Buffalo Soldier (song) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "Buffalo Soldier"
Single by Bob Marley and the Wailers
from the album Confrontation
Released	1983
Recorded	1978
Genre	Reggae
Length	4:17
Label	Tuff Gong Island
Songwriter(s)	Bob Marley & King Sporty
Bob Marley and the Wailers singles chronology
"Reggae on Broadway" (1981) "Buffalo Soldier" (1983) "One Love/People Get Ready" (1984)

"Buffalo Soldier" is a reggae song written by Bob Marley and Noel "King Sporty" Williams, and recorded by Jamaican band Bob Marley and the Wailers. It did not appear on record until the 1983 posthumous release of Confrontation, when it became one of Marley's best-known songs. The title and lyrics refer to the black US cavalry regiments, known as "Buffalo Soldiers", that fought in the American Indian Wars after 1866. Marley linked their fight to a fight for survival, and recasts it as a symbol of black resistance.

Background

The origin of the term "Buffalo Soldier" is theorized as given to black troops by Native Americans. The name was embraced by the troops, who were well acquainted with "the buffalo's fierce bravery and fighting spirit". The Buffalo Soldier's duties were settling railroad disputes, building telegraph lines, repairing and building forts, and otherwise helping settlers colonize lands taken from Native Americans. They were also tasked with protecting the colonizing settlers from Native Americans.

The song's bridge, with the lyrics woe! yoe! yo!, was rumored to be inspired by the chorus from The Banana Splits' "The Tra-La-La Song", the 1968 theme from their TV show, written by Mark Barkan and Ritchie Adams. There has been no proof of this, and an August 2008 story by the BBC seems to cast doubts on this origin story.

Music video

A music video was produced for "Buffalo Soldier" to promote the single.

Charts

Certifications

See also

In Spanish: Buffalo Soldier (canción) para niños