1977 · Behind the Songs
Marley wove an Impressions classic into his own plea for peace — and gave the world its favorite singalong.
The song grafts Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready” onto Marley’s own “One Love,” and the join is seamless — Mayfield’s gospel promise fitting Marley’s plea as if the two songs had always been one.
The political timing was deliberate. Jamaica was torn by factional violence, and Marley — who had survived an assassination attempt the year before — was positioning himself above the fray, singing about the alternative to struggle.
Its afterlife has been extraordinary: adopted by the Jamaican tourist board, covered countless times, and voted an anthem of the century by the BBC. The chorus is among the most universally known in reggae.
It remains a great song about the simplest idea in the world: that we might all get together and be alright.