Apocalypticism in Search of Justice in Rastafari: The Case of âRide Natty Rideâ

Ennis B. Edmonds

Jump to Content

Chapter 11 Apocalypticism in Search of Justice in Rastafari: The Case of âRide Natty Rideâ

äºMusic in the Apocalyptic Mode

èèï¼

Ennis B. Edmonds

Ennis B. Edmonds
Search for other papers by Ennis B. Edmonds in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

ç±»å:: ç« è

Page Range:: 215â232

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004537996_012

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

â¬42.00â¬35.00Â excl. VAT

Add to Cart

æ¾åè®¿é®ä»¤ç

Abstract

Rastafari emerged in the early 1930s in opposition to Jamaicaâs social and political system and institutions that were the products of almost 300 years of British colonialism. An essential element of this opposition is Rastafariâs vision of the ultimate destruction of this system that Rastas deem oppressive. In the lyrics of âRide Natty Ride,â Bob Marley gives a poetic depiction of this apocalyptic vision. My reading of this song, in conversation with lyrics from a wide array of Marleyâs works, suggests that he employs apocalyptic language to give voice to Rastafariâs call for justice to redress historical and contemporary social, political, and cultural oppression of people of African descents and other minoritized groups. In this song, Marley weaves a story of âBabylonâsâ oppressive values and institutions, the determined resolve and resistance of the oppressed, and their ultimate triumph in an apocalyptic reversal.

Rub, rub, rubby doodayÍ¾
Rumpumpum
arumpumpumpum!
Dready got a job to do
And heâs got to fulfill that mission
To see his hurt will be their greatest ambition, yeah!
But-a, we will survive in this world of competition,
âCause no matter what dey do
Natty keep on cominâ through,
And no matter what dey say,
Natty de deh every day, yeah!
Natty Dread rides again,
Through the mystics of tomorrow,
Natty Dread rides again;
Have no fear, have no sorrow, yeah!

Jah say dis judgement
coulda never be with water,
No water can put out dis fiyah (fiyah);
Dis fiyah (fiyah), dis fiyah (fiyah),
Dis fiyah (fiyah)
A yaga yo!
Ride, Natty, ride!
Go deh, Dready, go deh.
âCause now the fiyah is out of control,
Panic in the city, wicked weeping for their soul.
Everywhere dis fiyah is burning,
Destroying and melting their gold,
Destroying and waisting their soul.
So ride, Natty, ride!
Go deh, Dready! Go deh!

All and all you see a gwan
Is to fight against Rastaman.
So dey build their world in great confusion
To force on us the devilâs illusion.
But the stone that the builder refuse
Shall be the head cornerstone,
And no matter what game dey play,
Eh, we got something dey could never take awayÍ¾
We got something dey could never take away;
And itâs the fiyah (fiyah), itâs the fiyah (fiyah)
Thatâs burning down everything:
Feel the fiyah (fiyah), the fiyah (fiyah)Í¾
Only the birds have their wings, yeah!
No time to be deceive.
Oh, brothers, you should know and not believe;

Tell you what; now the people gather on the beach
And the leader try to make a speech,
But the Dreads dem tell dem that itâs too late;
Fiyah is burningÍ¾
Man, pull your own weight!
Fiyah is burningÍ¾
Man, pull your own weight!
Natty Dread rides again (Natty Dread rides again)Í¾
And me say, Go deh, Dready! Go deh! (go deh, go deh)
Oh ride, Natty, ride! (Dread rides again)
And go deh, Dready! (Go deh, go deh)
Ridinâ through the storm,
Ridinâ through the calm (go deh, go deh).
Oh ride, Natty, ride!
Go deh, Dready, go deh!
Ride, Natty, ride!
Go deh, Dready, go deh! [fadeout]

Bob Marley, âRide Natty Rideâ¹

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share Link

Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789004537996/BP000018.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Music in the Apocalyptic Mode

ä¸ç¼ï¼ Word and Music Studies, å·ï¼ 20and Word and Music Studies Online, å·ï¼ 20

ISBN:: 9789004537996

åºçç¤¾:: Brill

å°å·åºçæ¥æ:: 18 Mar 2023

Subjects
- Literature and Cultural Studies
  - General

Front Matter

Part 1 Music in the Apocalyptic Mode

Part 2 Composing in the Apocalyptic Mode

Back Matter

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

	å¨é¨æé´	è¿å»ä¸å¹´	è¿å»30å¤©
æè¦æµè§æ¬¡æ°	849	278	27
å¨ææµè§æ¬¡æ°	12	7	0
PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ°	15	5	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

AppBar-Authors 2025

AppBar-Open Access 2025

AppBar-Product Information 2025

AppBar-Company 2025

AppBar-Contact 2025

Chapter 11 Apocalypticism in Search of Justice in Rastafari: The Case of âRide Natty Rideâ

Abstract

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

Share Link

Music in the Apocalyptic Mode

ç®å½

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

Chapter 11 Apocalypticism in Search of Justice in Rastafari: The Case of âRide Natty Rideâ

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

ç»è®¡æ°æ®