Words and Music of Bob Marley

Throughout his life and perhaps even more since his death in 1981 at the age of 36, Bob Marley's music has demonstrated a unique ability to combine with almost any cultural setting, no matter how different the elements might at first appear. Through his adaptable, yet enduring musical messages, he represents an especially articulate type of singer-songwriter. Marley released a large quantity of introspective, autobiographical material at the height of his success and it is thus only in a work such as this—in which the artist is investigated through his recorded output—that one can understand who this great man truly was and what he hoped to achieve through his life and music. Time magazine made Bob Marley's impact strikingly clear when it named Exodus the most important album of the 20th century. Throughout his life and perhaps even more since his death in 1981 at the age of 36, Marley's music has demonstrated a unique ability to combine with almost any cultural setting, no matter how different the elements might at first appear. Through his adaptable, yet enduring musical messages, he represents an especially articulate type of singer-songwriter. Marley released a large quantity of introspective, autobiographical material at the height of his success and it is thus only in a work such as this—in which the artist is investigated through his recorded output—that one can understand who this great man truly was and what he hoped to achieve through his life and music. The Words and Music of Bob Marley investigates Marley's creative output chronologically and provides complementary biographical information where it is relevant and helpful. Themes discussed throughout the book include protest, revolution, love, hate, biblical concepts, and Rastafari culture.

David Moskowitz is Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of South Dakota. He is the author of the Greenwood reference book, The Encyclopedia of Reggae and Caribbean Music.