The definition of a hero is someone willing to sacrifice themselves to help others without the consideration of their own safety. A soldier once wrote, "Those who face fire without fear or armor. Those who step into the darkness without assurances of ever walking out again, because they know there are others waiting in the dark, awaiting salvation." Hero is not a loose word that everyone uses. A hero must be someone great, someone rare, and someone who has that special something in them no other person has.
Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley was a Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter. Selling 20 million records through his career, he was the first international superstar to emerge from a third world country. Known for its poetic lyrics and political importance, folk-sounding "Redemption Song" was an illustration of Marley's talents as a songwriter. Though not his most popular song, it was the definition of his career. He did not only believe in rights for the black man, but for every other man as well. “Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.” Bob Marley is the only human ever to live that understands people’s feelings to their full capacity.
“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?” Tons of people loved Bob Marley because of his heartfelt and inspiring quotes. He didn’t have proper education or grammar, but his point came smoothly. He quite possibly saved and a...
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... Superman or Batman or any other fictional characters who mean nothing. A hero is someone who would sacrifice himself for the welfare of the common man. That’s how Bob Marley changed my life.
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Meyers, Gregory. "10 Things To Know About Rastafari Beliefs." Listverse. Listverse, 6 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 May 2014. .
Webster’s dictionary defines a hero as any man admired for his courage, qualities or exploits, especially in war. Some people attribute the term hero mostly to war. My personal definition of a hero is someone who takes a stand against evil or an unjust cause. The term hero can be applied to anyone, it isn’t necessary to save the world from explosion to be a hero. The act of standing up for a friend can also be called a heroic act.
A person who overcomes antagonistic and unnecessary issues in a mature and powering manor. That is the definition of a hero to me. Someone who is being hurt and sees others hurt from the actions and takes charge and does everything in his power to change it. Someone who puts others before themselves and acts in the most chivalrous way. The definition of a hero is different for everyone. Some one might think of a hero as someone who can lift a car and put it on their back, or gives a dying person their kidney. Yes all of those people are forms of hero’s. You can’t tell someone that they are not a hero just because they don’t change into a disguise in a telephone both or can throw lightning bolts from a cloud. Everyone is a hero in their own way.
...uality, nature, anti-materialism and self-reliance. His music was purposed towards encouraging people to believe in their choices and decisions rather than believing in the teachings of societal institutions. Bob Marley criticized religion is an institution which instead of uniting people ends up separating them. He also warns people not to suffer in the name of going to even and live an afterlife. Rather, they should live in heaven on earth that is, they should be happy in their lives. Bob Marley’s song corresponds to transcendentalist who believed that people should not conform to the normal life patterns. Transcendentalists, just like Bob Marley, believed that one derives happiness from what he/she believes is right no matter what people think or the consequences. When one stands up for his/her rights, he/she does not follow what has been stipulated or instructed.
The exploitation and eventually liberation of the Jamaican people have produced a very unique social condition. Reggae music is an optimistic answer to the history of oppression that draws upon the past, and uses it as a resource. In order for there to be a good future, the past must be considered and accepted. There is no way to right the wrongs of Jamaican history, but there is a way to promote awareness of these wrongs.
Although there is a variety of music that could be examined to trace its evolution through time, there is one genre in particular that is quite interesting to examine. Though it differs from other types of music, it will be looked at in conjunction with Reggae music as they have similar ties. Reggae music is quite prominent today in the United States, parts of Africa, and of course Jamaica. Reggae is notoriously known for its most influential artist Bob Marley, and it is not unusual for one to have heard a few, if not many of his songs. Reggae’s popularity is steadily increasing and is doing so through both expansions of the music as well as increasing knowledge on the genre.
Reggae music is a meaningful channel for social change. Reggae music portrays resistance to oppression, it is a symbolic action, part of a nonviolent revolution. It is a type of rhetoric; a method of communication designed to influence and persuade. It is a message with a purpose, it represents a crystallization of fundamental issues. Reggae music asks the listener to reconsider our daily lives and to hear the cry of the sufferer, because so many people are suffering. The lyrics and music of Robert Nesta Marley gave reggae music international recognition. Bob was a charismatic performer who truly stands out as a prophet. There is clearly a prophetic overtone to his lyrics yet he was only given the prophetic status after he died. His lyrics operate on a deep level, yet they typically relate to everyday occurrences. Bob's music was and is a powerful force to ease the pain of life in the ghetto. He embodied a feeling of empowerment, and encourages all listeners to 'chant down Babylon'.
Marley advocated freedom for everyone.” (Burke 20) Bob Marley in more than a few of his songs made a long lived impression with his music. In his song War he also states “Until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race this is war.” This shows that he isn’t trying to just make colored people better he wants everyone to be equally treated. Bob marley spoke out about the issues and was threatened a few times for his life.
Bob Marley expresses his belief that music is a message and route to freedom in the song “Trench town.”
The way he used nature in his everyday life and he didn't need much to keep him happy. He could let others see the world through his nonconformist ways through song. He was just happy to be living the life he was given without a worry in the world. That's why I think Bob Marley fits into the Transcendental concepts of nonconformity, simplified Life, and importance of nature. Although he started off Christian I think Rastafarian made him into the man he was. I can't imagine what kind of things he would've done if he didn't die at such an early age can
Marley uses many comparisons to the biblical book of Exodus as well as come phrases that refer to Rastafarianism. He seems to have a mixed culture that refers to not only Christianity, but, mysticism and Black Nationalism as well. There seems to be connections through out his music that do point to the biblical book of Exodus. Decoding these messages, however, seems to be very difficult. This is because Marley does not base his songs on one specific religion or culture. I think this gives Marley an edge in the music industry because this way, his music appeals to more people.
Born February 45th. In Nine Mile, Jamaica, Bob Marley would advance to touch that hearts of many people. Although he was teased during his childhood for being of mixed race heritage, he still managed to change people lives with his leadership and activism as an adult. Bob Marley was not only a leader when it came to activism. He was also a leader for emerging music. He often communicated politics and social issues through his lyrics. Rather than conforming to the demands of the music industry, he created his own unique and authentic style of music. Bob Marley shared fundamental elements of music in his work that is now found in the music genres of today.
Marley, Bob. "Bob Marley Quotes | Famous Quotes." Famous Quotes | Over 2,150,000 Famous Quotes | Movie Quotes | Inspirational Quotes & Sayings - Friendship & Life Quotes - | Proverbs! Great-quotes.com. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. .
Marley was born into Jamaica’s poverty and it is where he developed a strong love of reggae and became a Rastafari. Reggae, evolved from another musical style called Ska in the late 1960’s, is considered the voice of the ‘oppressed’ peoples. Many reggae lyrics are politicalised and centre on themes of freedom and fighting for it. (Cooper, 2014)
In today's modern times we hear the word hero all of the time. The news media throws the term around as if it is an everyday word. What exactly is a hero? Who, or what, can be classified as heroic? The correct definition of the word hero is: One invested with heroic qualities in the opinions of others. That is a fine definition for books and intellectual minds. To the average person, however, a hero is much more.
King, Stephen; Jensen, Richard,(1995) Bob Marley's "Redemption Song": The rhetoric of reggae and Rastafari Journal of Popular Culture 29.3