Bob Marley is one of those artists who can hold a different kind of appeal for everyone. For most people, it is his music that really draws them to him. His reggae songs are timeless classics which people don’t get enough of even if they hear them over and over again. But there are also a lot of people who see the songs for what lies beyond the obvious. They look at the message that underlines each of his songs. The songs contain messages of equality, love, companionship, goodwill, peace and togetherness. The songs are also about how man can be evil and how he needs to snap out of it. It is no wonder that people call him the musical prophet of Kingston, Jamaica. It is also no wonder that Bob Marley T-shirts and other merchandise outsell all other music artist merchandise even today.
People remember him still, nearly 30 years after he died. His message motivates and inspires people. Things like his CDs, his posters, his T-shirts keep the flame burning.
But the thing that is really interesting is how young people of today are fascinated by Bob Marley T-shirts. You can find them so commonly in college campuses. These young men and women are wearing the T-shirts not just as a fashion statement, but also for the message that they carry. The T-shirts oftentimes have his song titles on them along with the lyrics. The young people who wear these shirts definitely want to let the message reach out to as many people as they can.
Bob Marley was a Rastafarian. He lived and breathed as one. It showed in his music and the message that it carried. Even his death showed it. He was stricken by cancer very early on in life. The doctors recommended his foot to be amputated in order to save his life. But Rastafari don’t believe in mutilating their bodies. So he decided not to have his food amputated. This led to his cancer spreading throughout his body and took his life.
Today, people who wear Bob Marley T-shirts proudly know that here was a man who was firm in his beliefs. Here is a man who preached love through his songs. Here is a man who was vocal about civil rights and war and apartheid. Here is a man who is the need of the hour especially in today’s times.
It is heartening to see that young people hold this kind of reverence to Bob Marley even today. It shows that his message is reaching out to them. It shows that everything is still not lost—young people still want the world to be a better place. That is what each of these Bob Marley T-shirts that they so proudly wear tell to the world.