Buffalo Splits

Bob Marley meets the Banana Splits

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• bob
• marley
• banana
• splits
• buffalo
• soldier

[1GodOnlyOne]

In addition, Marley's "One Love" melody, specifically heard in the lyrics "One love, one heart, let's get together and feel alright," are very similar to the Buffalo Soldier melody heard in the lyrics "wi yo yo, wi yo yo yo, wi yo yo, yo yo yo yo yo."

Note that Marley first recorded "One Love" in 1965, which predates the recording of the Banana Splits song by three years.

Maybe Banana Splits copied Marley.

[1GodOnlyOne]

Yet another similar melody is heard in the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," from 1908, also borrowed from traditional sea shanties.

[1GodOnlyOne]

Specific references:

"Sea Shanties: Haul Away For Rosie"

"George London - Blow the man down - sea shanty!"

"Phil Beer: "Blow, Boys, Blow!" - A Sea Shanty"

Please listen to the above three songs here on Youtube. All of them precede Banana Splits in history by a wide margin, and all three are very similar to Buffalo Soldier.

Obviously, Bob copied these traditional melodies (or similar melodies, such as those in Nyabinghi sessions), and Banana Splits also copied these traditional melodies.

[1GodOnlyOne]

Traditional Nyabinghi melodies have been traced back as far in history as the 1700's, and traditional West Indian sea shanties have been traced back as far as the 1840's, both of which obviously precede the 1960's.

Just because Banana Splits precedes Buffalo soldier in history and has a similar rhythm does not prove, by any means, that Bob copied Banana Splits -- to say so is a logical fallacy, especially given the evidence of prior melodies that are similar to both songs.

[1GodOnlyOne]

Although there is no evidence that Marley copied Banana Splits, or that he ever even heard it, there is ample evidence of similar melodies that precede both songs: Clearly, both Banana Splits and Buffalo Soldier melodies come from traditional West Indian sea shanty melodies and/or from traditional West Indian Nyabinghi melodies.

[1GodOnlyOne]

Listen to "Blow the Man Down" to hear an authentic traditional sea shanty melody with traditional lyrics. Please note the striking similarity between this melody and Marley's Buffalo Soldier, and please note that "Blow the Man Down" is traced to a time period far prior to both Banana Splits and Buffalo Soldier.

[1GodOnlyOne]

NOTE – Although the lyrics of "Fifteen men" are fictional, the melody in which it is sung is definitely taken from a traditional West Indian sea shanty (Blow the Man Down). I used these lyrics in my post, however, because they are the most familiar lyrics to most people, and are only used to bring the melody to mind. The lyrics are not in dispute anyway.

[1GodOnlyOne]

Two very similar traditional Caribbean melodies are found in Bob Marley's song "Jump Nyabinghi," which clearly comes from traditional "Nyabinghi" roots (Marley definitely participated in many Nyabinghi sessions in his native Jamaica -- please listen to the song), and "Fifteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum," a melody sung since way before the 1960's by scores of Caribbean sailors and pirates.

[1GodOnlyOne]

The melody is traditional, and both artists used the same traditional melody. There is no evidence that Bob Marley copied the Banana Splits, or that he ever even heard their song.

A lot of Bob Marley's rhythms are traditional Jamaican rhythms, from Nyabhingi music. Some of it is taken from traditional sea shanties, some of it is African, some of it is native Jamaican, and some of it is from India.

[IDOTUBEIDOTUBE]

Bob's fans will never admit it ...