Concert Series

Rarely was Bob Marley as nostalgic, emotional and uplifting as he was when singing the classic song, "No Woman, No Cry."

From the first part of the song, in which he reminisces back to his rough childhood in the Kingston, Jamaica ghetto known as Trench Town to the echoes of "Everything's gonna be alright" at the end, the song is a reggae masterpiece. It's also vintage Bob - an inspiration for generations of Rastafarian brethren and fans of good music.

"No Woman, No Cry," which was originally released on the 1974 album Natty Dread and was popularized even more around the world with its stunning, seven-minutes-plus version on the 10-times-platinum Legend compilation in 1984, was a standout in almost every one of Bob's concerts, making it a perfect choice as the fifth installment of the Concert Series at BobMarley.com.

Once again, we catch Bob and his legendary band, the Wailers, at the height of their musical powers in a show at the Rainbow Theatre in London on June 2, 1977.

Slowing it down into a more passionate, drawn-out trance-like rendition resonated more with audiences than the peppy original studio version, which clocks in at just over four minutes in length. Junior Marvin and the I-Three backup singers shine as usual, but Bob and his lyrics are the real stars.

"I remember when we used to sit/in the government yard in Trench Town," sings Bob. "Observing the hypocrites/As they would mingle with the good people we meet./Good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost along the way./In this great future, you can't forget your past; So dry your tears, I say."

It's a typical Bob composition - a tale of inspiration and love despite the harsh reality of impoverished, hopeless conditions surrounding him. While Bob actually wrote the song, he credited it to Vincent Ford, who helped keep the young, struggling singer nourished with food from his soup kitchen. By listing Ford as the writer, Bob ensured that his old friend would be paid back with royalties.

The heavy reggae groove, beautiful melody, strong lyrical content and power of the repetition of the chorus made "No Woman, No Cry" a hit for Bob and the Wailers in Great Britain and eventually around the world, and the song's timelessness continues to resonate. It has been covered by artists as talented and diverse as Joan Baez, Blues Traveler, Jimmy Cliff, the Fugees, Hugh Masekela and Graham Parker, among many others.