I've been having to do some research on reggae for a class, and now I can't get this song out of my head. Great song by Jimmy Cliff, featured on the film soundtrack of the same name.
Lines such as "I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than live as a puppet or a slave" are examples of the rebellious nature of the reggae culture, which in turn is influenced by the Rastafarian religion. However, reggae is more than rebellion against the ruling class; it also served as a means to empower the Jamaican people, unite them in community under a shared identity, and give them hope during the turbulent times.
Reggae came to form in the late 1960's, and Jimmy Cliff is arguably one of its most influential musicians. Musically, reggae is directly derived from ska, and both are characterized by having guitar and/or keyboard syncopated accents on the upbeats (if you're counting the beats as 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, the upbeats would be the "ands"). The drums retain the R&B-derived pattern of accenting the 2nd and 4th beats, typically with the snare drum. Instrumentation usually features guitars, keyboard, bass, drums, and might include other percussive instruments, such as congas and bongos. Lead vocals are usually male, and can include female backing vocals which might engage in call and response interchange.
But, enough of technicalities. Here's the music.
