt Chinese state - and their links with Bill Gates and the WHO - seem to support this, while many aspects and policies once in place in Fascist states (under dictators like Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco) have remarkable - and frighteningly - many similarities with present "corona" policies and restrictions, trampling of human rights etcetera. So in my opinion, such comparisons are not totally out of order, nor nonsensical. A good reminder of history.

CUBA

I asked these questions myself years before this "corona crisis". I went several times to Communist-ruled Cuba, between 2001 and 2006. As a Spanish-speaker, I got to know and talk with many Cubans, and made some close friends. I more or less "integrated" in Cuban society, you might say.

Cuba was known as dictatorship, and indeed, there were no "open" elections, and Fidel Castro's rule as president unquestioned and (presented as) unchangeable, when I went there in 2001-2006. In line with this, there were certainly totalitarian aspects in Cuban society, including censorship, "state snitches" (informers) on the neighbourhood level, "informing" the government (unless paid, so corruption too) of unwanted behaviour (including allowing foreign influences), that all Cubans knew to be careful with, especially when having (intimate) relationships with foreigners.

On the other hand, there were during periods of Socialist rule in Cuba after 1959 some positive changes, that seemed to make society more equal, especially for poorer people, including Afro-Cubans.

This came with a price, though: the limited freedom of speech and of choice, had more to do with Fascism than with claimed "Socialism". As Bob Marley sang: "Never make a politician grant you a favour.. they will only want to control you forever.." (song Revolution).

Also, the beneficial role Castro's communist rule had for Afro-Cubans must be put in perspective, as Cuban authors like Carlos Moore (whom I discussed on this blog, in 2016) - once translator for Castro, later critical of him and exiled - , and Castro's, for Castro's "implicit Eurocentrism and racism".

Indeed, despite some equalizing policies in the early stages, white or Euro-Cubans maintained their favourable position. Also the so "equal" Communist leaders and party members were and still are disproportionately, dominantly white/of European of descent or near-white, in a country with a population of over 70% partly or mainly of African descent. A discrepancy Malcolm X also noted, when he visited Cuba, among other things to meet Fidel Castro.

I noticed all this. Added to this were my experiences of the many controlling police officers on the streets (and the said informers and snitches), and stories told by Cubans, of sudden, random arrests on racial grounds, often with the excuse of crushing prostitution. An Afro-Cuban woman with an obviously non-Cuban White, male foreigner/tourist got in the danger zone, though haphazardly, as the police at times turned a blind eye to the obvious - if you want to call it that - prostitution (some call it: "sex tourism"), perhaps because of the needed tourism income for the Cuban economy. Fidel Castro even referred to this sex tourism frivolously: "because of our good health system, our prostitutes are healthy and clean", while the official communist party line in theory opposed it, as all "private businesses" (in whatever form) ..

Having noted all this repression and hypocricy - and the poverty and limited freedom of many Cubans - I had to conclude, being already a Reggae fan then: "this is also Babylon.. just another ISM than Capitalism or Fascism", but similarly repressing humanity and freedom, as so many Reggae lyrics lament.

So, "Babylon" includes alls "ISMS" - as also referred to in Reggae lyrics (often as "isms and schisms"), with "ism" being in reality a linguistic translation of "system": capital is money, capitalism a system, "commune" is a community, communism a system, etcetera.

BACK TO 2020

So is this Covidism or Coronaism/Coronism of 2020 more like Communism (with an influence of a corrupt Chinese state), Capitalism (obvious vaccine company/pharmaceutical interests, Bill gates as entrepreneur), or like Fascism (totalitarian, limiting rights and freedoms, cultural destruction, with "lockdowns" possibly having been "wet dreams" once of dictators like Hitler and Mussolini)? In fact: these dictators have enacted during their reign policies in that "lockdown" direction, e.g. Mussolini once suddenly (by command) forbade "nightlife and clubs" in Italy - they say due to a Vatican influence -, effective immediately, like those lockdowns today..

All these historical comparisons with earlier political "isms" make sense to differing degrees, but they all can be placed more beauitifully and sensibly under the umbrella of "Babylon", as the Rastafari use this term. This shows clearly the strength and utility of the term "Babylon", also for present times, as scholar Barry Chevannes hinted at: the "same old Babylon", as it is referred to in some Reggae lyrics.. Nothing new under the sun.

CORONISM

This "coronism" is quite new and fresh, and the debate surrounding it quite polarized and confused. As a friend of mine said it: "if it is a wicked "plan" (instead of an actual pandemic), it is a very smart one, also psychologically". "Smart" in the wrong sense of the word: trampling physical integrity rights, but at the same time calling for 6 feet/1,5 m distance. Isolating old people in hospitals, yet claiming we do it for them, referring to the love for our old ones ("think of your old mother or grandmother") seems a cheap trick, but is remarkably effective, especially since many citizens feared the new virus.

An infectious diseases has for "Babylon downpressors" furthermore the advantage that it gives an excuse or pretext to outlaw "social gatherings" and thus unwelcome protests, joined protests, popular uprisings, etcetera.. A smart, crafty plan, indeed.

That is probably also the reason why it is not recognized as such unanimously. Even if it is "typically" oppressive Babylon and a PLANdemic (not a real one anymore) as (like me) some argue, the "health policy" focus is effective in scaring people, or convincing of "keeping healthy", and therefore of good intentions of governments. This is evident internationally, in many countries (oddly even securing support in some countries with very repressive lockdown policies, such as Spain), but also in Jamaica itself.

JAMAICAN ARTISTS

Buju Banton's recent outburst against "masks" against corona, and his calling for "freeing his/the people" seemed sincere to me, but was criticized even by some other Rastafari adherents, not just paid or corrupted government officials and politicians. Even Buju's own daughters were used against him (one of them a JLP politician), calling his remark against forced masks "unwise" and irresponsible.. The facts: there is no scientific proof that those proscribed nonmedical masks actually protect against virusses.. Facts do not seem to matter anymore, apparently, in this polarized debate.. Fear does..

Another Rastafari-adhering reggae artist was from the start critical of "coronism/covidism".. Already around March and April - when much of the world was still trying to figure out what went on -, that one being Chronixx..

A relatively young, talented, and by 2020 quite popular Reggae artists, Chronixx had several big hits in Jamaica and in the international Reggae scene. His nice Skanking Sweet became almost a club or summer anthem in 2019. In relation to a "charity event" in 2020 for then spreading Corona/Covid-19 pandemic problems, he called it a (media) "hype" in which he not wished to participate, preferring to release his music on his own terms.

Especially remarkable is Chronixx pioneering "(media) hype" conclusion: it took many, even university-edcated intellectuals in the West, several months before they drew (in other terms) the same conclusion about corona-related policies.. Wisdom of the Rastaman? Knowing what "Babylon" is all about and being prepared? Who knows?

Also other artists, like Sizzla, Lutan Fyah, or Tanya Stephens began to critique harsh corona-related policies or the "hype" , especially as " lockdowns" also meant no or limited "live music", and thus affecting their life choice, livelihood, and sense of purpose directly.

Some of these expressed this directly or indirectly in some songs, of course in the Rastafari tradition of social comment, including references to, yes, "Babylon", such as in the song Nuh Trust Babylon by Lutan Fyah..

All good and well, but overall there seems to be quite some popular support for the corona policies in Jamaica as well. That someone like me, or other critics, do not understand this, does nog negate this support. Protecting one's health and avoiding deadly diseases seem a good idea - also to me - , so maybe for that reason one is less psychologically inclined to question the logic or efficacy of governments, even if negatively affecting one's life and goals. "This is what needs to be done now.. later when it is "fixed" (vaccination?), we'll party again", is a common opinion I heard expressed in many countries, also here in the Netherlands. Mostly by people not exactly experts in "virusses", I must say, but governments are advised by virologists, claiming to be trustworthy and knowledgeable.

There are for these reasons some, but not very much critical lyrics in Reggae, yet, about the coronacrisis specifically, or the ill-informed (and also not proeven to work against virusses) "lockdown" policies so many governments choose to put in place, even if they remind of "captivity" and colonialism for many Caribbean people.

2021

Unfortunately, these corona policies have been taken to the year 2021, so maybe more lyrics in Reggae will be released, criticizing them.

In the Netherlands (and several other countries) the year 2021 started with a continued "lockdown", keeping all bars and clubs closed, restaurants only for "take-away", museums and theatres closed, and with the city of Amsterdam at a Saturday night almost a ghost town, safe small groups of walking friends passing by closed, now unlit bars and clubs, and a few cars of which many were police cars.. This felt to me like a police state, a dictatorship, but also like a ghost town. The latter was not the case in an actual "police state" I have been to, namely Cuba. Always liveliness, music, joy, people, and, okay, also many men in police costumes between all this.

Amsterdam is colder, especially now in winter time, playing a role, but the nightlife always went on. Now its dead. This for a virus now hardly more deadly than a common flu in previous years (Infection Fatality Rate of Covid-19 now around 0,23%, science says, flu just a few years ago around 0,21%), and with hospitals in the Netherlands seeming now capable of dealing with extra patients (according to hospital workers themselves).

"That was a very aggressive vaccine marketing campaign", I recently joked to someone about the last year 2020.

A serious joke, because it is also a guess of mine of why these repressive and draconian policies are still in place, and so much of the civil rights and freedoms limited in the process, often even ressembling Fascist dictatorships, or what I heard my Spanish mother tell me of her growing up in the Franco-ruled Spain that she left around 1966. Ressembling a dictatorship, or "going towards it", which is equally bad and worrisome.

THE BEST WORD

For the sake of argument (others may differ in opinion), I will state now boldly that what was a mild pandemic up to April, became an abused PLANdemic, with other reasons and goals than health.

Capitalist-Communism China-style? Old US/Western merciless exploitative capitalism (Big Pharma, etcetera)? A return to Fascism?.. New World Order? Great Reset (even a public goal)? Elements of all these, combined?

Difficult to tell or define as yet, although the expression "Isms and Schisms", by Rastas, captures its essence well.

What's more, "Babylon" in my opinion adequately and fully describes what is wrong with these (Babylonian) international corona policies.

It is in this case not - as the saying goes - "for lack of a better word"..; rather, in my opinion, the Rastafari term "Babylon" is the best word to describe the entire complexity of this current situation and corona-related crisis, including its historical context, spiritual meanings, and the other connotations the term "Babylon" has, and which I have discussed in this essay..

Truth(s) and Right(s)

In reality, it is part of what is called “Rasta speech”: the term/combination “truth(s) & right(s)” (singular/plural variates). Rasta speech is a term for specific terminology and vocabulary that the Rastafari movement, that arose in Jamaica since the 1930s, originated and created, to fit their worldview and spirituality. Other such terms are “I and I” –perhaps more enigmatic than “truth and rights” , “Livity”, “Nyabinghi”, and more derived yet original terms, like “Inity”, “Ital”, “Heartical” and “Churchical”, or wordplay to accentuate meaning, such as “downpression” instead of “oppression”, etcetera, etcetera..

Among this own developed Rasta speech, there is thus also “truth(s) and right(s)”. Of course this seems derived from common English words with apparently clear meanings. For some reason, though, it got special significance among the Rastafari movement: the search for truth and human rights. Who know something about Black and Caribbean history can guess why.

It represents certainly a moral stance: no more lying and trampling of rights, is the call. The term “truth(s) & right(s)” found its way from the beginning into Rastafari’s Nyabinghi drumming chants, and later and before into mostly Rastafari-influenced Reggae music.

With the strong Biblical influence on Rastafari, I wondered whether the term as such was originally from a Bible quote or phrase, taken to another context by the Rastas. I could not find it. Some religious scholars argue that the main aim in the Old Testament is “justice”, in the New Testament “love”, and some Islamic scholars argued that the historically later Islam sublimated those two in having “compassion” as its main aim.

Interesting, but not even in the “justice”-focused Old Testament that combination of words, truth AND rights, is found as such. As singular (the) Right, perhaps separately from the Truth, though what we later came to understand as (human) rights is of course implied in the stories about slavery, liberation, but so are “love” or “mercy/compassion”.

As a word combination, it can be found among some social activists in Western countries, and some philosophers, like Michel Foucault, having used the two terms combined in some writings.

In the time of the Bible, terms like “rights” or even the “truth” did not have those meaning they would obtain after several freedom struggles of oppressed peoples, up to modern times, with an upsurge in the relatively rebellious 1960s and 1970s.

PEACE AND LOVE

In those same decades another term became more known, that entered into Rastafari’s idiom: “peace and love”, associated with hippie-like youth and anti-war protests in the US, later internationalizing. Much like “truth and rights” it is a combination of common words with clear meanings, as well as a moral (pacifist) stance. It (or turned around: “love and peace”) became a well-known, international catchphrase, associated stereotypically with pacifist, hippie movement origins.

Interestingly, another “catchphrase”, “truth and rights”, internationalized or widened its audiences less, and maintained its popularity mainly within Rastafari or related circles. It was not used as much by White hippies (when compared to Peace & Love) is one obvious explanation , but what intrigues me overall is the difference in meaning and aim.

It reminds me of the song of Reggae artist Peter Tosh, Equal Rights & Justice, singing about how everyone sings about “peace”, but none is crying out for “justice”, and in the same lyrics: “I don’t want no peace.. I want equal rights and justice”.

Again, obvious and easy explainable as the difference between the privileged (White youth in a rich country) and the underprivileged. Different situation, different rebellion.

I think oppressed and discriminated Black and other people, feel the need for respected “rights” much more: rights to freedom as a human being, as these are trampled on. This message needs to be expressed, and not all voices are heard, oppressors hide the truth from the world, also easily explains the combination of Truth and Rights in one common expression or catchphrase, common throughout Reggae lyrics.

The terms therefore carries a strong cultural, even “carrying” or “defining”, meaning within Rastafari. Its meaning is wider, however, than partisan or esoteric (“in-crowd”) concerns.

COVID 19

I notice this also with the current Corona crisis, with mass quarantines of entire populations globally, because of the outbreak of the dangerous – easily transmittable - Covid-19. Such drastic measures leave quite some answers to be answered, especially since the morbidity and mortality degrees and levels of this disease, are not that high when compared to, e.g. the common flu, and even less than diseases we know longer, and still have more fatalities, such as malaria, cancer, etcetera.

Also its origins, from bat-to-man contact, does not seem so plausible as one might think: viruses from one type of animal (or host) to another type require much more adaptation, gradually over time, mostly generations, to do as much damage to the new host, poisoning its cells, etcetera.

These unresolved, yet reasonable, questions, awaken the demand for “Truth”, whereas the forced “quarantine”, with governments ordering us to “stay home”, i.e. be confined, tramples our basic human “rights”. This would be lambasted more, of course, if it was not motivated by public health concerns, and the fear of infection/contagion, spread throughout the media (“truth?”).

Still, I wonder: is “confinement” of citizens on such a mass scale really the only way? If the coronavirus affects the elderly and sick much more, why not isolate, protect and test them specifically more. Also here “human rights” issues.

Temporarily, we cannot use our right to move freely, so long taken for granted in Western democratic societies, especially after the fall of Fascism in the mid-1940s. Especially the “totalitarian”, global character of this quarantine during the corona crisis is kind of “shocking” as a change, to me and many people. We heard about “oddities” in countries like Iran – with the added discrimination of women - and the absurd, “privacy-denying” state interference in private life in China, still going on today, using modern technology to regulate citizen behavior. An extended military and police apparatus tends to back such repression up, rendering the notion that, as a Spanish Fascist regional governor once said in response to street protests in Spain, beaten down (some say: “too”) harshly by authorities he commanded: “the street is mine/ours” (i.e. “of the state”), and not the people.

I personally find it a frightening prospect when the “street belongs to the state/government”, preferring it to stay “free for all equally”’.. With this quarantine: the street has become more of the state/government. Necessary to protect our health? Perhaps so, perhaps not.

I would not be surprised, anyway, if all this serves a “hidden agenda” of powers that be. While I am not really a “conspiracy thinker”, some of these explanations (G5 rollout facilitation, stopping protest gatherings, or vaccine promotion) seem quite probable and credible. Far-fetched, because this would be a scam of an absurdly massive, unprecedented scale, people like Hitler, Stalin, Osama Bin Laden, Mao Tse Toeng, or Mussolini, could only dream of: telling/ordering half of all inhabitants of this whole world (billions of people) what to do, limiting their rights, and confining them. It is the work of psychopaths, using modern technology.

This might well be the case, yet cannot be sure, mainly because vested interests of the rich and powerful in this world, are by definition - and by necessity - hidden. If it was all known and “open”, those people would not be rich and powerful.

In that sense the Rastafari expression: “Truth and Rights’ is certainly relevant here, as it represents the demand for human and equal rights, interconnected with “knowing the truth”, by the poorer masses, of the wealthy and powerful few in this world.

Though remarkably massive media campaigns like “Let’s all stay at home, so we protect our fellow-citizens”, gives this corona quarantine a semi-emphatic community or “good citizenship”-feel, we must still not forget that all these quarantines, have been ordered, enforced upon us by higher authorities. There was no consultation, fear seemed largely enough, and little causes more fears than “death”, or at least “disease”? As we all subconsciously or consciously know: ultimately our health, our body is all we have, even when we lose all our material possessions, or even all our friends and family. If healthy, we at least have the energy to start anew, from scratch or nothing.

If this is all a scam by elite forces, like e.g. Bill Gates c.s. or the G5 proponents (I myself as yet reserve my judgement until all facts come out), than it certainly is a wicked, crafty and effective one.

Anyway, we all now sense the need for “truth and rights”, even if most people of course do not want more people to die from this virus, young or old. Yet do we know all that there is to know? British journalist David Icke said he found after long research that Covid-19 does not really exist, but Icke is known as a “conspiracy thinker”. He sees a relation with the need for a G5 rollout, vaccination, microchips, and ultimately global control of the population through artificial intelligence, enabling through the chips what citizens should do, as robots or slaves. An elite around Bill Gates has this as plan, Icke argues. Absurd as this may sound, when I heard David Icke explain it, I considered some elements quite plausible.

On the one hand I thought: no psychopath would go that far, ultimately being a human too, and less so in this age of openness and more democratic control. On the other hand, I recognized how elites with large “vested interests” and power and wealth to defend, can go far to maintain this superior, dominant position, hereby forgetting basic humanity, driven by greed and vanity. Not totally unthinkable, as much injustice prevailed in human history, because some found themselves more worthy to be free than others (hence slavery, feudalism, servants, employers versus employees, exploitation, etcetera, etcetera).

"Truth and rights" is relevant also here. It shows this Rasta term's wider progressive and humanitarian scope and (universal!) possibilities, from its departure from poor, disadvantaged Afro-Caribbean ghetto dwellers, among which the Rastafari movement developed. It is perhaps just a matter of scale or time. What the world needs now, I argue, is “truth and rights”, besides “health”.

What the powers that be, and the mass media are doing now during this coronacrisis – and that’s what I find most odd – is that they sacrifice the one for the other: one needs dignity (freedom, rights) AND health and long life, not just one of these options. That is one of the reasons why I doubt that the coronavirus is truly of a natural origin: anything nature creates, it resolves/heals itself (via our immune system), for nature is always cyclical, as is life. Not so this coronavirus, seeming therefore man-created/manipulated..

CONSCIOUSNESS

It is my own philosophical reasoning and thinking that got me to this (tentative) conclusion, not (just) some convincing articulate conspiracy thinker I heard or read talk about it. We must after all keep thinking for ourselves, even in this stressful situation. As Marcus Garvey (important for Black history and Rastafari) once said: “you can enslave the body of men, but not their minds”..

This is what the Rastafari call “consciousness”, another term common in Rasta terminology, but of course also just a word in English. The Rastas recontextualized the meaning, though. In English “come to realization” or, colloquially, “waking up” or “opening your eyes”, come closer in meaning than how Rastafari mostly intend the term “consciousness”. It is related to “truth(s) and rights”, perhaps even a needed step before “truth and rights”.

REGGAE SONGS

Expectedly, there are quite a few Reggae songs with “truth(s) and right(s)” (either singular or plural) as or in their title. I would not so “countless”, but rather “quite some”. If one would include all Reggae songs with “truth(s) and right(s)””as expression somewhere in their lyrics, we would probably end up with countless Reggae songs.. too much to count.

Not so much outside of Reggae, - I found out after Internet searches - showing how the expression is most related to Rastafari and Reggae, to a higher degree than “Peace and Love”, an expression also used a lot in Reggae, but also in other music genres.

I think it is interesting to analyze how the “Rasta expression/”catchphrase, “Truth(s) and Right(s)” actually figures and is used in those lyrics, especially in songs having it as main theme.

The best known of all Reggae songs with it as title is Johnny Osbourne’s Truth and Rights from 1979. It can be deemed a Reggae “classic” and in a sense a “big hit” (within the international Reggae scene). It is covered a lot by other artists, up to recent times..

Always intriguing why such one song appeals to so much people, but it can be for a variety of reasons, including musical, artistic ones, but also social or content/lyrics reasons. For Johnny Osbourne’s Truth and Rights, also giving the name to his debut album for Studio One, both aspects apply. A strong, catchy Studio One riddim (instrumental part, used before on Al Campbell’s also nice Take A Ride),a good melody, and nice, soulful singing of Johnny. In addition, the lyrics are conscious, addressing social issues and rebellion, attracting many people, and moreover in a “to the point” way. It does not go overly deep, partly just including common (including Biblical) expressions, but deep enough, and expressing a sincere sentiment.

Its line “the truth is there for who has eyes to see”, expresses the link with consciousness. Osbourne had by then already “sighted” Rastafari, he later told interviewers, despite his still short hair (baldhead)..

A great song, and the biggest hit, but there are other songs with (in) the title “truth(s) and right(s)” that stand their own. Due to some strange coincidence (because a less-known song within Reggae), I think Ras Michael’s Truth and Right was the first song I ever heard with that title, shortly thereafter Johnny Osbourne’s one, but this one earlier. I liked Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus song a lot, but had a “rawer” vibe than Osbourne’s song, with also more spiritual, Nyabinghi echoes of Ras Michael. It sounds less “tight” and “catchy” than Osbourne’s song, but is good nonetheless.

The lyrics of Ras Michael’s song are also not very extensive, and rather straight-forward, though go a bit deeper lyrically than Osbourne’s. The basic message “how long can you hide from the truth and right” expresses that.”It swims on top like oil” in those lyrics, remind of what Spanish writer Cervantes once said, about the “truth”, that it like oil (I suppose olive oil, back then in Spain), always comes out on top in water. In Ras Michael songs Truth and Right is connected with spirituality.

Another song is also not so well-known, but is coincidentally (or not?) another great song with that title: Barry Brown’s Truths & Rights. On a very nice, groovy Riddim with a crucial bassline, Brown sings effectively, in his own way. I got to love this song, but had to grow into it a bit longer, especially the vocal part. With Osbourne and Ras Michael I loved the singing immediately too.

With Barry Brown it took some time for me, to conclude he also has a nice, but original singing style. In fact, you can somehow say that he is in the Burning Spear school of singing, but with a different voice and timbre. Both Burning Spear and Barry Brown employ seemingly simple semi-rhythmic “chant” lines, repeating these on different parts of the Riddim, thus “playing” with the underlying rhythm, and keeping it so interesting and appealing. That is an underestimated art by itself. While Burning Spear surely pioneered or even originated it within Reggae, similar chanting structures go back to the Afro-Jamaican Kumina chants in rural Eastern Jamaica, as well as other, often Congo-derived, song traditions in the African Diaspora.

So, Brown’s song has not that rigid Verse-Chorus-Verse-Bridge –Chorus etcetera structure as in so many pop music genres, and is more “meandering”. Due to repetition and right phrasing the lyrics and message still come across well. “If I would fight, I would not fight for money, but for truths and rights (and morality)”, is one such interesting lyrics in Barry Brown’s song, and that he is out to defend the rights of his brothers and sisters.. “Tired of being down on the ground”. “Truths and Rights and Morality” is further rhymed with “you gotta face reality”.

In these, and other lyrics, the relationship between “truths and rights” and social conditions or woes are emphasized. These relate in part to the situation in Jamaica. Gun violence and crime, are such problems addressed, besides the oppression of powers that be (“Babylon”) keeping poor people down. These are to be blamed, but that consciousness must be raised within the own community too, some lyrics argue.

Johnny Clarke’s song mellow song with the title Truth and Rights simply says “Teach the youths truth and rights, so they can all unite”, ultimately to “overcome the wicked one”.

Dennis Brown’s song (Fight For) Truth & Rights, relates how Dennis’ was taught to “stand up for truths and rights” by his mother. It does not go much further, though it is significant enough, containing further lyrics as “don’t let the pressure get you down”, and “know your enemy”. In broad lines and general terms, what “fighting for truth and rights” includes.

Ernest Wilson’s takes a more poetic, story-telling approach in his nice song Truths And Rights, a main line in its lyrics being “only the truth can justify this day”.

In later Reggae, among newer waves of Rastafari-inspired New Roots artists, the term “Truth(s) and Right(s)” remains common. In the song Truths and Rights by Protoje, ft. Mortimer, there are quite some lyrics, elaborating on the need for truths and rights, including inequality, an oppressive system, and “people living a lie” and youths kept poor.

Bitty Mclean calls for “Truths and Rights”in his song of that name, against crime and inequality, including the lines “we can’t take no more, another Black soul at heaven’s door” and “life is no game of do or die”.

Then there is the early dancehall song by Dickie Ranking called (Let’s Seek) Truths & Rights, calling for serving Jah, but also to “wake up” and stop the fuss and fight.

Jimmy Riley has the song Truth & Rights on the Marcus Garvey Riddim (from a Burning Spear song), calling in its lyrics also for peace, to love your neighbours as yourself, love and respect, and harmony. It is a response to Jamaican conditions, with high murder rates. The truths and rights thus relate in that sense to peace and love, as they ideally of course should.

NETHERLANDS

To make it a bit more international, I will focus also on Reggae outside of Jamaica, specifically the Netherlands, that I know best, and where I reside. I always have “lived" in the Netherlands, but now with the quarantine I really have to “reside” there, haha.

I myself released the song Rastafari Live On in 2012 containing the line “To defend truths and rights, Babylon we fight”, describing Rastafari’s main aims.

Empress Black Omolo is a talented singer and songwriter of a Kenyan background, but like me based and living/residing in the Netherlands. She even went to Jamaica to record a video for one of her songs.

Black Omolo’s song called Truth and Rights, from 2017, is not her best known one “in the scene”, but is a good song. In its lyrics the aim for truths and rights, is toward fighting poverty, being fooled, and “politricks”, while she also mentions the exploitation of Africa, and poor people worldwide. Again, as in other songs, the relationship with equal rights and equality.

IN THIS TIME

That link between “lying” and “inequality” is implied in this Rastafari expression “truths and rights”, and is in fact a quite original, yet sensible, connection.

Like I wrote before, for obvious reasons, wealthy, powerful people in this world, have to hide this as much as possible, to maintain that position.

I reserve my judgement, until I know more, but became skeptical of the world and national powers because of this whole “corona crisis” course of events. I do not know what to believe either, at the present.

Yet, let’s just say, that – as some conspiracy theories go - this whole “pandemic” crisis and global quarantine policy, was a trick or part of it, to obtain global domination through technology, microchips etcetera, by a few wealthy, powerful people, striving toward some global, fascist dictatorship, controlling the world majority.

If that is really the case, even if partly.. then we certainly need a strong degree of “truth and rights” in this time, including equal rights and freedom of information, even more than before. Perhaps we might have to “fight” for it, as articulated also in some Reggae lyrics..

As it now stands, the scale of mass quarantine and confinement globally at present, is extreme and unprecedented in recent world history. Due to fear for an infectious disease that seems to be real. Well, the fear and quarantine is real, about the actual or exceptional danger of this virus we are still not fully sure, are we?.

Until all the facts come out, I am not saying that we all should break the law or start a mass revolution against this ordered quarantine. I am only saying at this stage, that a bit more of the rebellious, critical, and freedom- and human rights-defending spirit inherent in the expression “truth(s) and right(s)” would be welcome. Especially Reggae fans could have known better..

Nobel prize for the other Bob?

Bob Dylan has won the Nobel Prize of Literature in 2016.

This was then quite controversial, as - after all - the prize was implicitly intended for literary authors, and awarded as such. More specifically, fiction-writers. George Bernard Shaw, Gabriel García Marquez, Albert Camus, and Ernest Hemingway were among the authors receiving this honorary prize, which has been awarded since 1901.

CRITERIA

It was stipulated in the will and testament of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel that prizes should be given “for those who confer the greatest benefit on mankind”, and in different fields. The Nobel Peace Prize is also well-known. Besides Peace, there are 4 other Nobel prize categories: Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Economics, and the already mentioned Literature.

I guess it is some kind of honouring those with merits for mankind, and I imagine that many in the world have this idea about the Nobel prizes, as connected to some type of idealism.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

This is most clear and explicit with the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to those, such is formulated, advancing the “fraternity between nations” and, well, “peace” worldwide.

Regarding the other Nobel prizes than this Peace one, though, this idealism is to a degree vaguely formulated, even cryptic, and often a matter of controversy. “Outstanding contributions” in the said fields is an explicit criterium, but “influence” or advances in a certain field – say Chemistry -, does not necessarily mean that the world got better, more equal, etcetera, as a result. This nonetheless seems to be implied in initial stipulations since the prizes started in 1901.

LITERATURE

Specifically regarding Literature the Nobel prize is equally cryptic and vague in its criteria. Literally, Alfred Nobel stated to award authors "in the field of literature, with the most outstanding work in an ideal direction".

Quite cryptic and general, and open for interpretation. Some read “idealistic” instead of “ideal” for instance.

The list of laureates of the Nobel Prize for Literature since 1901 is in fact quite varied regarding the “type of writers”: these include those influential artistically, or even popular, but not always very politically or socially engaged, say “idealistic”, writers, though the latter are certainly among the laureates.

As can also be read on Wikipedia, the controversy was always there, with some considering the awarding of Nobel Literature Prizes to certain writers/people as too biased, either too politically motivated, or too little. Others notice a European and pro-Western bias.

BIAS

An overview of all the Nobel prize laureates up to the present unfortunately confirms this pro-Western bias, regarding all the said fields. Most laureates are from the US and United Kingdom, followed by Germany, France, and Sweden. After this follow many country with fewer laureates, though the Netherlands with 21 are relatively well-represented (compared to e.g. 8 of a country like Spain).

Then there are some countries with one or a few laureates or none at all, especially developing countries. Only recently for the first time an Ethiopian became the first laureate: the Nobel Peace Prize of 2019 to Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. Nigeria also has still only one, of Literature, to Wole Soyinka, awarded in 1986.

So, hesitantly over the years it became more international, those Nobel prizes, while still remaining definitely skewed and biased.

In spite of all this controversy - including just critique - over the years since 1901, the Nobel Prize for Literature has nonetheless become the world’s most prestigious literary prize.

SONG LYRICS

As said, in 2016 musical artist Bob Dylan won the Nobel of Literature. Of course, this also met controversy, such as among more conventional “writers” (i.e. of novels), while others in turn appreciated the broadening of “literature”, to include song lyrics.

An interesting idea, to include song lyrics. It is an interesting art form, after all. As in every art form – though - there is a lot of “cliché” and kitsch among it: unoriginal, uncreative, non-innovative lyrics, with no philosophical “depth” or message for mankind. Romantic love songs recur throughout all popular music genres globally, albeit reflecting some cultural differences, of course. Disturbed male-female relationships, machismo, or feelings only betraying an egoistic worldview, or an urge for sexual intercourse, generally do not result in literary interesting texts, though there are some nice poetic texts and lyrics putting “love” or even “sex” in a more original, deeper or more humorous, perspective.

That Bob Dylan won the prize in 2016, however, shows perhaps the socially engaged aim Nobel implicitly had with the prize. Dylan is known more for his socially engaged or philosophical lyrics than for “lovey dovey” lyrics.

I find that this choice is quite arbitrary, though, as others might argue with other laureates over the years (“why this one, and not that one..”) of this prestigious award..

I argue that another musical artist named Bob, Bob Marley, would be an equally valid laureate for this Nobel prize of Literature as Bob Dylan, perhaps even more so. Purely lyrics-wise.

BOB MARLEY

In February 2020 there is some kind of anniversary as it’s the 75th birthday of Bob Marley, born the 6th of February in 1945. He would have been 75 years old, were he still alive. He unfortunately died quite young – as other great musicians – but was very influential internationally. As to be expected – as best known Reggae artist – many tribute festivities on Bob Marley will be held around the 6th of February in this year, 2020, in several countries. Also in the Netherlands, where I live.

“I and I no come to fight flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness in high and low places..” (from Bob Marley & the Wailers – song So Much Things To Say).

I am a Reggae fan, and write a lot about Reggae on this blog, including some articles/essays on Bob Marley. In some, I criticize the commercial exploitation OF him (not BY him, but OF him), and his watered-down sound for White audiences. At the same time, I expressed respect and appreciation for Marley as overall a great artist, and person, “keeping it real” with his message as much as possible, while helping to popularize and spread Reggae music world wide.

Personally, though, I am a broader Reggae music fan, and not just of Bob Marley. Not even primarily. Other Reggae artists I listen more to, and find more authentic, and Marley was just another great Jamaican artist and songwriter. As there were several since the 1960s.

“Why can’t we be what we wanna be. We wanna be free” (from song Rebel Music).

His fame “above Reggae” can be attributed to commercial manipulations by Island boss Chris Blackwell. Some assume racial motivations, with Marley being promoted for being half-White, whereas other contemporary Reggae artists – even with already some popularity – who were more fully Black, less so.

Others, while recognizing these commercial influences, still point at “special” musical talents or gifts of Marley, making his fame not fully arbitrary or racial. His outstanding charisma (also on stage) is mentioned by many – in Jamaica and outside -, even his physical attractiveness, in reaching people.

More musically, some point at his strong songwriting skills – even since he was a teenager -, showing throughout his many catchy, appealing songs. Jamaican producer Lee Perry, who had worked with Marley, specifically indicated how Marley “had the best melodies”. Some also like Marley’s singing.

“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So if you ride into the ruts, don’t you complicate your mind” (from Wake Up And Live).

I recognize all these things, but only partly. They do not explain his fame “beyond other Reggae artists”. He was a fine singer, but his singing voice was not the best one in Jamaican Reggae, at least in my opinion. He used it well musically, though. There were further other great songwriters in Jamaican Reggae, some even almost as prolific, such as Bob Andy, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, John Holt, Ijahman Levi, Ken Booth, and others. Some of these had strictly speaking better singing voices than Bob. Like Bob, they had good musicians around them too, rendering some great Reggae songs. Also, other artists were just as charismatic as Marley.

“Mysteries I just can’t express. How can you ever give your more to receive your less” (from Misty Morning).

BOB MARLEY'S LYRICS

There is one quality, though, that I am willing to accept as being outstanding of Bob Marley, even within the varied and culturally rich Reggae field. A quality described by Lee Perry as well: good, conscious lyrics, but “worded in simple ways, so that everyone can understand”.

“When it’s time to have your fun, you see the tears run on down from your face. Then you stop and think a little, oh.. you’re the victim of the system” (from I Know).

I agree with that: Marley’s lyrics were in my opinion his strongest point, not so much his voice, his guitar-playing, or even his songwriting. His songs are mostly fine and good, but do not always “blow me off my socks” because of their musical strength, as other Reggae songs achieved with me. Ijahman Levi, the Mighty Diamonds, the Abyssinians, the Wailing Souls, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, the Viceroys, Hugh Mundell, and several other Reggae artists, had great beautiful songs that even mesmerized me, taking me magically to other spheres.

A few songs of Marley, I admit, achieved that with me too. I like for instance Ride Natty Ride, Rebel Music, Misty Morning, Guiltiness, Trench Town, and Forever Loving Jah. Fine, engaging musical pieces, that touched me, but also because of their lyrics..

“Only a fool leans upon his own misunderstanding” (from Forever Loving Jah).

However, what I personally mostly recall and appreciate from Marley’s entire oeuvre, are lyrics and phrases that stand the test of time, even if the songs are not among my favourites, or could be produced “edgier” musically or rhythmically, etcetera. That is the field of “literature”, these lyrics.

“Every man’s got a right to decide his own destiny.. And in this judgement there is no parciality” (from Zimbabwe).

Bob had many good, seemingly simple lyrics, about the human condition, especially regarding poor people of colour, in Jamaica and other developing countries, with many references to Rastafari and Africa. Yet, I contend, that these lyrics were universal regarding the human and world conditions. They were educational and insightful beyond the Rastafari movement, or the Jamaican ghetto. Inspired by it, but broadened and made accessible for all kinds of people, all over the world. Bob had the talent to do that with his lyrics and songwriting.

“No bullet can stop us now. No need to beg, no we won’t bow. Neither can we bought nor sold. We all defend the rights. Jah Jah children must unite. Life is worth much more than gold..We’re jamming..” (from Jamming).

SPOKESPERSON

Not for nothing, his lyrics appealed so much to many people, especially poor people, world wide. They recognized his struggle, and he even spoke for them. In Africa and elsewhere. Not unlike the roles of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, or Bob Dylan, but perhaps even more international. Kuti and Dylan have fans worldwide, like Marley, but with a stronger regional specialization. Dylan in the US and Kuti in Nigeria and Africa, even if later broadened.

Marley’s lyrics touched “sufferers’“ themes that needed to be touched, combined with the right to-the-point formulations, at the right places within the songs. This showed his songwriting talent.

“They say it’s hard to speak. They feel so strong to say “why we?” (from Trench Town).

RHYME

In addition Bob’s lyrics mostly rhymed well, as is the norm for pop songs: sentences in lyrics have to rhyme. Take the lyric from Bob’s Misty Morning: “The power of philosophy floats through my head.. Light like a feather, heavy as led”.. Good, deep lyrics, and at the same time rhyming well. Marley was a maestro in those kind of lyrics. Dylan maybe too, but the other Bob too..

“They’re sailing on their ego trips.. on their space ships. million miles from reality. No care for you, no care for me..”(from So Much Trouble In the World).

Even from his love songs. Also his “lovey dovey” lyrics often stood the test of time: early in his career the sweet, sensitive lyrics of I’m Still Waiting, to interesting reflections as on Is This Love, nice sensuality as in Turn Your Lights Down Low. These songs, and the fine Waiting In Vain, also appealed to people worldwide, and from different cultures. There must be a reason for that. Some songs I heard by now too much, I admit, such as Is This Love, and the bland, watered-down Island production does not help, but I still see their quality and potential appeal.

“Love to see when you move in the rhythm. I love to see when you’re dancing from within..” (from Jump Nyabinghi).

Bob’s Rastafari-inspired and “conscious” lyrics also go beyond formulaic Biblical quotes, just repeating wise words of others, like Marcus Garvey, or repeated standard Rasta sayings or phrases, stated as well by other Jamaican artists. They rather have an uniqueness and sense of direction in them, making them even open eyes and minds. The line “These songs of freedom, is all I ever had”, the line in Redemption Song, one of Bob’s latest studio recordings before he deceased, is of course of an intense beauty.

“Never let a politician grant you a favour. They will only want to control you forever” (from Revolution).

INFLUENCES AND CONTEXT

Granted, not all lyrics of Marley were unique. Like other Rastafari-inspired Reggae artists he quoted Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie I, repeated tested Rastafari and Black Power expressions, used Biblical allegories and references, or even just general expressions known in several European languages.

Lines such as “big fish (always) eat up the small fish” – in Bob’s great song Guiltiness - is a standard expression that I know from Spanish: I remember my Spanish mother saying it sometimes, even before I heard Guiltiness. I imagine it is also an expression in English, or maybe it is mentioned in the Bible. The same might apply to “how can you give your more to receive your less”, while a phrase like: “the rich man’s soul is in the city, but the poor man’s heart is in his family..”, is nice, but from the Bible..

The famous line “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds” is a great line, but is a quote from Marcus Garvey, one of the inspirers of the Rastafari movement and Marley.

In these cases, it is rather “how” and with what purpose Marley used these standard expressions. That purpose was redemption and liberation of Black people, Africa, and poor people, or even stimulating “fraternity” between nations, as also formulated as aim for the Nobel Peace Prize.

“You must have had the wrong interpretation, mixed up with vane imagination” (from Stiff Necked Fools).

One also might - justly – argue – do not worry I’ll do it for you, haha – that other Reggae artists had good, unique lyrics too. Many even. I was however talking before about the international influence as criterium of the Nobel prizes, for mankind as a whole. Bob simply reached more people worldwide because of his fame as “King of Reggae”, while great and talented Jamaican artists like Culture, Ijahman Levi, Bob Andy, Dennis Brown, the Abyssinians, Israel Vibration, or Burning Spear became more international, but mainly among knowledgeable Reggae fans. You might even say that Marley “represented” them internationally with his fame. This makes a Nobel Prize for Literature for him even more sensible and appropriate: representing Rastafari-inspired Reggae lyrics globally.

“We refuse to be, what you wanted us to be..”(from Babylon System).

Marley shares as mentioned with e.g. Bob Dylan and Fela Kuti that he was a “spokesperson” for the poor and rebels with his lyrics, with the added aspect that Marley’s lyrics were more varied regarding the range of human emotions, like good literature. It was not just narrow “preaching”. Rebellious and angry were many of his lyrics, but some also “dreamy, reflective”, about daily life, some sincere and vulnerable, and some truly spiritual.

CONCLUDING

Okay, I more or less made my case in the above text, yet it might be necessary to analyze what makes Bob Marley’s lyrics so special, as to “deserve” a Nobel Prize of Literature? A good question.

According to Nobel prize criteria such as “outstanding contributions” and promoting fraternity between nations and peace globally, Marley’s mere international fame – as most famous Reggae artist, and first “Third World rock star” – make his lyrics meet those criteria more easily, after all reaching more people, while “crossing over” to many interracial groups on all continents, that before never listened to Rastafari-inspired Reggae lyrics, or even Caribbean music. He thus had international influence.

“No matter what games they play, we’ve got something they could never take away… And it’s the fire..that’s burning down everything” (from Ride Natty Ride).

He made the plight – and history - of the poor people and of Black people known more widely in the world, and made them more or less acceptable. To degrees, as some lyrics were considered “safer” than others (nonpolitical or nonrebellious love or party songs, for instance). Marley’s lyrics were partly censored in South Africa during Apartheid, especially those calling for African resistance and unity. His “lovey dovey” songs are mostly more accepted in mainstream (Western) Pop than his more conscious ones, that is also true.

Bob Marley was still known and had fans on all continents, having thus even a wider reach than other worldwide known “rock stars” (e.g. Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, or the Rolling Stones), who are more connected to the Western world than Marley.

“You’re running away. But you can’t run away from yourself” (from Running Away)..

COUNTERING BIAS

Marley's nomination for a Nobel Prize for Literature would moreover counter the criticism of Western bias, the prize received in the past, which according to facts are a just critique. It would be the first Jamaican laureate of a Nobel prize too, and have a nice symbolic meaning: just shortly after an Ethiopian became the first laureate of a Nobel prize, Ethiopia being so important in the Rastafari movement.

LITERARY AND ARTISTIC

There are also purely literary and artistic arguments I can give, to further make my case. Of course, other musical artists have interesting and varied, and poetically and well-formulated lyrics too, including with social or deeper messages. I can name, besides Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, the Talking Heads, Lou Reed, U2, and also artists like Tom Waits and Nirvana have interesting, mind-provoking lyrics. They lack, however, the mentioned universal appeal and spokesperson role of Marley, and the consistency of his social and global rebellious – and uplifting! - message.

“Why do you look so sad and foresaken. When one door is closed, don’t you know, another is open” (from Coming In From The Cold).

As I already said, Marley could formulate his message well, even rhyming, with the right word choice, and fitting these lyrics well musically in the songs in a varied way, referring to a wide emotional range of a strong personality. From rebellion, anger, and sadness, to love, celebrating life, and relief, and deeper philosophical and spiritual reflections.

These lyrics contained besides Rastafari references, recurring universal positive messages, identifiable for all kinds of people, not just Rasta brethren or Jamaicans, rendering them inclusive. That’s an important literary quality, not to be underestimated. Many cannot overcome “preaching for their own kind” even within higher art, but Marley could and did, appealing to different kinds of people.

In addition, they were indeed positive lyrics, lacking demeaning or patronizing stances toward women, and while pro-Black and Rastafari-inspired, the lyrics were not racist against other races, or persuasions. Rastafari adherents often have own ideas about “proper” lifestyles and morality, but even when discussing e.g. prostitution, as in the song Pimper’s Paradise, or other people “losing themselves”, he expresses human compassion.

“Every need got an ego to feed” (from Pimper’s Paradise).

For all these reasons combined, I can honestly not think of a better nominee for the Nobel Prize of Literature, according to its criteria of “international humanity”, than Bob Marley.

“Have no fear for atomic energy, cause none of them can stop Jah time” (from Redemption Song).

Yet, only 4 years after an exceptional musical artist and lyricist (Bob Dylan) - as opposed to usual novelists – won that Nobel prize, another musical artist as laureate might result in controversy, and (again) objections of “conventional” writers.

Still, in my opinion the idea stands solid as a rock.

Romantic love in reggae lyrics

One good thing about Reggae Music – in fact of course one of many – is that it has a large proportion of “conscious” lyrics, or “cultural” lyrics. In Reggae terminology this more or less means: about social issues, including social commentary, often including also a spiritual connection, mostly through Rastafari messages. Critique of the social and political situation in Jamaica, including issues like inequality, violence, and poverty, are thus common themes, along with Black history, and the African roots.

That is good, because it is necessary. Most musical genres, after all, pop, folk genres and classical ones, tend to focus lyrically too dominantly on what is known as “romantic love”. That has become a safe, accepted theme, even among the mainstream and cultural “gatekeepers” in many societies. Reason enough to mistrust it..

SAFE

Romantic love is a “safe” theme also politically of course, as in dictatorships and similar political systems with censorship, such romantic love themes are personal, small-scale human trivialities, not impacting upon the status-quo or affecting power relations. It is therefore stimulated. As an “opium for the people”, so to speak, not unlike big sports, or the “bread and games” of Ancient Rome.

It passes censorship in dictatorships or authoritarian societies, yet also in formally democratic societies, like in North America and Europe, there is an overall greater acceptance and support in popular music for romantic love lyrics. It is certainly more (potentially) commercially successful. It is in that sense also safe, but also recognizable/relatable for/by many people, as a pleasant, diversionary, and light theme, thus avoiding heavy themes like social inequality, poverty, exploitative bosses, corruption, etcetera etcetera.

Reggae, with its rich legacy of socially conscious lyrics, clearly counters that.

BOB MARLEY

Even the internationally most famous Reggae artist, Bob Marley, continued with socially conscious lyrics, even at the height of his international/crossover fame. I always admired that. It is simply hard to accuse Bob Marley of being a sell-out. Adaptive maybe, but never really selling out. Songs like Is This Love or Waiting In Vain are indeed about safe, “romantic love”. Did Bob have a broader audience in mind? Maybe a bit, but not so much.

When Bob Marley’s album Kaya was released, it got criticized by many for having too much “lovey dovey” lyrics: where was the social rebellion of previous albums? Also the non-love songs on that album were mostly about marijuana (like the title track) or other light themes as music and dancing itself (Easy Skankin’). Bob defended this as a needed break from the militant vibe, toward mellower vibes. Again: difficult to simply characterize as “selling out”, or just thinking commercially. There is some genuineness there.

Public reception is another thing, though. Songs of Bob that were love songs, Is This Love or Waiting In Vain, were among his biggest hits internationally, as was No Woman No Cry, which “seems” a love song lyrically. Granted, protest songs like Get Up Stand Up are well-known too, but a bit less, it seems.

What I like about Bob’s songwriting, though, is how it had a versatility lyrically: No Woman No Cry as well as another big hit, Could You Be Loved, seem superficially love songs, but in fact contain social criticism when you listen to the entire lyrics.

HOW DISCUSSED?

This all raises a question I find interesting: to what degree represents the “romantic love” theme in Reggae lyrics a diversion from the “social protest” or “spiritual norms”? Equally interesting: is romantic love discussed differently in Reggae lyrics, compared to other genres?

Being a Reggae fan over 30 years now, I should have some ideas and knowledge about that.

WHAT KIND OF LOVE?

A distinction is first in order. Notably between “love” and “romantic love”. The latter referring more to personal relationship issues between a man and a woman, the former more to a basic human need and desire, or connection between people, besides just “lovey dovey” hugging and kissing of those in love.

This last aspect is also found in Reggae, of course. Despite my slightly ironic phrasing I do not think there is something wrong with that, per se. It is a part of all our lives, we fall in love with some persons, have romantic relationships etcetera. It’s nice when someone describes eloquently passionate or lonesome feelings we also seem to recognize in ourselves. It can be a pleasant recognition I myself also found in Reggae love lyrics. Johnny Clarke’s I Wish It Could Go On was such a song I enjoyed especially when I myself felt in love with someone, once in a time. Also “heart break” or lost love songs I recognized and “felt”, such as the almost too beautiful “Closer To You” by Ijahman Levi. Gregory Isaacs – who had also “lonely lover” as a nickname – had also nice lyrics in this regard.

Also these lyrics (song One Who Loves You) by Everton Blender I related to, when I heard them: in my life then I had the dubious honour of being the good male friend a woman (actually a few women) talked to about problems with other men, only without the intimate advantages she or they allowed these other men, apparently.

The other “love”, though, is more about human unity in the world, or within the Black community, or among different races, which is more part of social issues, albeit with less “militancy”. This love is also a "higher" love, one can say, often also connected to spirituality or divinity (Jah/God). Seemingly less militant, believing in this higher love can be actually quite rebellious in many social contexts. That is also alluded to in many Reggae lyrics: Freddie McGregor’s song self-explanatorily titled We Need More Love In the Ghetto, or Israel Vibration’s Live In Jah Love, Culture’s Peace and Love (in the Dancehall), or Dennis Brown’s Love and Hate (can never be friends) etcetera. And of course Bob Marley’s One Love: a song of Bob I hear too much, when compared to others of him.

Current New Roots by people like Protoje, Chronixx, Lutan Fyah, Iba Mahr, Queen Ifrica, Sizzla Kalonji, Buju Banton, Morgan Heritage, Luciano, Richie Spice, and others, continue this “love as social rebellion” strain in some of their lyrics, usually interchanged with more militant lyrics, spiritual lyrics, and, yes, on occasion also lyrics on “romantic love”, also by these artists. Also part of human life, of course.

I like that Reggae lyrics are about everything in life: Rastafari, social conditions, injustice, but also human relationships: backstabbing friends, betrayal, parasitic behavior, fake people, and also romantic relationships that offered some relief from the struggles, or that ended, unluckily for the lover still in love.. Reggae lyrics have the whole versatile “pallet” of human life and needs, you can say.

LOVERS ROCK

More specialized within reggae is the subgenre of Lovers Rock. This especially became strong in especially British Reggae around the 1980s, for some reason. Well.. “for some reason..”, some sociological explanations have been given for this. The different lives and economic situations of Caribbean migrants in Britain, when compared to Jamaican ghetto or “poor rural” life, with an almost inevitable adaptation of British Jamaicans to the, one might say, “bourgeois” lifestyles of white people in the Western world: working to pay the bills, settle down in an own house with a loved one, etcetera etcetera.

This does not explain all of this popularity of Lovers Rock in Britain, though. Being Black and of Jamaican descent in a “White man country” like Britain is not easy. Britain seems open, modern, multicultural, and democratic, but the racial discrimination and exclusionary mechanisms are likewise there, only more hidden and perhaps confusing. British Reggae acts like Steel Pulse and Misty In Roots therefore have mainly socially critical and Rastafari-inspired lyrics, and to a lesser degree also Aswad (whose band names means after all “Black” in Arab). The biggest hit in the “mainstream” of Aswad was, predictably, a (romantic) love song: Don’t Turn Around.. An “okay” song, certainly better than much that was high in the pop hit parades, but hardly their best song.

The origins of Lovers Rock, however, are rather Jamaican, showing how the “romantic love” theme has never been neglected, sidelined but never abandoned, in Jamaican music. Not even with the rise of Rastafari-inspired Roots Reggae, since around 1973. Gregory Isaacs, is more or less seen as the originator of Lovers Rock as such, although Alton Ellis, Freddie McGregor, Ijahman Levi, and Dennis Brown also influenced it.

Many Reggae artists, like Freddie McGregor, Half Pint, Cornell Campbell, Ijahman Levi, Don Carlos, Horace Andy, the Mighty Diamonds, and Ini Kamoze have quite some love lyrics – about love relationships -, as do later artists like Chronixx, Junior Kelly, Tarrus Riley, Romain Virgo, Bushman, Sizzla, Jah Mason, or Lutan Fyah. Even as these do not “specialize” in them as such (as e.g. Beres Hammond).

More “Rootical” or spiritual artists like Burning Spear, the Abyssinians, the Congos, the Wailing Souls, the Gladiators, or Culture, are less known for such romantic love lyrics, but even of these there are some (exceptional) examples, on some of their albums.

This brings me back to what I mainly want to discuss in this particular post. “How” are the romantic love lyrics in Reggae discussed, especially when compared to other music genres world wide?

I have a Spanish-speaking background (Spanish mother), and understand Spanish since I was a child (in fact before I learned Dutch, even if born and grown in the Netherlands). For that reason I can compare with lyrics in Spanish pop (Julio Iglesias for instance) or folk genres like Flamenco music, having a rich poetic legacy. Moreover, I understand lyrics in Latin American and Spanish Caribbean genres too: Cuban music, Merengue, Salsa, Colombian cumbia and other genres.

This knowledge of languages – I also understand many Italian, French, and Portuguese lyrics for instance – gives me more “material” to compare with. This besides the fact that have been listening to varied Reggae music (old and new) since my early teenager years, and already knew English quite well then.

MAINSTREAM

Well, romantic love lyrics tend to be more commercial, better for crossing over to other audiences, or the main stream. Reggae artists experienced this, although not always due to a conscious, commercial strategy. Rastafari and socially rebellious lyrics of Dennis Brown or Gregory Isaacs – of which there are many examples too, of course – never became (relatively) big hits for them like Brown’s Money In My Pocket (his biggest hit, overall, commercially, ranking e.g. high in British charts), or Isaacs’ Night Nurse. The same applies to an artist like Ras Shiloh, whose biggest hit up to now is still Are You Satisfied, while he arguably has better (but more conscious) songs.

I consider myself more or less a Gregory Isaacs fan, but admit that I by now have heard Night Nurse too much; I grew tired of it. Its lyrics are perhaps more sexual than “romantic love”, but either way not “conscious”’.

With romantic love you reach the mainstream, because supposedly is more recognizable by “others”, outside the musical culture or scenes. They seemingly represent universal, human traits beyond a specific culture (like in this case Jamaica’s..).. or does it?

To a degree, I think, yes. Being in love is being in love universally, a largely biological, human need and behavior, with similar effects across cultures and races.

SPECIFIC CULTURE

There are, however, cultural specifics that I find must be emphasized. There are many cultures in the world where “boy meets girl in a social setting, flirting, and eyes meet etcetera” is not the norm. Arranged marriages through parents are there the norm, leaving actual “love feelings” to the hidden, clandestine areas. In the more strict Hinduist and Islamic interpretations this is still the case. Earlier in history also in Europe: my mother told me a story about (landowning) parents in her village of birth in South West Spain, objecting to and trying to keep their son from having a love affair with a very poor, peasant girl in the same village.

Also “macho” cultural norms and historical male privileges in culture and society can disturb such “love relationships”, as certain insecure men actually expect women to be more their servants or concubines, rather than another equal person that you have warm feelings for, and share minds and hearts with, on the basis of equality.

Most Jamaicans are of sub-Saharan African descent, a cultural heritage inevitably mixed with slavery and colonialism with European culture, mostly of the Anglo-Saxon type in Jamaica.

The cultures and areas where enslaved Africans were taken from to Jamaica, relatively many from the Ghana, Nigeria, and Congo areas, had historically no lesser place for women than in Europe of the time. In some areas, African women even had more rights, up to around the 19th c., than in countries like Britain at the time, with a Protestant rigidity, or Spain and Portugal, where Catholicism combined with remnants of an Islamic past to keep women as subservient to and dependent on men in society and families, resulting in a “machismo” cult.

I think a reason why this “backward” myth of African gender roles still persists, is the place of “polygamy” in African societies. This tended historically to be formally rejected in Christian Europe (but hiddenly practiced, and more or less accepted if by men, a bit more openly in the “Latino” countries), while it was more openly present and accepted in African societies, in the same period (around the 18th c. AD). In many cultures, such as in Ghana before Christianity really became influential there, and in the area of Nigeria and Congo too, men and women of mature ages tended to live apart in their own, separate dwellings, occasionally “visiting” male or female partners for amorous encounters: mostly “visiting” several women (and men!) in the same life period. Among the more isolated (African-descended) Maroon communities in Suriname this practice is still maintained up to the present, by the way.

There is however a strong Christian influence in Jamaica too, so these remnants of this variant of “equal” polygamy – differing from the male-directed one in Islam – are discarded for single partners, marriages, exclusive relationships, etcetera, i.e. family values from European Christianity.

Womanizing or polygamous tendencies are certainly strong in Jamaica, to be sure, fathering children with several women in fact quite common, for example. These are however influenced also by the slavery past, when White slave-owners tended to have (then mostly forced) sexual relationships with several female slaves, even when having a wife at home (many slave-owners were single men, other had wives in England). A bad example on the former slaves, so to speak.

THEMES

All this somehow shapes the “romantic love” lyrics in Jamaican Reggae, partly having similar “tropes” as in Anglo-Saxon or many Latin “pop” love songs (do you love me, give me love, please be faithful, and I saw you with another man). There are for that reason similarities between such romantic love lyrics, in content, between Reggae artists, and those in quite other genres, such as Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias, French “chansons” like of Jacques Brel, or songs by artists like Van Morrison, songs in Salsa, Merengue, Bossa Nova, Rock or Blues, or even of Country artists. There are different accents per genre, that is true, but also similarities in treating themes like being in love, wanting someone, heart break, breaking up, cheating, lost love, etcetera.

If you would translate lyrics by, e.g. Latin crooners like, for instance, Juan Luis Guerra (Dominican Republic), Julio Iglesias (Spain), or his son Enrique, from Spanish to English, some lyrics would resemble superficially some of those you hear in Reggae “you don’t love me and I know..”, “what I won’t do for your love”, “for the love of a woman”, “don’t be afraid of my love”..such themes. So do, of course, many Soul music lyrics since the Motown days, even influencing some Reggae artists.

On the other hand, some themes recurring in Reggae love lyrics are more unique to the genre though, and there it becomes interesting..

PRINCESSES AND EMPRESSES

After comparing, there is one aspect of male-female relationships that are more common in Reggae than in other genres. One is the referring to women as “African Princess” “(African) Empress”, “Lioness”, or “Roots daughter”, as part of the Africa-centered movement, that Rastafari is. There are love lyrics praising a loved woman with proper Rastafari values, or those lamenting women lacking them.

This was all there since the 1970, way before Tarrus Riley had his big hit She’s Royal, with such respectful lyrics. Another song that is fine, but I have heard too much by now..

GOLD DIGGERS

“Gold diggers”, or women seeking money through relationships with men, are very common too. Several Reggae lyrics lament women only wanting or faking love to get money from them as men, thus playing games. These exist in Reggae already since around the 1970s. Understandable, perhaps, in a socioeconomic context with much poverty as Jamaica’s. Women in such contexts search ways to “hustle” too (like men), to get by, using like other skilled hustlers weak spots, such as those of men. Such opportunistic behavior got and gets quite some attention in Reggae lyrics. It is not the only genre where one finds this, it is also heard in Hip-hop. The term “Gold Digger” from Hip-hop also reached Jamaican lyrics in more recent times.

SENSUAL

Some lyrics can be categorized under “romantic love lyrics”, but are rather more “lewd” or sexual and sensual in main focus. This cheeky “double entendre” has quite a tradition in some Caribbean genres (calypso, mento a.o.), including in Cuban or Dominican music. Of course there is an obvious interrelation as love can be expressed sexually in healthy, or more meaningful relationships, but some songs – also in Reggae – focus more on the sensual/sexual part. In Dancehall this is often more “slackness”: explicit (more “pornographic”) lyrics, more sex-focussed, and often degrading to women or consisting of empty “machismo” boasting. Literal references to body parts, i.e. genitalia, tend to recur there too. Shabba Ranks’ (in my opinion mediocre) dancehall hit song Bed Room Bully, that for some reason is lately played a lot in clubs here in the Netherlands, is one such song.

In Reggae and Lovers Rock, lyrics are less explicit and more sensual, especially Gregory Isaacs was good with that. Often it combines with humour. Night Nurse is best known, but there are several other examples among his songs: sexual, but not cynical: Soon Forward, the self-explanatory If You Feeling Hot, I Will Cool You, Private Beach Party, the funny Bang Belly, Welcome To My Room, Rosie, etcetera, etcetera.

Other old and new Roots Reggae artists on occasion also make a “lewd”, sensual song to interchange the more conscious or social lyrics. Hugh Mundell, Jacob Miller, Junior Delgado, the Twinkle Brothers (It Was A Vision I Had), Junior Reid, Romain Virgo, Lee Perry, Sizzla, Buju Banton (Batty Rider, for example), and others.

Then there are more Lovers Rock reggae artists, both in Jamaica and Britain, whose lyrics became mainly about romantic love, with an occasional conscious tune. So, they became specialized in romantic love, lyrically. The other way around from other (Rootsy) Reggae artists, let’s say. Beres Hammond being a main example, Jah Cure another, or Tanya Stephens, and to a lesser degree also artists like Glen Washington, Sugar Minott, Etana, Sanchez, Gyptian, or Busy Signal.

Humour or explicitness is sometimes there, when these Reggae artists have romantic love lyrics, but seldom cynicism. Rarely are they also degrading to women: degrading in whatever sense: as a “religious” keeping down of female freedoms or denying their rights when compared to men, or the other sense: as treating women like primarily sex objects or pieces of meat.

In Dancehall Reggae this is more often the case, though often more “close to it”, because the women’s equality in the whole is seldom denied. Stupid or aggressive macho boasting, perhaps, but glorifying forced sex or rape is hardly there, even in the “slackest” Dancehall lyrics.

CONCLUSION

As an universal and biological human need, feelings of romantic love and male-female relationships, have much in common. Being in love is not stimulated in all cultures in this world, but remain inevitable, or – more poetically put – indestructible. So are longing for a significant other, sensual feelings, missing a partner, or having a heart broken and being left alone, after strong feelings developed.

For that reason, many lyrics on this theme of “romantic love” in Reggae, and its precursors Ska and Rocksteady, from the 1960s to the present, share tropes or emotions with many other genres: Do you really love me? Don’t leave me for another.. I am glad I met you.. and other such themes.

In Roots Reggae, such love lyrics tend to be sidelined relative to conscious and spiritual lyrics, but still recur, with some artists more than others.

The male-centeredness of Christian-influenced Rastafari, but also of the reggae music scene (as other pop music genres), might have caused a male bias, or a mysoginist tendency. Luckily, this is not really there in Reggae. Here and there one notices disdain of (too) independent women in some Reggae lyrics, but the same (and worse) can be heard in, e.g. Country or Bachata lyrics.

Lyrics tend to be sensitive, and present the women as equal, not as uppity slaves or disobedient children, as would do men who see women as unequal beings. Sex and love are after all a thing between adult and equal people. The critique of female gold diggers is more from a “male” perspective, but understandable. Of course, it can be vice versa too, occurring in the Caribbean too: local “good time guys” on beaches starting hot affairs with female tourists from wealthy countries, often at the same time having another Jamaican (or Cuban, Barbadian, or Bahamian etc.) girlfriend. Those are gold digging men, one might say.

That’s a positive thing in Reggae lyrics: the equality between sexes is mostly respected. Another positive thing, at least in my opinion, is that love lyrics overall are not overly “prudish” in Reggae. Sensuality is openly discussed, and playfully so, avoiding the “heavy sacredness” some main religions (Christianity, Islam a.o.) claim to propagate. Hypocritically, often. There is room for “lewd” and sensual lyrics in Reggae.

Furthermore, there are many nice “romantic love” lyrics in Reggae, with recognizable, eloquent lyrics for many people, even able to support or console people listening with similar feelings. By Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Ijahman Levi, the Mighty Diamonds, the Gladiators, Beres Hammond, Glen Washington, Half Pint, and, more recently, Jah Cure, Chronixx, Fantan Mojah, and many, many others. Too many to mention, simply.

Enough, but luckily not eclipsing the important conscious and “message” strain within Reggae, at least not among real Reggae fans..

I made a mix of Reggae songs I played as (vinyl) selecta with such romantic love lyrics, from somewhat earlier artists (around the 1980s), but this is just one of the mixes/selections that can be made, based on my taste and collection, of course..