Redemption Song | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Guitar melody :|| x8
Verse 1
| G | Em | C G/B | Am |
Old pirates yes they rob I, sold I to the merchant ships.
| G | Em | C G/B | Am |
Minutes after they took I, from the bottomless pit.
| G | Em | C G/B | Am |
But my hand was made strong, by the hand of the almighty.
| G | Em | C | D |
We forward in this generation, triumphantly.
Chorus 1
| D | G5 | C D5 | G5 |
Won’t you help to sing, these songs of freedom.
| C D5 | Em | C D5 | G5 | C D5 | G5 | C D |
‘Cause all I ever have, redemption songs, redemption songs.
Verse 2
| G5 | Em | C G/B | Am |
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.
| G | Em | C G/B | D |
Have no fear for atomic energy, ’cause none of them can stop the time.
| G5 | Em | C G/B | Am |
How long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look?
| G | Em | C G/B | D |
Ooh, some say it’s just a part of it, we’ve got to fulfill the book.
Chorus 2
| D | G5 | C D5 | G5 |
Won’t you help to sing, these songs of freedom.
| C D5 | Em | C D5 | G5 | C D5 | G5 | C D | G | C D |
‘Cause all I ever have, redemption songs, redemption songs, redemption songs.
Guitar break
||: Em | C D5 :|| x4
Verse 3
| G5 | Em | C G/B | Am |
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.
| G | Em | C G/B | D |
Have no fear for atomic energy, ’cause none of them can stop the time.
| G5 | Em | C G/B | Am |
How long shall they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look?
| G | Em | C G/B | D |
Ooh, some say it’s just a part of it, we’ve got to fulfill the book.
Chorus 3
| D | G5 | C D5 | G |
Won’t you help to sing, these songs of freedom.
| C D | Em | C D | G5 |
‘Cause all I ever had, redemption songs.
| C D5 | Em | C D5 | Em |
All I ever had, redemption songs.
| C D5 | G | C D | G | C G/B | Am | Am | Am6 | Am6 |
These songs of freedom, songs of freedom.
Redemption Song Guitar Lesson | Course Preview
Redemption Song is a tune by Bob Marley from the album Uprising. The original and most famous recording was performed on just one acoustic guitar.
However, there are other versions, both live and in the studio, with and without a band. When Uprising was re-released in ’01, the full band version was featured as well as the original acoustic take.
When Bob wrote Redemption Song in ’79, he already knew about his cancer and was dealing with his mortality. How much this affected the meaning of the song might be dangerous waters to explore but there is usually a strong connection between timeless songs and great loss.
The lyrics have a connection with a speech by Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr, an African journalist, black nationalist, and a main figure in the Rastafarian movement. Garvey and Marley shared an interest in fighting issues such as slavery, colonialism, and racism.
Pan-Africanism has hundreds of years of oppression behind it. Redemption Song speaks about this like no other tune.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked Redemption Song #66 on their list of 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.
Learn the ultimate campfire song
Seen as one of the ultimate campfire songs, Redemption Song can only be compared to other acoustic guitar classics such as Wish You Were Here and Blowin’ In The Wind.
As it uses only open-position chords from the key of G, it is one of the best songs for a beginner to learn.
In the video above, you’ll see how you can play Redemption Song on just one acoustic guitar, including the famous intro and all the chords.
You’ll also see two modified parts, learn these and you’ll be able to play with me and the singer, as an acoustic trio. Doing this will prepare you to play with other musicians.
But before we get there, let’s make sure you can play it on just one acoustic guitar first, here’s the intro in TAB.
Redemption Song’s 8 guitar lessons in the course
In the course, we next look at the verse, chorus, and guitar break. You get loops to practice along with as well as detailed video lessons where I talk about how to strum every chord you find in Redemption Song.
Once you’ve learned how to play the complete song on one guitar, we develop a 2nd and even a 3rd part so we can play Bob’s masterpiece together.
In total, there are 8 step-by-step lessons for Redemption Song available. Here are links to each lesson in the course (members only):
- Step 1 – Reversed chromatic exercise
- Step 2 – Individual parts
- Step 3 – Complete song Guitar 1
- Step 4 – 16th note chromatic exercise
- Step 5 – 2nd guitar, individual parts
- Step 6 – 2nd guitar play along
- Step 7 – 3rd guitar, individual parts
- Step 8 – 3rd guitar play along
Become a member today and get unlimited access to all my guitar courses, the SEPR practice route, and the eBook Spytunes Method – You can learn guitar!
Redemption Song | Related pages
Beginner Acoustic
This collection of beginner acoustic tunes will teach you how to arrange for one acoustic guitar, as well as how to create a supporting part.
Playing songs will help you with switching between open-position chords and give you the context you need in order to understand how music works theoretically.
Five similar tunes
- A Change Is Gonna Come chords
- Blowin’ In The Wind chords
- The Drugs Don’t Work chords
- Is This Love chords
- Wish You Were Here chords
Bob Marley
Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, guitarist, and activist. Few artists have had such widespread recognition.
As the most widely known performer of reggae music, Bob Marley is also regarded by many as a prophet of the Rastafarian religion.
Bob Marley on the web
Reggae & Ska
Originating from Jamaica as Reggae & Ska, these musical styles were largely made popular once records started to appear in the U.K.
Learn tunes from Bob Marley, Madness, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Afroman, 10cc, Men At Work, The Police, and many more.
