Bob Marley Music Sales Surged In Pandemic & Racial Unrest, ‘Legend’ Album Back At No. 1 Bob Marley music is doing what it was meant to do, heal the world in a time of crisis.
If you were to go around the world mentioning the island of Jamaica, one of the first people who most would think of is Bob Marley. He is not just the most famous person to ever come out of the largest English speaking Caribbean island. The reggae legend is a global icon on all accounts and has remained the epitome of immortalization in history and music. Similarly to many times in history, Bob Marley’s songs are thematic to the uprising that we are currently witnessing. No matter the year, Marley’s music seems to have perpetual relevance, and even now, as we face these crucial times in the world, fighting for racial equality, his catalog, which champions for social justice, has never been more entertained.
Marley’s timeless music has historically been a place of solace for people around the world, especially during times of civil unrest. His records are known for being laced with conscious messages surrounding spirituality and morality and social and political satire. In “I Shot The Sheriff” from 1976, Bob takes justice into his own hands against authorities. Its symbolism is not lost on the current prevalence of police brutality in the United States and other parts of the world. In 1974, Bob Marley explained the meaning behind the lyrics in an interview. “I want to say ‘I shot the police’ but the government would have made a fuss so I said ‘I shot the sheriff’ instead,” he said. “But it’s the same idea: justice.”
A year later, he elaborated that “Sheriff” was a metaphor for wickedness and can be interchanged with any oppression you’re facing at the time. “I Shot The Sheriff’ is like I shot wickedness,” Marley explained in 1975. “That’s not really a sheriff, it’s the elements of wickedness. The elements of that song are people been judging you, and you can’t stand it no more, and you explode, you just explode.” This likely echoes the recent cries of many black Americans and people around the world facing racial discrimination or being wrongfully judged by the color of their skin.