Bob Marley - "No woman, no cry"

"No woman, no cry" was a song written by Bob Marley but the songwriter credits indicate "V. Ford" : this is Vincent Ford, who ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown, the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica, who helped Marley out when he was very poor. One theory had Marley setting Ford's words to music; another reckons that by letting his friend claim the songwriting credit, Marley sidestepped various legal and contractual difficulties. But most probably it was an act of philanthropy, Marley just wanting Ford to have the royalties so as the checks received by Ford would ensure the survival and continual running of his soup kitchen.

The song was made famous by Bob Marley and the Wailers' 1975 album "Live!", which featured this song as performed in concert at the London Lyceum. It was also on the album "Natty Dread", but this original version was nothing like the live performance. It was shorter and sped-up, with little of the energy Marley brought to it in concert.

Here’s how Dominic King describes the song : "In each chorus the title is sung first in the minor, the melody following the root notes, then restated in the major, the tune rising to the fourth, bringing a sense of hope that problems can be overcome. Memorable phrases such as "government yard in Trenchtown" spice up the lyric, and the atmosphere leaps when the extra refrain "everything’s gonna be alright" explodes unexpectedly out of the second verse".

Available on the album "Live!"; Alternative version available on the album "Natty Dread"