"WAR", Bob Marley

                                                                      The Jamaican.

•  "Haile Selassie I, the source of inspiration

 The 4 of october 1963, Tafari Mokonnen, the last Emperor of Ethiopia (1930-1936, 1941,1974) prevailing under the name of Haile Selassie I, to the assembled organization of the United Nations UN) made  a speech in which he appealed to the international awareness on the future of the world while being grateful for what the UN established to enforce fundametal human rigths and freedoms without distinction  of race, sex, language or religion, to have been saved peace and international security, have hastened the independance of some African and Asian States subjected to European colonization, and even privileged to have among States the pacifism that the use of force; what has not been done by the league of Nations, which was unveiled fragile for some States did not respected the established international rules. Yet during that era Selassie did not fail to denounce it in his 1936 plea in favor of his country at the League's tribune where he did not only do a call for help from the League that did not react while Mussolini's Italy invaded Ethiopia in violation of the Convention annexed to the Treaty of Versailles, but a call to the international morality. That speech has not been taken into account but justified with the second world war that was just after unrolling, even coincided with the principes of the UN.

Halie Selassie I

 However Selassie speaking to the international community, denounced certain weakness of the UN not to deny its help, but to challenge the International how the peace remains fragile anyway, therefore a lasting peace would not depend of pacts signed but a consciousness, a willingness to keep its commitments, because as he said the commitments are not used to much that we do not apply them. This peace rather ask for a permanent viligence, courage to speak and act or suffer or die. He put particular stock of African countries (Mozombique, Angola, South Africa) who have to pay at that price their independance by fighting again for equality, freedom and against discrimination.


 This great glorious speech of Ethiopia's Negus did Bob Marley inspired much to use it by taking some of words in his song the "War" appeared 13 years old later in 1976, a song where he dresses a table of Africa situations during Independances. In other side, the fact that Ethiopia be the only country  to have had resisted  to European colonization and be Christian for 1500 years, in the eyes of Rastafarians( a Group developed in Jamaica in the 30's under the influence "Back in Africa" mouvement of Marcus Garvey and Leonard Percival), a group of which Bob was part, Selassie is considered as a kind of black messiah showing African people the ways of freedom.

The "WAR", Bob Marley's song which made him famus.

• "War" lyrics.

Until the philosophy which hold one race superior

And another

Inferior

Is finally

And permanently

Discredited

And abandoned -

Everywhere is war -

Me say war.

That until there no longer

First class and second class citizens of any nation

Until the colour of a man's skin

Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes -

Me say war.

That until the basic human rights

Are equally guaranteed to all,

Without regard to race -

Dis a war.

That until that day

The dream of lasting peace,

World citizenship

Rule of international morality

Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,

But never attained -

Now everywhere is war - war.

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes

that hold our brothers in Angola,

In Mozambique,

South Africa

Sub-human bondage

Have been toppled,

Utterly destroyed -

Well, everywhere is war -

Me say war.

War in the east,

War in the west,

War up north,

War down south -

War - war -

Rumours of war.

And until that day,

The African continent

Will not know peace,

We Africans will fight - we find it necessary -

And we know we shall win

As we are confident

In the victory

Of good over evil -

Good over evil, yeah!

Good over evil -

Good over evil, yeah!

Good over evil -

Good over evil, yeah! [fadeout]

• Bob in his song put in evidence the price for which African States should pay for their independance, their rights, their equality as men as others that shouldn't therefore make a discrimination. This price is called the "War".

•  At that time, some  of african countries got already self-governing, whereas others, particulary southen ones as Mozombic, and Angola, portuguese colonies, are still in firmly control of Salazar's dictatorship (" And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes, That hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozombic") ans South Africa under the apartheid regime("And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes, That hold our brothers in (...) South Africa Sub-human bondage Have been toppled, Utterly destroyed..."). Pan-Africanism and solidarity take place between Third World States to against colonization and racism ("We Africans will fight- We find it necessary And we know we shall win As are confident In the victory"...).

Here are African decolonization dates. (follow the link with site Atlas-historique.net)

•   In final, "War" song is a form of protestation against war, at the same time against racial discrimination, in all, it addresses the points raised by Tafari( equality, freedom, racism, peace).

                                                                                                                                   Henry.