3. Exodus
Today’s playlist is the first in this series to consist of an entire album. While all tracks are recommended, the major themes of focus mainly appear on the first side of Bob Marley’s ground-breaking 1977 release, “Exodus.” I can listen to these songs over & over again, each time around more fascinated that they were written 40 years ago, as they seem even more appropriate & applicable today — an excellent example of art that grows exponentially more effective in its timeless essence. The album’s introductory track fades in so slowly it seems to be arriving from a time & place well behind or beyond our own, as if ancient, other-worldly messengers have come to spread this word.
Natural Mystic
There’s a natural mystic blowin’ through the air/
If you listen carefully now, you will hear
For months, I have tried to fathom the logical & symbolic quality behind those two words “natural mystic.” It seems to be a blatant oxymoron — the two words are essentially the opposite of each other — yet they seem to go hand-in-hand when Bob sings them, personifying the term into a real, listenable phenomenon in the lines thereafter.
“Natural” is straightforward enough. As human beings, we are all a product of nature. We all have natural commonalities & experience life in a natural way as we verbally communicate, consume food, reproduce, get sick, get well, & so on. Be us aware of it or not, each & every one of us interact with the natural world in a huge way simply by drinking water.
“Mystic” is what I kept getting stuck on. What in the world is “mystic”? After much time & serious deliberation, the answer I’ve come to is a simple one: something outside of this world. Something unnatural, or supernatural. One is reminded of the way in which many western Native American tribes referred to their creator, or great provider, as “the great mystic.”
So what happens when these two words are combined into a listenable, feelable substance? My inherently simple theory is: a “natural mystic” is a phenomenon wherein which superhuman forces interplay with human nature.
I believe a “natural mystic” has blown many times throughout the years whenever the circumstances in our world have been dire enough for the laws of nature & those beyond to work together to intervene. Apparently, it was blowing in the mid-late ’70s when this song was written. As Bob mentions, one must really be paying attention to “hear” it. In other words, there is something larger than life taking place, & only those who “listen carefully” realize it. As you may have guessed, I have chosen to focus on this concept now because it seems that these circumstances have unfortunately befallen on us yet again, perhaps with more intensity than ever before.
New York Times contributor David Brooks recently stated, “…This is no longer a country in which everybody experiences the same reality…” Brooks’ comment refers to the recent perceptive dismemberment of mainstream media in the United States, under which the separation of fact & fiction has become a task of grave concern & confusion. But when expounded upon, the statement speaks volumes about the current human experience across many issues, on an international scale. Nobody is experiencing the same world. There are indeed different planes of reality & consciousness at work for each individual living & breathing on this planet, & with more controversy & chaos packed into every minute than ever before, it is difficult, to say the least, to find common ground.
This begs the question, in these times of confusion, distraction & even paranoia, what could be the purpose of this “natural mystic”? From what I’ve been experiencing for the past few months, it’s a feeling that falls upon an individual & brings them down from the height of hysteria to a primitive, natural state; they are reminded of what it feels like to be alive, of what is “natural” & what is not. My hope would be that this phenomenon could conglomerate a vast amount of individual perspectives to a common plane of reality, resulting in a unanimous call to action upon those affected based on this enlightened attitude. Admittedly, my final definition of “natural mystic” finally came to me when a robust breeze passed overhead, causing the trees to sway in unison. Like the trees, those who hear this call will now be approaching reality in unison, just as Bob goes on to recite:
One & all have to face reality now
The urgency & timelessness of the “call to action” is hinted at in these lines:
This could be the first trumpet/ Might as well be the last
This could be the first “natural mystic” to unite enough people to incite a successful revolution. However, in times such as these, it might as well be the last chance humanity is allotted to do so. Even more sobering concepts are touted throughout the song:
Many more will have to suffer/ Many more will have to die / Don’t ask me why
Things are not the way they used to be now
In 1985, an unidentified radio announcer spoke of the citizens of South Africa’s collective ethos in the face of an apartheid state: “…There is only one path, & one path only, it is the path of relentless struggle. It is the path of sacrifice…” Mr. Marley’s words resonate this attitude, that suffering & incessant resistance are the only path to justice, retribution, glory, unity, & sanity. The “natural mystic” in the air is instilling this attitude in more & more people by the minute.
So Much Things To Say
They’ve got so much things to say right now/ So much things to say
While the album’s atmosphere certainly becomes lighter & more optimistic (touting a major key in contrast to the previous minor) upon the second track, several themes from the previous song carry over — most immediately, the fact that our mile-a-minute intake of information from too many perspectives in a bottomless variety of headlines & sub-plots. This easily causes one’s head to spin, & requires ample effort to decipher any one direction, source, or issue.
Bob now takes a historical, list-of-examples approach to the timeless, universal experience of oppression & resistance.
I’ll never forget, no way: they crucified Jesus Christ
I’ll never forget, no way: they stole Marcus Garvey for rights
I’ll never forget, no way: they turned their back on Paul Bogle
In almost every account of his life, Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans for challenging the current standard of thought. In their world, anything opposing the current standard could lead to political or social revolution, & was to be eliminated with extreme prejudice.
Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born activist, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914 upon his return to Jamaica from schooling in England. After fighting for equal treatment, economic & social advancement for all black people in America through lectures, outreach & organizing (nearly getting killed multiple times in the process) Garvey was incarcerated under the extremely controversial charge of mail fraud. Many of his peers and supporters suspected that the accusation was conjured due to his association with the Ku Klux Klan in attempts to establish a relationship between the group and the black population. This was not only condemned by mainstream rule-makers of the time, but by many notable activists, including W.E.B. Du Bois. Upon commutation by President Calvin Coolidge in 1927, he was deported to Jamaica as an “undesirable alien.”
Paul Bogle incited protests in Stony Gut, Jamaica in 1865 when he could no longer stand to see the unfair treatment of his people by a British regime. Several protests led by Bogle occurred over the course of a few days, ultimately resulting in his execution, as well as the deaths of 400 fellow protesters. To this day, however, his leadership & the ripple effect generated by the “Governor Eyre Case” is regarded as a central point in Jamaica’s path to justice & liberation.
So don’t you forget your youth, who you are, and where you stand in the struggle
From all of these, we learn that having truth, justice, logic, love, & compassion at the root of your fight, while having the noblest of intentions, is often met with the most unforgiving oppression. The more there is at stake, the harder the oppressors will come down on you — this has been the case for the most notable leaders for centuries, & the mold will not be changing this time ‘round. Marley reiterates the nobility permeating this struggle for such principles, noting that the fight extends well beyond the tangible, vicious world:
(I come not) to fight flesh & blood, but spiritual wickedness in high & low places/ So why they fight you down, stand firm & give jah praises/
’Cause (I don’t) expect to be justified by the laws of men
Guiltiness/ The Heathen
These are the big fish who always try to eat down the small fish
It seems appropriate that Bob Marley & The Wailers would begin an album with a universal call to action, then glorify the champions who act upon it, & then proceed to comment on those on the other side of the fight.
They would do anything to materialize their every wish/
Woe to the downpressers/ They will eat the bread of sorrow
In these songs, Marley calls out all of those who have traded their soul for material welfare. The concept is applicable in every imaginable case in which people are fighting for freedom. When boiled down, it comes down to animalistic behavior — small fish getting eaten up by big fish. As this side of the album comes to an end, the themes previously mentioned are summarized, re-instilling the concepts in the listener’s mind & preparing them for the latter, lighter portion of the album.
As a man sow, shall he reap/& I know talk is cheap/ But the hotter the battle, the sweeter jah victory/
