No Woman, No Cry - wikipedia No Woman, No Cry This article is about the Bob Marley & Faliyo song. For the 1998 painting by Chris Ofili, see No Woman No Cry ( painting ). `` No Woman, No Cry '' Single by Bob Marley and the Wailers from the album Live ! Released Recorded Genre Reggae Length 7 : 12 Label Island Songwriter ( s ) Vincent Ford Bob Marley ( uncredited ) Bob Marley and the Wailers singles chronology `` So Jah Seh '' ( 1974 ) `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( 1975 ) `` Jah Live '' ( 1976 ) `` So Jah Seh '' ( 1974 ) `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( 1975 ) `` Jah Live '' ( 1976 ) `` No Woman, No Cry '' is a reggae song by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song first became known in 1974 through the studio album Natty Dread. The live version from the 1975 album Live ! was released as a single and is the best known version -- it was included on the greatest hits compilation Legend and was recorded at the Lyceum Theatre in London on July 19, 1975 as part of his Natty Dread Tour. The live version of the song ranked No. 37 on Rolling Stone 's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Contents 1 Writing credit 2 Early versions 3 1974 studio recording 4 Charts and certifications 4.1 Peak positions 4.2 Certifications 5 Lyrics 6 The Fugees version 6.1 Track listing 7 Other cover versions 7.1 With other lyrics / in other languages 7.2 Partial use, parodies and sampling 8 References 9 External links Writing credit Though Bob Marley may have written the song, or at least the melody, songwriter credits were given to Vincent Ford, a friend of Marley 's who ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown, the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica where Marley grew up. The royalty payments received by Ford ensured the survival and continual running of his soup kitchen. Early versions The original demo version of the song which is unreleased was a Gospel version. This version had only the piano riff as the main instrument and was recorded in London for Island Records in 1973 with Peter Tosh and some unknown female backing singers. At the same time of this recording, the demo of the Island version of `` Lively up Yourself '' was also recorded. This was the last time all three original Wailers ( Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Neville `` Bunny '' Livingston - also known as Bunny Wailer ) recorded together in a studio. These versions remain unreleased. 1974 studio recording On Natty Dread, Jean Roussel provided the arrangement and Hammond organ parts for this recording. Charts and certifications Peak positions Chart ( 1975 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 22 Dutch Top 40 23 New Zealand Singles Chart 30 Chart ( 1981 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 8 Certifications Region Certification Italy ( FIMI ) Gold United Kingdom ( BPI ) Silver Lyrics The title and main refrain, `` No Woman, No Cry '' is rendered `` No, woman, nuh cry '' in Jamaican Patois. The `` nuh '' is pronounced with a short schwa vowel ( a `` mumbled '' vowel, often represented as `` uh '' in spelling ) and represents a clitic ( `` weakened '' ) form of `` no ''. It is the equivalent to the contraction `` do n't ''. The song is about growing up in the ghetto and persuading a woman that things will get better, entreating her not to cry. The Fugees version `` No Woman, No Cry '' Single by Fugees from the album The Score Released Format CD single Recorded 1995 Genre Hip hop, reggae fusion Label Ruffhouse Records Producer ( s ) Salaam Remi Fugees singles chronology `` Ready or Not '' ( 1996 ) `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( 1996 ) `` Rumble in the Jungle '' ( 1997 ) `` Ready or Not '' ( 1996 ) `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( 1996 ) `` Rumble in the Jungle '' ( 1997 ) `` No Woman, No Cry '' is the fourth single from the Fugees ' second studio album, The Score. The song was produced by Salaam Remi. The Fugees ' version of the track features Wyclef Jean on lead vocals, and changes the lyric `` in a government yard in Trenchtown '' to `` in a government yard in Brooklyn ''. An official remix of the track, featuring Stephen Marley, was included on the group 's third release, Bootleg Versions. Wyclef Jean recorded a solo version of the track for his Greatest Hits compilation in 2003. Track listing UK CD1 `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( LP version ) - 4 : 03 `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( Remix ) - 3 : 55 `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( Remix instrumental ) - 3 : 55 `` Killing Me Softly '' ( Live ) - 4 : 25 UK CD2 `` Do n't Cry, Dry Your Eyes '' - 5 : 03 `` Do n't Cry, Dry Your Eyes '' ( Instrumental ) - 5 : 03 `` No Woman, No Cry '' ( LP version ) - 4 : 03 `` A Change Is Gonna Come '' ( Live ) - 6 : 04 Other cover versions The song has been covered by numerous other artists including : Nina Simone Billy Ocean Katherine Jenkins Gym Class Heroes Londonbeat Sublime Blues Traveler ( with Ziggy Marley ), Cas Haley, O.A.R. Devon Allman 's Honeytribe Joan Baez Xavier Rudd Isaiah Firebrace Jimmy Buffett Boney M. Jonathan Butler James `` The King '' Brown Tim Barry No Use for a Name Whoopi Goldberg and the Reggae Rodents Hikaru Utada The String Cheese Incident NOFX ( live ), with El Hefe playing and singing alone Tila Tequila Pearl Jam Andrés Calamaro Hugh Masekela Hedley Twenty One Pilots Jimmy Cliff Chaif, a Russian rock band, covered the song at many of their live performances Pauline Black Peter Rowan Show of Hands John Mayer Colbie Caillat Bill Bourne Matisyahu Matt Maher Graham Parker Edwin McCain Keller Williams Eterna Inocencia Linkin Park - covered the song and played part of it during their 2010 - 2011 A Thousand Suns tour. It can be heard at the beginning of `` The Messenger '' in Tel Aviv, Israel. as a duet by Faith Hill with Tim McGraw Sean Kingston Byron Lee and the Dragonaires Lithuanian pop group ŽAS the Arabic singer Ali Bahar. Hed PE - The `` G - punk '' band began covering the song after 2002 at many of their live shows. 5nizza - the Ukrainian reggae band covered the song at many live performances The Collective Sound in Bournemouth, England ( 2011 ) Wizkid - the Nigerian recording artist performed a cover of the song at Koga Studios for BBC 's Destination Africa. Art Ensemble Of Chicago ( instrumental version ) With other lyrics / in other languages in 1978 Joe Dassin recorded `` Si Tu Penses À Moi '' ( If you think of me ), a version of No Woman No Cry totally rewritten with French lyrics by Claude Lemesle and Pierre Delanoë. Gilberto Gil sung a version of the song in Portuguese with new lyrics as Não chores mais, as a hymn to the political activists returned from exile upon the passing of the Brazilian amnesty law of 1979 Daniela Mercury, sang the Gilberto Gil version on Balé Mulato -- Ao Vivo German metal band JBO parodied the song in East Franconian dialect as `` Ka Alde, ka G'schrei '' The ska punk band Spunge is the only band to ever have officially been given permission by the Marley family to change the lyrics, for their cover on the album Room For Abuse. Murder 1 featuring Kid Rock has a version of the song with changed lyrics on their 1999 album `` American Junkie '' Partial Use, parodies and sampling The pop rap band Sweetbox used a part of the song for the chorus of their song `` Everything 's Gonna Be Alright ''. Naughty by Nature sampled Boney M 's version of the song for their hit single `` Everything 's Gonna Be Alright. '' The song `` City of Love '' by Yes includes `` No woman, no cry '' as part of the lyrics. American pianist Louis Durra, recorded an instrumental trio version on `` Tangled Up in Blue EP '' and `` Arrogant Doormats '' ( 2011 ). The Christian music rapper Redimi2 recorded a single `` No woman, do n't cry '' which part of the chorus is `` Everything is gon na be alright ``, the songs is a call for stopping woman abuse. Fergie used interpolations of the song in her song `` Mary Jane Shoes '' from the album The Dutchess. In the 2004 video game Phoenix Wright : Ace Attorney : Trials and Tribulations, precinct detective Dick Gumshoe sings a parody of the song titled `` No Motive, No Crime '', much to the annoyance of the title character. Russian rock singer Nikolai Noskov used words No Woman, No Cry in chorus of reggae fusion style - song Иду ко дну ( I go to the bottom ) from the album By belt in the sky ( По пояс в небе ). In 2013, an a-cappella satirical video parody `` No Woman, No Drive '' about Saudi Arabia banning women from driving, went viral on YouTube with over 11,000,000 hits. Comedy bands Ninja Sex Party and Tupperware Remix Party have performed a short song parodying the song title called `` No Buttsex, No Cry '' during their `` Rock Hard 2017 '' tour. References Jump up ^ `` Entertainment No Woman No Cry ' songwriter ' dies ''. BBC News. 2009 - 01 - 01. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` In pictures : The legacy of Bob Marley ''. BBC. Retrieved 2009 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ Humphries, Patrick ( 2003 ). `` No Woman No Cry ''. BBC Radio 2. BBC. Retrieved 2009 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Bob Marley, ' No Woman, No Cry ' 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ''. Rolling Stone. 2011 - 04 - 07. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Italian single certifications -- Bob Marley & The Wailers -- No Woman No Cry '' ( in Italian ). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 29, 2014. Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- Bob Marley & The Wailers -- No Woman No Cry ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 29, 2014. Enter No Woman No Cry in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ Dawes, Kwame. Bob Marley : Lyrical Genius. London : Sanctuary, 2002. ISBN 1 - 86074 - 433 - 8. Pg. 119 Jump up ^ `` Graham Parker - No Woman, No Cry ''. YouTube. 2008 - 08 - 09. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Linkin Park - The Messenger ( with ' No Woman No Cry ' ) - Tel Aviv, Israel ''. YouTube. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ The Today Show, July 2007 Jump up ^ Nelson, Trevor. `` Wizkid -- Joy / No Woman No Cry ( Bob Marley Cover ) in the 1Xtra Live Lounge ( Lagos, Nigeria ) ''. BBC Radio 1Xtra. Retrieved 24 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Joe Dassin - Si tu pense a moi. ''. YouTube. 2009 - 05 - 31. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Joe Dassin - Si Tu Penses A Moi / Sorry ( Vinyl ) ''. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Daniela Mercury ''. Daniela Mercury. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Hereford & Worcester ''. BBC News. 2016 - 10 - 05. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Murder 1 ( 2 ) - American Junkie ( CD, Album ) ''. Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. Jump up ^ `` No Woman, No Drive ''. YouTube. 2013 - 10 - 26. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 09. External links 60 No Woman, No Cry covers Guitar chords for No Woman No Cry Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Bob Marley and the Wailers Bob Marley ( outline ) Peter Tosh Bunny Wailer Other vocalists : Junior Braithwaite Cherry Smith Beverley Kelso Constantine Walker Rita Marley Marcia Griffiths Judy Mowatt Musicians : Aston Barrett Carlton Barrett Earl Lindo Tyrone Downie Alvin Patterson Al Anderson Earl Smith Donald Kinsey Junior Marvin Studio albums Early The Wailing Wailers ( 1965 ) Soul Rebels ( 1970 ) Soul Revolution ( 1971 ) The Best of The Wailers ( 1971 ) Island Catch a Fire ( 1973 ) Burnin ' ( 1973 ) Natty Dread ( 1974 ) Rastaman Vibration ( 1976 ) Exodus ( 1977 ) Kaya ( 1978 ) Survival ( 1979 ) Uprising ( 1980 ) Confrontation ( 1983 ) Compilations Island Legend ( 1984 ) Rebel Music ( 1986 ) Natural Mystic ( 1995 ) One Love ( 2001 ) Gold ( 2005 ) Africa Unite ( 2005 ) Others African Herbsman ( 1973 ) Rasta Revolution ( 1974 ) Other albums Live Live ! ( 1975 ) Babylon by Bus ( 1978 ) Talkin ' Blues ( 1991 ) Live at the Roxy ( 2003 ) Live Forever ( 2011 ) Uprising Live ! ( 2014 ) Easy Skanking In Boston ' 78 ( 2015 ) Remix Chances Are ( 1981 ) Chant Down Babylon ( 1999 ) B Is for Bob ( 2009 ) Box set Songs of Freedom ( 1992 ) The Complete Bob Marley & the Wailers 1967 -- 1972 ( 1997 -- 2002 ) Performances Catch a Fire Tour ( 1973 ) Burnin ' Tour ( 1973 ) Natty Dread Tour ( 1975 ) Rastaman Vibration Tour ( 1976 ) Smile Jamaica Concert ( 1976 ) Exodus Tour ( 1977 ) One Love Peace Concert ( 1978 ) Kaya Tour ( 1978 ) Babylon by Bus Tour ( 1979 ) Survival Tour ( 1979 -- 1980 ) Uprising Tour ( 1980 ) Associated acts The Skatalites The Upsetters The I Threes Word, Sound and Power The Wailers Band The Original Wailers Related people Chris Blackwell Errol Brown Allan Cole Coxsone Dodd Vincent Ford Neville Garrick Joe Higgs Lee Jaffe Arthur Jenkins King Sporty Leslie Kong Johnny Nash Jimmy Norman Lee `` Scratch '' Perry Mortimer Planno Karl Pitterson Alex Sadkin Related articles Discography Band members Marley Natural Upsetter Records Tuff Gong Bob Marley Museum Tribute to the Legend : Bob Marley Marley ( soundtrack ) Hall of Fame : A Tribute to Bob Marley 's 50th Anniversary Time Will Tell : A Tribute to Bob Marley One Love : The Bob Marley Musical Book Portal WikiProject Fugees Lauryn Hill Wyclef Jean Pras Albums Studio Blunted on Reality ( 1994 ) The Score ( 1996 ) Compilation Bootleg Versions ( 1996 ) Greatest Hits ( 2003 ) Singles `` Boof Baf '' `` Nappy Heads '' `` Vocab '' `` Refugees on the Mic '' `` Fu - Gee - La '' `` Killing Me Softly '' `` Ready or Not '' `` No Woman, No Cry '' `` Rumble in the Jungle '' `` Take It Easy '' Related articles Discography Londonbeat Jimmy Helms Jimmy Chambers Myles Kayne George Chandler William Henshall Marc Goldschmitz Studio albums In the Blood Harmony Singles `` I 've Been Thinking About You '' `` No Woman, No Cry '' Related articles Discography Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=No_Woman,_No_Cry&oldid=799291916 '' Categories : 1974 singles 1996 singles Bob Marley songs Joan Baez songs Number - one singles in New Zealand Song recordings produced by Salaam Remi Songs about poverty Songs about women Songs about Jamaica Song recordings produced by Frank Farian Spunge songs 1973 songs Hidden categories : CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) Articles with hAudio microformats Certification Table Entry usages for Italy Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français Italiano Nederlands Plattdüütsch Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Српски / srpski Svenska Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 6 September 2017, at 20 : 33. 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Question: what is no woman no cry song about
Answer: growing up in the ghetto and persuading a woman that things will get better, entreating her not to cry