Oh, it's a disgrace
To see the human-race
In a rat race, rat race!
You got the horse race;
You got the dog race;
You got the human-race;
But this is a rat race, rat race!
Recorded live on the Rastaman Vibration tour at The Roxy, Hollywood, California, May 26, 1976.
On that morning Bob Marley woke up with the idea of making a tee shirt for the concert.
Bob told Neville Garrick (Bobs’ close friend and personal graphic artist for the Wailers)
he had an idea for the concert tee shirt. “Draw a rat dressed as a politician in a suit holding
a M16 riffle and call it RAT RACE ”. There was only 500 yellow tee shirts printed and all in
small sizes.
Roger Steffens found the Rat Race tee shirt in one of his trips to Jamaica, it quickly became
part of the Reggae Archives.
Listen Clothing and Roger Steffens Reggae Archives present: RAT RACE
Rat Race is refer to the race of the parties running for a position in the goverment, a race for
control and power, where dignity and truth are forgotten, all you hear is sweat talk.
The first album of the new line-up 'Natty Dread' was a major success. In 1975 Bob Marley and
the Wailers played the Roxy in Los Angeles. Among the ectstatic audience (apparently some
were dancing on the tables) were Beatles George and Ringo, Bob Dylan, and Jack Nicholson!
Back home in Jamaica Bob was becoming revered as a mystic and prophet, his influence was
noted by politicians. When Bob approached the then Prime Minister Michael Manley offering
to stage a free concert he responded by fixing a date (December 5th) that would conveniently
coincide with the national elections, thus implying that he had the support of Bob Marley.
This dangerous move resulted in an attempt on Bobs life.
On the evening of the December 3rd a number of gunmen arrived at Bobs house on Hope Road
and shot Bob, his wife Rita, and his manager. These gunmen were thought to be the henchmen
of the opposition leader Edward Seaga. Fortunately, nobody was killed
"It's not music right now, we're dealing with a message. Right now the music not important,
we're dealing with a message. Rastaman Vibration is more like a dub kinda album and it's
come without tampering y'know. Like 'War' or 'Rat Race', the music don't take you away, it's
more to listen to." –Bob Marley, June 1976
Price:$26.00
