Wciąż niewiele osób wie, że Bob Marley przyjechał do Zimbabwe, kiedy ten kraj ogłaszał niepodległość. Na pamiętnym występie Marleya nie zabrakło piosenki „Zimbabwe”. 25 lat później, jego syn Damian, zaśpiewał inny tekst, też poświęcony krajowi rządzonemu przez Mugabe.
W kwietniu 1980 roku, Bob Marley został zaproszony do Zimbabwe, aby wystąpić z piosenką o tytule tym samym co nazwa kraju. „Zimbabwe” podnosiło temat prawa do samostanowienia. Wzywało do zjednoczenia w walce o wolną Afrykę. Do walki o swój prawa. Koncert w Harare zakończył się inaczej niż Marley mógł sobie wyobrazić. Ponieważ występ Jamajczyka miał charakter zamknięty, a publiczność została wyselekcjonowana, wielu Zimbabweańczyków nie mogło go zobaczyć. Po pewnym czasie tłum wokół stadionu stawał się coraz większy i chciał dostać się jak najbliżej sceny. Wtedy do akcji wkroczyła, „czarna” zimbabweańska policja, pałując napierających gapiów. A jak to się miało do słów piosenki Marleya?
Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny,
And in this judgement there is no partiality.
So arm in arms, with arms, we’ll fight this little struggle,
‘Cause that’s the only way we can overcome our little trouble.
Brother, you’re right, you’re right,
You’re right, you’re right, you’re so right!
We gon’ fight (we gon’ fight), we’ll have to fight (we gon’ fight),
We gonna fight (we gon’ fight), fight for our rights!
Natty Dread it in-a (Zimbabwe);
Set it up in (Zimbabwe);
Mash it up-a in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate (Zimbabwe), yeah.
No more internal power struggle;
We come together to overcome the little trouble.
Soon we’ll find out who is the real revolutionary,
‘Cause I don’t want my people to be contrary.
And, brother, you’re right, you’re right,
You’re right, you’re right, you’re so right!
We’ll ‘ave to fight (we gon’ fight), we gonna fight (we gon’ fight)
We’ll ‘ave to fight (we gon’ fight), fighting for our rights!
Mash it up in-a (Zimbabwe);
Natty trash it in-a (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
I’n’I a-liberate Zimbabwe.
(Brother, you’re right,) you’re right,
You’re right, you’re right, you’re so right!
We gon’ fight (we gon’ fight), we’ll ‘ave to fight (we gon’ fight),
We gonna fight (we gon’ fight), fighting for our rights!
To divide and rule could only tear us apart;
In everyman chest, mm – there beats a heart.
So soon we’ll find out who is the real revolutionaries;
And I don’t want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.
Brother, you’re right, you’re right,
You’re right, you’re right, you’re so right!
We’ll ‘ave to fight (we gon’ fight), we gonna fight (we gon’ fight),
We’ll ‘ave to fight (we gon’ fight), fighting for our rights!
Natty trash it in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Mash it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Set it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Natty dub it in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe).
Set it up in-a Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe);
Every man got a right to decide his own destiny.
W 2005 roku powstała kolejna piosenka, w której syn Boba Marleya, Damian, też śpiewa o Zimbabwe. Jednak jej słowa są inne od „Zimbabwe”. „Road to Zion” wspomina m.in. o prezydencie Mugabe, ale nie jak o bohaterze, lecz bezwzględnym dyktatorze rozprawiającym się z niewinnymi Zimbabweańczykami. Dlatego warto porównać słowa obu piosenek. Być może to nam odpowie, co tak naprawdę stało się z Zimbabwe.
Yeah Man…
Jah will be waiting there, We a shout!
Jah will be waiting there
In this world of calamity
Dirty looks and grudges and jealousy
And police weh abuse dem authority
Media clowns weh nuh know ’bout variety
Boom!
The youngest veteran a go murder dem slow
Ragga muffin sent to call me from the bush bungalow
Unnu watch mek I clear out my voice now Figaro!
Emerge from the darkness with mi big blunt a glow
Mi hammer dem a slam and spectator get low
Some bwoy coulda big like Bam Bam Biggalow
Bust of trigger finger, trigger hand and trigger toe
A two gun mi have mi bust dem inna stereo
Cause
I got to keep on walking on the road to Zion, man
We gots to keeps it burning on the road to Zion, man
Clean and pure meditation without a doubt
Don’t mek dem take you like who dem took out
Jah will be waiting there we a shout
Jah will be waiting there!
In this world of calamity
Dirty looks and grudges and jealousy
And police weh abuse dem authority
Media clowns weh nuh know bout variety
Single parents weh need some charity
Youths weh need some love and prosperity
Instead of broken dreams and tragedy
By any plan and any means and strategy
Say!
We got to keep on walking on the road to Zion, man
(Nas: I’ve been waiting to do this track with you man! Yeah…ha ha)
(Yeah, yeah)
You know (They know)
We got to keep on walking on the road to Zion, man
(Yeah you gotta keep walking y’all,
You gotta keep…)
Sometimes I can’t help but feel helpless
I’m havin daymares in daytime
Wide awake try to relate
This can’t be happenin like I’m in a dream while I’m walkin
Cause what I’m seein is haunting
Human beings like ghost and zombies
President Mugabe holding guns to innocent bodies
In Zimbabwe
They make John Pope seem Godly
Sacrilegious and blasphemous
In my lifetime I look back at paths i’ve walked
Where savages fought and pastors taught
Prostitutes stomp in high heel boots
And badges screaming,”Young black children stop or I will shoot!”
I look back at cooked crack
Plus cars that pass by
Jaguars mad fly
And I’m guilty for materialism
Blacks is still up in the prison Trust that
So save me your sorries, I’m raising an army
Revolutionary warfare with Damian Marley
We sparkin’ the ions, marching to Zion
You know how Nas be NYC state of mind I’m in
I got to keep on walking on the road to Zion, man
We gots to keeps it burning on the road to Zion, man
Clean and pure meditation without a doubt
Don’t mek dem take you like who dem took out
Jah will be waiting there we a shout
Jah will be waiting there!
Clean and pure meditation without a doubt
Don’t mek dem take you like who dem took out
Jah will be waiting there we a shout
Jah will be waiting there!
In this world of calamity
Dirty looks and grudges and jealousy
And police weh abuse dem authority
Media clowns weh nuh know bout variety
Single parents weh need some charity
Youths weh need some love and prosperity
Instead of broken dreams and tragedy
By any plan and any means and strategy
Instead of broken dreams and tragedy
Youths weh need some love and prosperity
Instead of broken dreams and tragedy
By any plan and any means and any strategy
Ay! say,
I got to keep on walking on the road to Zion, man
You know…
We got to keep on walking on the road to Zion, man