Of good over evil...

Speech to the United Nations New York City, NY October 4, 1963
In 1976, Bob Marley interpolated words from Haile Selassie the First's legendary 1963 U.N. peace speech into his famous song War. Below is part of the text of the speech, translated from the French. Source: The 1972 book Important Utterances Of H.I.M. by the Imperial Ethiopian Ministry Of Information, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

"That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned: That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes; That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race; That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained; And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed; Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self-interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will; Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of all men, as they are in the eyes of Heaven; Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil. "

1976 Bob Marley and The Wailers: "Rastaman Vibration"

War

Until the philosophy which hold one race superior
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned -Everywhere is war -Me say war.
That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes -Me say war.
That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race -Dis a war.
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never attained -Now everywhere is war - war.
And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola,
In Mozambique, South Africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled,
Utterly destroyed -Well, everywhere is war -Me say war.
War in the east,
War in the west,
War up north,
War down south -War - war -Rumours of war.
And until that day,
The African continent
Will not know peace,
We Africans will fight - we find it necessary -And we know we shall win
As we are confident
In the victory
Of good over evil -Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil -Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil -Good over evil, yeah!