Walk Good: West Indian Oratorical Traditions in Bob Marley’s Uprising

Bob Marley often used the rhetorical strategies employed by West Indian orators in his songs, especially when he is trying to communicate an important spiritual truth. He uses biblical and folk proverbs, patwa terms and familiar turns of speech to build a sense of shared identity with his audience; then he plays with that audience, cajoling, encouraging and threatening them, drawing them in, holding them in suspense and always, finally, uplifting them.