Peterson 1

David J. Peterson

Prof. Peterson

English 100

15 Oct. 2008

Get Up, Stand Up

Bob Marley was a revolutionary musically, socially and politically, the three elements often being blended together in his musical compositions. Marley used his songs not only to entertain, but to teach. His multi-layered attack gives listeners something to look for—to puzzle out—and continues to excite fans both old and new.

Non-Jamaican listeners often interpret Marley’s lyrics simplistically (e.g., “This song’s about pot, heh, heh… Legalize it!”) because the social background that influenced his songs remains opaque. To fully appreciate what Marley was doing, and what his message was, one has to do a little digging.

Bob Marley’s story is well-known to many, both fans and non-fans alike, and was probably captured best by Tim White in his biography Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob

Marley. For the uninitiated, a brief refresher will do. Bob Marley was born in Jamaica to an eighteen year-old native Jamaican woman and a fifty year-old British naval officer— a man Bob Marley would see infrequently throughout the course of his life. Despite his small size, he was a good fighter, earning him the nickname Tuff Gong, and the respect of his peers growing up in the Jamaican slums around Kingston. It was here where he was introduced to two lifelong passions: music and the Rastafarian religion. Marley soon formed a band with Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh—first known as the Wailing

Wailers, and later Bob Marley and the Wailers—and before long, they became an international sensation. Peterson 2

As Marley progressed musically, he became increasingly socially conscious, and his lyrics began to reflect that. His songs would preach the virtues of the Rastafarian religion, the evils of industrialized Western society, and the strength of Jamaicans and

Africans. The culmination of his political involvement was probably the free concert he played in Kingston’s National Heroes Park on December 5, 1976. Despite being shot the day prior to the concert, Marley still got up on stage and played a few songs for the crowd, so important were his ideals to him.

If we accept that Marley’s principles were of paramount importance to him, and that he used his music as a vehicle to spread his ideas, the next step is to analyze his music. While Marley wrote quite a few songs that had nothing to do with politics or religion (e.g., “Rock Sweet Rock” and “Soul Shakedown Party”), I want to take a look at two songs in particular and the message behind them: “Duppy Conqueror” and “Who

Is Mr. Brown?” or “Mr. Brown”1.

Though one, of course, can’t be certain, since the author is deceased, there is a significant amount of evidence which suggests that these two songs are thematically linked: both, for example, involve tales of supernatural phenomena common to

Jamaican folklore; both also employ a good deal of Jamaican Patois not always included in Marley’s recordings; and, of course, most obviously, both originally appeared on the same album. More interesting, though, is the musical structure of each song. Both songs contain the exact same chords in the exact same order—and both are in the key of

C# major. Each song is broken into two sections: a verse/chorus section (chords: C# F#

1 Different sources give the song a different title, as do different studio releases. I’ll use the title “Mr. Brown” throughout this essay. Peterson 3

G# F#), and a bridge (chords: F# A#m F# A#m F# A#m G#)2. Schematically, the progression of the verse/chorus is I IV V IV, and the progression of the bridge is IV

VIx3 V. Structurally, the two songs are identical, the only difference being the lyrics

(and a few elements of the instrumentation and vocal melody). While it may have been a coincidence that these two songs appeared on the same album, the evidence points to these songs being paired for a purpose. Operating on that assumption, it’s the listener’s job to discover Marley’s purpose behind the pairing.

Jamaica has a long history of superstition tied to early African religions and the crippling poverty rampant in the nation since its earliest days (cf. Williams for an early account). It’s not my intent to delve into the history of superstition and African religions in Jamaica over the past few centuries, but the presence of superstition in the minds of Jamaicans at the time Bob Marley was writing music is of critical importance to the interpretation of these two songs in particular. Whether Jamaicans believed in the various superstitions alive at the time or not, they were aware of them, the way

Americans today are aware of the various reality shows on television whether they watch them or not. Crucially, they must have been aware, or songs like “Duppy

Conqueror” and “Mr. Brown”3 wouldn’t have made a lot of sense.

So, what are these songs about? Determining the basic plot of each story (for both songs, in a way, are narratives) involves a bit more work than merely reading the lyrics. Take “Duppy Conqueror”, for starters. The title itself is meaningless if one

2 The actual chords may differ, as the recordings are old and poorly mastered, but the chord progression is the same. 3 For the complete lyrics to each song, see the Appendix. Peterson 4 doesn’t know the meaning of “duppy”, a colloquial Jamaican word. So let’s start with a short list of Jamaican terms present in the two songs4:

• Duppy (n.) ghost (in particular, a malevolent ghost that tries to do harm to the

living)

• Bull Bucka (n.) bully

• Mt. Zion (n.) heaven (or Ethiopia)

• Skank (v.) to pretend

Armed with our new vocabulary, we can, at the very least, sketch out the narrative of

“Duppy Conqueror.”

The story of “Duppy Conqueror” involves a man who’d been wrongly imprisoned (the narrator), but who has recently been released. On his journey from prison (perhaps a metaphorical journey, considering he’s on his way to Mt. Zion), the narrator encounters a duppy blocking his path. The narrator, then, warns the duppy that he should let him pass, for he, the narrator, is a duppy conqueror.

The story of “Mr. Brown” is a bit more perplexing, on the face of things, without the true (albeit apocryphal) story behind the events described in the song. As with all apocryphal stories, this one is hard to locate. I’ve combed the internet and books of

Jamaican folklore time and time again in search of sources that will confirm something about this story, but my searches turn up little more than scraps of information. Here’s what I’ve learned from the scraps I’ve turned up.

Some time in the 60’s, a duppy story turned into a kind of mass hallucination. It started in central Jamaica, in the town of Mandeville, and spread to neighboring towns

4 I’m indebted to a couple sources for these definitions: the Jamaican Gleaner, and Jamaican Folklore. When it comes to folklore, it’s hard to find an authoritative source, since, by its very nature, folklore is ephemeral and varies from region to region (or person to person), so, as always, these definitions are to be taken with a grain of salt. Peterson 5

(e.g., Slygoville), then later the entire island. The story was this: a three-wheeled coffin with three crows on top had started roaming through town (at high-speed, apparently) and going door to door asking for Mr. Brown on its way to the cemetery. That was the story. The real event is that a crowd of people began following this coffin, whether or not it existed, and following it through the town. Pretty soon others started following the crowd, and the crowd became a mob. No one knew exactly what was going on, but little bits and pieces of a story trickled through the crowd, the fire fueled by people who claimed they saw something off in the distance. Those at the back, of course, couldn’t see anything, but the idea that there was something out there got everyone frightened.

The result was a terrified mass of humanity wandering all around the town chasing something they claimed to be able to see.

Once the authorities caught wind of what was going on, they came to try to disperse the crowd. Apparently the police were rather brutal in the way they dealt with the crowd (who knows if this is accurate). Eventually the rumor died, but while it was alive, it captured the attention and imagination of the entire nation.

“Mr. Brown” is a kind of re-telling of the event. The main elements are there: the coffin, the three crows, Mr. Brown, the panic, the police raid, and the regions involved.

As the event is being recast in song form, though, it highlights certain elements, and hides others.

So what purpose do these ghost stories serve? Are they mere entertainment?

The story surrounding the events described in “Mr. Brown” was certainly popular all over Jamaica—even major newspapers covered the story (“Lyrics Mr. Brown”)5. But is that it? Are these merely entertaining tales set to song?

5 In the interest of full disclosure, The Jamaica Gleaner thrives off ghost stories such as this one. Peterson 6

The first clue we have that, perhaps, these stories are more than what they appear to be is the common theme of police oppression seen in both songs and throughout Marley’s work (cf. “I Shot the Sheriff”). The narrative in “Mr. Brown” would survive without the added information of the police raid, but the confrontation between the narrator and the police force is the central conflict in “Duppy Conqueror”.

In both songs, the police is set in opposition to the people: in “Duppy Conqueror”, the

“wrongly accused”, and in “Mr. Brown”, the crowd following the coffin. Examined singly, this shouldn’t be surprising (how many popular songs are there about the police acting for the public’s benefit?), but then that raises a new question: Why are these conflicts being compared to or described alongside ghost stories?

In answering this question, the narrative of “Duppy Conqueror” is, perhaps, most informative. The narrative of the song is broken up into three parts. In the first part, the narrator describes how he’s been released from prison after being wrongly accused because God intervened. The second part is a short description of the narrator’s encounter with the duppy in the (musical) bridge on the (physical) bridge.

The final part of the song unites these two elements: the content of the bridge (the conflict with the duppy) with the music of the verse. Musically, then, the confrontation between the narrator and the police and the narrator and the duppy are combined. The result? The narrator is facing off against the forces of evil: the supernatural—the duppy—and the police.

In “Mr. Brown”, the background of the events surrounding the song’s content is helpful. The police are introduced as the people panic (“People runnin’ like a masquerade”), and, from the real events (as related to you by me, admittedly; you’re just going to have to take my word for it, which is not ideal, I know), we know that the Peterson 7 police were standing in opposition to the public, much like this malevolent duppy in the guise of a coffin terrorizing the town.

To complete our understanding of what exactly is going on with these songs, we must discuss Bob Marley’s devout Rastafarianism. The Wikipedia article on

Rastafarianism will give you a good enough summary of its history, but in the interest of saving (you) time, the story goes roughly as follows: Around the turn of the century,

Marcus Garvey began preaching a new type of Afrocentrism steeped in the traditions of the original Back to Africa movement which resulted in the founding of the country of

Liberia. Among the places he visited was Jamaica. One of his ideas was that the

African diaspora had but to look to the first African King for their salvation. In 1930,

Haile Salassie I was crowned emperor of Ethiopia. Followers of Garvey’s philosophy in

Jamaica took this as a sign, and Rastafarianism was born. The relevant tenets of

Rastafarianism are as follows:

1. Haile Salassie I is God on Earth (literally).

2. Ethiopia is heaven on Earth (literally).

3. The goal of the African diaspora is to return to Ethiopia.

4. Marijuana is a sacrament.

In Jamaica, as in America, marijuana was (and still is) illegal (“Drugs (Jamaica)”).

As one might guess, then, strict Rastafarians will come into conflict with the authorities quite a bit, specifically over the use of marijuana. This theme is common in a lot of

Marley’s music (cf., again, “I Shot the Sheriff”). In addition to this, Marley would frequently include references to the major tenets of Rastafarianism in his music (e.g., in

“Get Up, Stand Up”: “We know and we understand / Almighty God is a livin’ man”), as well as plenty of references to the language associated with the religion (Mt. Zion,

Babylon, Jah, use of “I” as a first person singular pronoun in object position, use of “I Peterson 8 and I” for the first person plural pronoun, etc.). As attested by many sources, and as evidenced by his music, Rastafarianism was a major influence on Marley’s life and personal philosophy.

Now, perhaps, we’re equipped with the evidence we need to answer the question about the function of the supernatural in these songs. Bob Marley, as a true

Rastafarian, didn’t believe in duppies, or in the various Jamaican superstitions alive at the time (cf. White). Indeed, he saw these superstitions as holding Jamaicans back— keeping them from the truth of Rastafarianism—just like the authorities, or the powers that be, interfering in traditional Rastafarian life. It’s no coincidence, then, that the narrator of “Duppy Conqueror” has to defeat both the authorities and the supernatural en route to Mt. Zion. Additionally, Marley saw how the authorities used superstition as a tool to control the public—hence, their intrusion into the action of “Mr. Brown”. This is far from uncommon throughout the Caribbean. Consider the situation in Haiti, where, until recently6, the practice of Vodou was outlawed, yet politicians would still show up at illegal Vodou services to win votes (only to persecute those same voters once elected). Thus, in Marley’s music, the presence of the supernatural serves a dual purpose. First, the very fact that Marley mentions the ghost stories and superstitions of

Jamaica honors their history. Second, he’s urging Jamaicans to move forward—to move beyond the superstitions that have, in his eyes, held Jamaicans back for so many years, and accept Rastarianism.

6 My information about Haitian Vodou comes from a professor of mine from UC Berkeley. He taught a class I took called Cultures of the Caribbean, and had to cancel class one week to go to Haiti. It turns out, he helped to convince the government to recognize Vodou as an official religion, since they’d been taking advantage of Vodou practitioners for years, anyway. That was in the spring of 2003. Peterson 9

The notion of praising traditional culture while simultaneously rejecting it is by no means without precedent. Consider John Milton’s classic epic Paradise Lost, where

Milton aims to “soar o’er the Aeonean Mount”, not dismiss it. Paradise Lost, in fact, seems like a good analogy to draw here. Milton grew up on the classics (Greek and

Roman mythology and epic poetry), much the way Marley grew up with traditional

Jamaican culture, and grew to love it. As a devout Christian, Milton was forced to acknowledge that the old literature was blasphemous, and, at the time, had no place in a devout Christian’s life. In writing Paradise Lost, then, Milton could have dismissed the old mythologies, but he didn’t: his aim was to create something better.

Now let us return to the music. Recall that the two Marley songs under discussion are musically identical. Also, recall how the bridge of each song is unique— the one musical change-up throughout the entire course of the song, in fact, occurring twice in “Duppy Conqueror”, and only once in “Mr. Brown”. The music draws attention to the lyrics therein, simply by being different. So what is it that Marley is saying in these bridges? In “Duppy Conqueror”, this is the point where the narrator proclaims he is stronger than the duppy; that he can’t hold him back, because he is the

“duppy conqueror”. And in “Mr. Brown”? It’s no coincidence that the narrator in the bridge calls back the duppy conqueror to prove himself. That is, first Marley identifies himself—or the narrator whom the listener is supposed to identify with—as the duppy conqueror, and then he calls him into action.

Rather than mere entertainment, Marley’s supernatural duo serves as a call to action. By honoring Jamaican culture, Marley sides himself with his intended audience:

Jamaicans who, perhaps, may still believe in the old superstitions. He then builds himself up as a kind of Rastafarian prophet: a traveler on the road to Mt. Zion who is Peterson 10 more powerful than the police, and more powerful than the chains of Jamaican superstition. He is the duppy conqueror. Peterson 11

Works Cited

Adams, L. Emilie. Understanding Jamaican Patois: An Introduction to Afro-Jamaican

Grammar. Kingston: LMH Publishing, 1994.

Bob Marley and the Wailers. “Duppy Conqueror.” Soul Revolution. Trojan Records,

1971.

Bob Marley and the Wailers. “Mr. Brown.” Soul Revolution. Trojan Records, 1971.

“Drugs (Jamaica).” Jamaicans.com. 15 Oct. 2008

overview/drugs.shtml>.

“Lyrics Mr. Brown.” Accueil du site JAHMARLEY.COM. 15 Oct. 2008

.

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. New York: W. W. Norton, 2004.

Wailers, The. “Get Up, Stand Up.” Burnin’. Tuff Gong/Island, 1973.

Wailers, The. “I Shot the Sheriff.” Burnin’. Tuff Gong/Island, 1973.

White, Timothy. Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley. New York: Owl Books, 2006.

Williams, Joseph J. Psychic Phenomena of Jamaica. Orig. published 1934. Forgotten

Books, 2007. Peterson 12

Appendix

“Duppy Conqueror” Bob Marley

Verse 1 Yes me friend, me friend, Dem set me free again. Yes, me friend, me good friend, Me deh ‘pon street again.

The bars could not hold me, Force could not control me, now, They tried to keep me down, But God put me around.

Yes I've been accused, Wrongly abused, now, But through the powers of the Most-I, They've got to turn me loose.

Bridge Don’t try to cold me up on this bridge now, I've got to reach Mt. Zion, highest region If you a bull bucka, let me tell you that, I'm a duppy conqueror, conqueror.

Verse 2 Yes me friend, me good friend, Dem set me free again. Yes, me friend, Dem turn me loose again.

Bridge Don't try to cold me up on this bridge now, I’ve got to reach Mt. Zion, highest region, If you a bull bucka, let me tell you, I'm a duppy conqueror, conqueror.

Verse 3 Yes me friend, me friend, me friend, me friend, We deh 'pon street again. Yes me friend, me friend, me friend, Dem set me free again.

Don’t try to show off, Fe make you friend dem laugh (what a la la), But I will cut you off, And I will take the last laugh. I’m cryin’. Peterson 13

Yes me friend, We deh 'pon street again. Yes me friend, me friend, me friend, Dem set me free again.

* * *

“Mr. Brown?” Bob Marley

Verse 1 (Who-oo-oo-oo is Mr. Brown?) Mr. Brown is a clown who rides through town in a coffin. (Where he be found?) In the coffin, where there is three crows on top and two is laughing. Oh, what a confusion! Ooh, yeah, yeah! What a botheration! Ooh, now, now! Who is Mr. Brown? I wanna know now! He is nowhere to be found.

Chorus From Mandeville to Slygoville, coffin runnin' around, Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town, Asking for Mr. Brown, From Mandeville to Slygoville, coffin runnin' around, Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town, Asking for Mr. Brown,

Verse 2 I wanna know who (is Mr. Brown)? Is Mr. Brown controlled by remote?

Bridge O-o-oh, calling duppy conqueror, I’m/And7 the ghost-catcher! This is your chance! Oh big, big Bill bull-bucka, Take your chance! Prove yourself! Oh, yeah!

Verse 3 Down in parade, People runnin' like a masquerade, The police make a raid, But the - oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, The think it failed.

7 I’m not certain which word is here. Oddly, I don’t think it changes the meaning much either way. I think it makes more sense with “and”. Peterson 14

Verse 4 What a thing in town, Crows chauffeur-driven around, Skankin' as if they have never known, The man they call "Mr. Brown." I can't tell you where he's from now.

Chorus From Mandeville to Slygoville, coffin runnin' around, Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town, Asking for Mr. Brown, From Mandeville to Slygoville…