Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song' and the Persecution of Julian Assange

Jon Hersey, the managing editor of the Objective Standard, wrote a tribute song explaining why Julian Assange should be freed based on Marley's music.

There’s no shortage of great songs about freedom.

As many will tell you, Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” is somewhere on the top of this list. Few may realize that Marley had what I think is fairly called a “sneaky libertarian streak,” and this is reflected in several of his songs.

Here are the lyrics to “Redemption Song”:

[Verse 1]
Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the Almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly

[Chorus]
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

[Verse 2]
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Ooh, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

[Chorus]
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs

[Verse 3]
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Whoa! Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-ah can-ah stop-ah the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

[Chorus]
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs

It’s a beautiful song, and I share it because a friend who was inspired by this music recently wrote what you might call un updated version.

Jon Hersey, the managing editor of the Objective Standard, wrote what he described as a “sort of song-ified version” of my recent article explaining why Julian Assange, who for years has been imprisoned after exposing the lies (and perhaps war crimes) of the US government, must be freed.

Viewers can view the Collateral Murder video footage and decide for themselves whether they’re watching a war crime or questionable rules of engagement that resulted in many innocent, unarmed people being killed.

What’s undeniable is that Mr. Assange was a journalist sharing secrets leaked to him by a government employee.

For that reason, Mr. Assange deserves the constitutional protections of the First Amendment, which explicitly states that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

Below is the video and the lyrics to the song, which Jon wrote.

I think it’s nothing short of fantastic—it gave me chills—and I’d encourage you to give it a listen and like his YouTube channel.

(Verse 1)

Old Assange, yes, they jail him

For unveiling state secrets

Murders they tried to hide

In their bottomless pit

But his decryption was stronger

Than the U.S. military

He forwarded illumination

Triumphantly

(Chorus)

Won't you help to sing

These songs of freedom?

'Cause all we’re hear to ask

Release Assange

Release Assange

(Verse 2 )

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery

None but ourselves can free our minds

Have no fear for Assange’s Wikileaks

'Cause every truth will have its time

How long shall they kill our watchdogs

While we stand aside and look? Ooh!

Some say it's just a part of it

We've got to throw him the book

(Chorus)

Won't you help to sing

These songs of freedom?

'Cause all we’re hear to ask

Release Assange

Release Assange