Our friend Rick was an inspiration to me to want to write the fastest, simplest, most direct truth I could think of.

When we wrote 'we the people' we worked with the idea of simple, declarative statements of positivity.

I learned that from 'get up, stand up'.

Simple; declarative; brilliant.

I note that there's still a decent dose of Rastafarian Proselytism, which you can take or leave as you see fit, Babylon, the central message of the song is simply as well put as I think it can be done in this universe.

Get up.

Stand up.

Stand up for your rights.

Get up, stand up.

Don't give up the fight.

It feels like we're in an age where the norms of civility are challenged.

I maintain that we, individually, are not helpless. That we, individually at first , and then collectively as more of us take a stand,  are capable of holding Authority to account.

It's at times like these that I believe Music has a useful role to play in making those ideas easy to communicate and transfer.

It's at times like this that we need truth more than ever. 

Thank you Mr Marley, you said it as well as it can be said.

Get up. Stand up.