The lyrics are almost entirely derived from a speech made by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I before the Eighteenth Session of UN General Assembly on 4 October 1963.
[1] However, the two simple guitar chords and the semi-improvised, spirited melody put to Selassie's words are said to be unmistakably Marley's.
Crediting close friends, such as football player Allan "Skill" Cole or Wailers drummer Carlton "Carly" Barrett enabled Bob Marley to circumvent his contractual obligations until he could negotiate new, more favorable agreements.
Haile Selassie gave the "War" speech on October 4, 1963, calling for world peace at the 1963 U.N. General Assembly in New York City.
This U.N. speech resounded even louder as Haile Selassie had made a name for himself on the international scene in 1936, when he spoke at The League of Nations in Geneva.
This visionary speech granted Haile Selassie much respect around the world, eventually leading to British military support, which helped freeing his country in 1941.
In picking this utterance for lyrics, Bob Marley thus projected two dimensions of the Ethiopian Emperor: the head of state as well as the Living God Rastafari he saw him as.
Although credited to Emperor Haile Selassie I, whose Christian name is Tafari Makonen, the real author of the text remains uncertain [citation needed].
It is sometimes believed that it was written by Lorenzo Tazaz, a close contributor who wrote many of the Ethiopian leader's most important speeches, including a historic one given in 1935 to the League of Nations.
The song uses part of Selassie's speech that calls for equality among all without regard to race, class, or nationality in his hymnal cry for peace.
In the original speech, Selassie urged U.N. officials and country representatives to disarm nuclear weapons, and to end international exploitation (specifically with Africa).
The part of the speech used by Bob Marley was preceded by the following words: Last May, in Addis Ababa, I convened a meeting of Heads of African States and Governments.
On the question of racial discrimination, the Addis Ababa Conference taught, to those who will learn, this further lesson:Here is the part of Haile Selassie's speech put to music by Marley in his original song "War" (Bob Marley slightly modified the original words, changing each "that until" to "until" and added the word "war" several times): That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace.
Everywhere is war.In his speech to the U.N., Selassie reminded his listeners that "these are only words; their value depends wholly on our will to observe and honor them and give them content and meaning."
The original version of "War" was recorded at Harry J's studio in Kingston, Jamaica, by engineer Sylvan Morris.
It was produced by Bob Marley & The Wailers and mixed at Miami's Criteria studio by Aston "Family Man" Barrett and Chris Blackwell with engineer Alex Sadkin.
With such potent and meaningful lyrics, the song soon became one of Bob Marley's greatest classics, carrying the Rastafari message to the world in Haile Selassie I's own words.
A vinyl single released in Jamaica on Bruno Blum's Human Race label in December 1997 includes samples of Bob Marley's voice saying "Rastafari is the prince of Peace."
We must act while we can, while the occasion exists to exert those legitimate pressures available to us lest time run out and resort be had to less happy means.
We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community.A second mix of this new recording was also released, charting at the #1 spot in the U.K.