Did Bob Marley predict his own death?
The influence of Bob Marley has been widely mythologised past the point of his actual career as a musician. While a pioneering figurehead in the world of reggae and ska, Marley was a symbol for a liberal counter-culture that inspired several movements of radical political action. The words said off and on records have since made him a symbol of social wisdom.
His tender vocals delivered universal and pointed sermons, alluding to the black community’s political realities in the 1970s while simultaneously speaking to the masses with his simple but eloquent takes on modern living.
While the lyrics of “Live for yourself, you will live in vain / Live for other, you will live again” on his 1973 track ‘Pass It On’ showcases an all-embracing Marley, the iconic ‘Redemption Song’ reminds us of his brilliant ability to focus his gaze on a specific community.
“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery / none, but ourselves can free our minds”, saw Marley whispering words repurposed from Marcus Garvey’s 1923 book The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey to stunning effect. Epitomising his endless pursuit of arming people with the tools to face adversity, this line became the torch Marley fans carried after his sad death in 1981, just a year after ‘Redemption Song’.
But the very reason for Marley’s profound vocal impact was his somewhat uncanny ability to predict social trends. Whether or not he had mystic powers is up for debate, but what is certain was his understanding of anthropological nuance, how cultures oppress and manipulate communities for political gain, and how that was ultimately a common thread throughout the many chapters of history.
But in 1981, when his untimely death came at the age of 36 and shocked music fans all over the world, there was a pocket of people within Marley’s community that would have been less shocked at his death and more stunned by the accuracy of another of Marley’s premonitions. It was reported that when he was just 24, Bob Marley walked into a bar and told his friends: “I know I’m going to die at 36”.
While Marley’s death came from an aggressive type of skin cancer called acral lentiginous melanoma, it certainly hadn’t developed 12 years earlier when such an accurate prediction could be made. Thus, Marley’s acute intuition about his own mortality has added to the speculation of his genius.
On May 11th, Marley died from the spread of the melanoma that began under the nail of his big toe after refusing recommendations to have it amputated to quell the spread. As a Rastafarian, Marley staunchly opposed amputation and believed it to be a sin, thus refusing treatment. By 1980, the cancer had spread, and the reggae star was forced to travel to Germany to undergo an experimental treatment that would present an opportunity to remove the disease. But Marley would never make it to Germany as he was sadly found dead during a stopover in Miami.
