Song Lyric Sunday: Duplicity – ‘No woman, no cry’

The broad theme for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday could be described as ‘duplicity’. I doubt that many could accuse Bob Marley of that particular character flaw – what you saw is what you got.

This is one of those instances where I had to fulfil the theme through the lyric (‘observing the hypocrites’) rather than the title. However, It’s important at the outset to correct any possible misogynistic misinterpretation of that title. It does not mean that if you avoid women you won’t cry. The singer is actually addressing a woman and telling her to dry the tears she is shedding for ‘the good friends we have lost along the way’ and while ‘you can’t forget your past’ you must look to the ‘great future’.

Anyway, this is an absolute classic and – speaking from personal experience – once you get that hypnotic reggae rhythm in your head it may never leave (at least until your thoughts turn to next week’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt).

No, woman, no cry.
No, woman, no cry.
No, woman, no cry.
No, woman, no cry.

‘Cause—’cause—’cause I remember when a we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown,
Ob—observing the hypocrites.
Yeah!
Mingle with the good people we meet.
Yeah!

Good friends we have. Oh.
Good friends we have lost along the way. Yeah!
In this great future you can’t forget your past.
So dry your tears, I say.
Yeah.

No, woman, no cry.
No, woman, no cry. Eh, yeah!
A little darlin’, don’t shed no tears.
No, woman, no cry. Eh!

Said—said—said I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown. Yeah.
And then Georgie would make the fire lights,
I say, log wood burnin’ through the nights.
Yeah!

Then we would cook cornmeal porridge,
I say, of which I’ll share with you.
Yeah!
My feet is my only carriage
And so I’ve got to push on through.

But while I’m gone,
Everything’s gonna be all right!
Everything’s gonna be all right!
Everything’s gonna be all right, yeah!
Everything’s gonna be all right!
Everything’s gonna be all right-a!
Everything’s gonna be all right!
Everything’s gonna be all right, yeah!
Everything’s gonna be all right!

So, no, woman, no cry.
No, woman, no cry.
I say, oh, little—oh, little darlin’, don’t shed no tears.
No, woman, no cry. Eh.

No, woman—no, woman—no, woman, no cry.
No, woman, no cry.
One more time I got to say,
Oh, little-little darlin’, please don’t shed no tears.
No, woman, no cry.S

Written by Bob Marley