Barbados PM Mia Mottley: ‘I’m An Apostle Of Bob Marley’

It now seems customary for the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley to use Bob Marley’s lyrics whenever she’s conveying urgent messages to her peers on the global stage.

Mottley quoted lyrics from Bob Marley and The Wailers’ So Much Trouble In The World (1979) to engage leaders of the North, South, and Central Americas, and the Caribbean who attended the Ninth Summit of the Americas from June 6 to 10.  The international conference, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA., with the theme, “Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future,” is a forum to address challenges and opportunities for countries of the Americas.

In her address to the United Nations last September, Mottley drew for the lyrics of Get Up, Stand Up a song co-written by Marley and Peter Tosh, as she called out the organization for being in a constant state of inertia.

But at the summit over the weekend, Mottley was less militant as she opened her speech with lyrics from So Much Trouble In The World. “Bless my eyes this morning, Jah sun is on the rise again. The way earthly things are going, anything can happen,” the PM began. “Mr. Secretary, there is so much trouble in the world, Excellencies, there is so much trouble in the world, Heads of government, there is so much trouble in the world, Heads of State, there is so much trouble in the world.”

The song was written by Bob Marley and co-produced by Alex Sadkin for the album Survival.  It peaked at No. 56 on the UK Singles charts in 1979.

“I’ve chosen the language of Bob Marley, this morning, not because I’m an apostle of Bob, as you’ve probably realized by now, but also because he reminds us of the day-to-day reality of our people and our citizens.”

The Prime Minister, who is the first woman to lead Barbados, voiced specific concerns on pressing matters involving the Caribbean and developing states which she broke down as “three global crises.”

Mottley was earnest in her delivery, and added “My friends, how much more evidence do we need?”

“You see men sailing on their ego trip. Blast off on their spaceship, million miles from reality. No care for you. No care for me,” she said, drawing once more on the Gong’s words to further stir the interests of her associates.

“If I could have sung it, you would have joined me,” she added. “But I don’t need you to join me in the words of this song. I need you to join us in the chorus of action that our people need, not want.”

At the end of her speech, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who chaired the session, replied with an impromptu medley of Marley lyrics.

“In the words of Bob, no woman, no cry,” a smiling Blinken said. “Don’t shed no tears. Let’s act. We can sing a redemption song together.”