Survival is an album with an outwardly militant theme. Some critics speculate that this was due in part to criticism Marley received for the laid-back atmosphere of his previous release, Kaya, which seemed to sidetrack the urgency of his message.[1] In the song "Africa Unite", Marley proclaims Pan-African solidarity. The song "Zimbabwe" is a hymn dedicated to later-independent Rhodesia. The song was performed at Zimbabwe's Independence Celebration in 1980, just after the official declaration of Zimbabwe's independence.
Survival was originally to be called Black Survival to underscore the urgency of African unity, but the name was shortened to prevent misinterpretations of the album's theme.[1]
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted.
ILPS 9542 (1979) Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Wake Up and Live"
Bob Marley, Anthony Davis
4:58
2.
"Africa Unite"
2:54
3.
"One Drop"
3:51
4.
"Ride Natty Ride"
3:50
5.
"Ambush in the Night"
3:12
Side two
No.
Title
Length
6.
"So Much Trouble in the World"
4:00
7.
"Zimbabwe"
3:51
8.
"Top Rankin'"
3:10
9.
"Babylon System"
4:21
10.
"Survival"
3:53
Tuff Gong cassette[]
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted.
Jamaican pressing 7910 DP (circa 1984) Side one
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"Wake Up and Live"
Bob Marley, Anthony Davis
4:58
2.
"One Drop"
3:51
3.
"Ride Natty Ride"
3:50
4.
"Ambush in the Night"
3:12
5.
"Top Rankin'"
3:10
Side two
No.
Title
Length
6.
"Africa Unite"
2:54
7.
"So Much Trouble in the World"
4:00
8.
"Zimbabwe"
3:51
9.
"Babylon System"
4:21
10.
"Survival"
3:53
Island Records LP re-issue[]
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted. Issued by Island Records with a Tuff Gong disc label. Track list revised, all tracks on side A move to side B and vice versa..
ILPS 9542 (i) or ILPM 9542 (1986) Side one
No.
Title
Length
1.
"So Much Trouble in the World" (Bob Marley)
4:00
2.
"Zimbabwe"
3:50
3.
"Top Rankin'"
3:10
4.
"Babylon System"
4:36
5.
"Survival"
4:00
Side two
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
6.
"Africa Unite"
2:50
7.
"One Drop"
3:50
8.
"Ride Natty Ride"
3:50
9.
"Ambush in the Night"
3:10
10.
"Wake Up and Live"
Bob Marley, Anthony Davis
5:10
The Definitive Remastered edition (2001)[]
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted.
Current CD version
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Length
1.
"So Much Trouble in the World"
4:00
2.
"Zimbabwe"
3:51
3.
"Top Rankin'"
3:10
4.
"Babylon System"
4:21
5.
"Survival"
3:53
6.
"Africa Unite"
2:54
7.
"One Drop"
3:51
8.
"Ride Natty Ride"
3:50
9.
"Ambush in the Night"
3:12
10.
"Wake Up and Live"
Bob Marley, Anthony Davis
4:58
11.
"Ride Natty Ride" (12-inch mix)
6:23
Total length:
44:25
Front cover[]
The album's front cover depicts 48 African flags, 15 of which (in italics) are now obsolete. Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe Rhodesia at the time of the album's release) is represented by two political flags instead of a national flag. The cover also depicts the flag of Papua New Guinea, the only non-African country in the artwork.
^The flag is shown upside-down on the front cover and bears a darker shade of blue.
Four states already sovereign by the time of the album's release didn't have their flags featured in its cover art: Cape Verde, Comoros, Libya and South Africa (which was under apartheid at the time). Three states only came to sovereignty after the album's release and thus didn't have their flags included: Eritrea, South Sudan and Namibia.
The album's title appears in white (City typeface) with the Brookes slave ship engraving in the background.
Personnel[]
Musicians[]
Bob Marley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion
Aston "Family Man" Barrett – bass, rhythm guitar, percussion
