Exodus (Bob Marley & The Wailers Album) - Inspiration

Inspiration

Jamaica in December 1976 was going through elections. There was a substantial amount of political discourse on the island. A candidate by the name of Michael Manley used the campaign slogan “We know where we’re going.” In response Marley wrote “Exodus”, which is the title track of the album. The Rastafarian collective believe the song was an appropriate reply to Manley’s proclamation. Marley’s lyrics say, “Open your eyes and look within, are you satisfied with the life you’re living? We know where we’re going, we know where we’re from, we’re leaving Babylon into our father’s land.” The song became a No. 1 hit in Jamaica as well as England and Germany.

On 3 December 1976, an attempt was made on Marley’s life. It was this attempt that drove him out of Jamaica, In addition to Marley's assassination attempt,"his wife Rita — one of the I Threes, whose singing on Exodus is first-rate" was also shot and survived. During this time Marley saw that the Rastafarian's were "struggling to be free" and needed direction in life. Many of the songs produced in the "Exodus" album are just that. He sincerely wanted to bring his people out of oppression and by producing the "Exodus" album he moved many Rastafarian people towards their dream of overcoming oppression.