This paper is going to deal with usage of Creole by Rastafarian especially their own new-created Creole and how it is expressed in songs of Bob Marley. But to understand this usage of Creole we need to have some background information. This is why I have to explain the history, Rastafarian symbolism and sum it up to Dread Talk. But before we come to this short overview about religious backgrounds I try my best to give an outline of Patois and what we call Standard English well knowing, that I cannot give a clear definition.
Later on I am going to examine two songs of Bob Marley. But it is important to know about his background and the basics of Rastafarianism what we discussed earlier already. A language is always influenced by someone's background, as where he comes from, his education (or even the education of his parents), where he grew up and what he experienced. This is why we cannot go on without a short overview1 about his life if we want to examine his language in the next subsection.
The sections about Rastafarianism and the life and career of Bob Marley are compiled by several authors with many different opinions or information. The first chapter is a mixture of a collation of the existing readings and my own thoughts. Bob Marley's language is mostly examined by myself and the closer examination of his songs is all based on information from class or earlier work in this paper.
I want to make sure that I do not want to offend anyone by using terms like black, Rastas or Rastafari. I will talk about people who believe in the Rastafarian believe, not all Jamaicans. This will be mentioned if my work deals about the whole population in Jamaica.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. What is Patois? What is Standard English?
3. Rastafari
3.1 History
3.2 Symbols
3.3 Dread Talk
4. Bob Marley
4.1 Life and Career
4.2 Language
5. Linguistic observations on his songs
5.1 “Redemption Song”
5.2 “Legalize Marijuana”
6. Conclusion
Objectives & Core Topics
The primary objective of this paper is to examine the specific usage of Creole—particularly the Rastafarian dialect known as "Dread Talk"—and its expression through the song lyrics of Bob Marley to understand the intersection of language, religious belief, and socio-political identity.
- The linguistic characteristics of Jamaican Patois versus Standard English.
- The historical, symbolic, and religious foundations of the Rastafarian movement.
- The development and linguistic features of "Dread Talk" (Iyaric).
- A detailed analysis of Bob Marley’s linguistic choices in key songs like "Redemption Song" and "Legalize Marijuana".
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 Dread Talk
Velma Pollard called Dread Talk (DT) “lexical expansion within a Creole System“ and claims that Dread Talk is replacing English as the language of the young in Jamaica. But it has to be understood in its socio-historical background, as resistance and as a religion. It was spread all over the world through reggae music by singers like Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh and Bob Marley.
"The socio-political image which the Rastaman has had of himself in a society where lightness of skin, economic status, and social privileges have traditionally gone together must be included in any consideration of Rastafarian words for the man making the words is a man looking up from under, a man pressed down economically and socially by the establishment."
Starting in the 1950's Dread Talk has brought highly symbolic and brings Jamaican patois to a more philosophical level as Rastas view speech as a “holy tool”. Barrett states three difficulties for foreign learners to understand this Rasta dialect:
1. It is very ungrammatical when it is spoken by uneducated people
2. It is a dialect used at the philosophical level
3. Subject-object oppositions and verbs are rare
In DT Rastafarians break English words down and mix them with new created sounds to a complete new language. The English word “dedicate” for example is in DT “livicate” because they replaced the prefix /de/ with /liv/ for the reason of /de/ is mostly used in dismal words like death and destruction.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the paper's aim to explore Rastafarian Creole and its manifestation in Bob Marley’s music while establishing the necessity of understanding the cultural and religious background.
2. What is Patois? What is Standard English?: This chapter defines the linguistic landscape of Jamaica, distinguishing between Jamaican Patois as a creole language and the influence of Standard English.
3. Rastafari: This chapter covers the history, symbols, and linguistic evolution of the Rastafarian movement, specifically explaining "Dread Talk" as a form of resistance.
4. Bob Marley: This chapter provides an overview of Bob Marley's life, his career, and how his religious conversion influenced the linguistic nuances found in his song lyrics.
5. Linguistic observations on his songs: This chapter presents a detailed linguistic breakdown of "Redemption Song" and "Legalize Marijuana," identifying specific creole features and patterns in Marley's songwriting.
6. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the findings regarding the intentional and incidental use of Creole in Marley's music and suggests areas for future research.
Keywords
Jamaican Patois, Rastafarianism, Dread Talk, Bob Marley, Creole, Iyaric, Linguistic variation, Reggae, Babylon, Jah, Language identity, Socio-political resistance, Caribbean English, Dialect, Lexical expansion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the unique usage of Creole by Rastafarians, specifically "Dread Talk," and how this language is utilized in the musical compositions of Bob Marley.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The central themes include the linguistic distinction between Patois and Standard English, the origins and symbolism of the Rastafarian religion, and how language acts as a tool for political and social resistance.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze how religious beliefs and socio-historical experiences shape language in the Jamaican context, specifically looking at how Bob Marley integrates his worldview into his lyrics.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The paper utilizes a qualitative analysis approach, combining historical and cultural context with a linguistic examination of specific song lyrics to identify creole features.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the history of Rastafari, the definition of Dread Talk, biographical information on Bob Marley, and a direct linguistic analysis of two of his songs.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include Jamaican Patois, Rastafarianism, Dread Talk, Bob Marley, Creole, linguistic variation, and socio-political resistance.
Why does the author argue that Bob Marley uses "I" instead of other pronouns?
The author explains that the use of "I" (e.g., "I and I") is a central feature of Dread Talk, serving as a reminder of communal identity and expressing positivity by avoiding pronouns associated with subordination.
What does the author mean by "Babylon" in the context of Rastafarianism?
In the text, "Babylon" refers to the western or white civilization, which Rastafarians blame for oppression, materialism, and corruption; it represents the system they are resisting.
- Quote paper
- Johannes Schiefer (Author), 2008, Patois and the Rastafarian use of English , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/167868
