Lennon & Marley
I know. It's all the same bag.
It just irks me when people are quick to dismiss artists who are not perhaps as learned or technically proficient as others. I find all my joy in the slop. Listen to those Robert Johnson recordings. There is no technical perfection there. But there is mastery. He drove a generation of guitarists crazy trying to figure out
how the fuck he did that.
And you mentioned Lennon - he was not a great musician if you are ranking people by technical ability. His genius was in his soul, and when he learned to let it out through his music he was unstoppable, and there is no one better.
Well, Marley, but that's different bag of lambsbread...I see them as very similar, Lennon and Marley. In fact
I wrote about their similarities.
Nice article, MJP. Reco all Lennon and Marley fans to read it! This is not meant to be combative, so please leave that donut at Krsipy Kreme (I know how things can get misinterpreted in forums, want to avoid that). Curious how you think Marley and religion didn't mix, if I have the read correctly in your article?
Three Little Birds, I believe is relative to Psalms 84:3.
Some of Marley's lyrics from the song:
Rise up this mornin,
Smiled with the risin sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin, this is my message to you-ou-ou:
Singin: dont worry about a thing, worry about a thing, oh!
Every little thing gonna be all right. dont worry!
Singin: dont worry about a thing - I wont worry!
cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Marley also sings: "Let Jah provide the way..."
The Jah definition from WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jah
As far as JL goes, man, I miss him. Paint him. And my son, 12, knows most of his lyrics, and what I believe them to mean...we have long discussions about him. Try explaining in today's world, "Give peace a chance." Sounds simple, but try it. Or, explaining, "Imagine there's no heaven, I wonder if you can..." I'm not a bible thumper, but do believe in God.
Here's a snippet of something I wrote when asked to give a few remarks recently at an art event:
//
Imagine a world without music.
Imagine a world without art.
The wind would have never cried Mary.
The jingle jangle morning would have never followed us.
We'd never strive to break on through to the other side.
Me and Bobby McGee would have never been busted down in Baton Rouge.
The sky would have never cried.
We would have never traveled down Thunder Road.
Jailhouses would have never rocked.
Strawberry fields wouldn't have been forever.
Important Redemption songs would have never been sung.
Little pink houses wouldn't have been built.
We wouldn't know to give peace a chance.
Imagine a world without music.
Imagine a world without art.
//
I agree with your view on Marley and Lennon being similar. Both men I admire; hold close to my heart for many reasons. They have, for lack of better words, helped change and shape my life.