Burnin' cover art

  Studio Album · No. 5

Burnin' Songwriting Credits by Bob Marley

1973 Island Records / Tuff Gong 10 tracks 38 min

Produced by Robert Nesta Marley, Chris Blackwell  ·  Engineered by Tony Platt, Phill Brown

Island Records / Tuff Gong ReggaeRoots Reggae
70%
Authorship
Songwriter

Holds writing credit on 7 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 7 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bob Marley carries a lyricist or composer credit.

70%
7 trackswritten by Bob Marley 3 tracksoutside writers
Bob Marley's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist60%
Composer70%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
4
Lyricists
2
Producers
1973
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress (2007)
Data Insight

Burnin' was the final album from the original Wailers trio of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, and authorship is split across all three. Marley and Tosh co-wrote the opening anthem Get Up, Stand Up, while Marley wrote I Shot the Sheriff alone, a song Eric Clapton covered in 1974 and took to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Bunny Wailer (credited as Watt) contributed Hallelujah Time and Pass It On, and Tosh wrote One Foundation, making this the most evenly shared songwriting of the band's Island-era records before Tosh and Wailer left for solo careers.

Bob Marley & The Wailers' second Island Records album, released October 19, 1973. The last album to feature the original Wailers trio, Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Livingston, before Tosh and Livingston departed for solo careers. Burnin' includes 'Get Up, Stand Up' (co-written by Marley and Tosh) and 'I Shot the Sheriff,' which became a worldwide hit when covered by Eric Clapton in 1974.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Get Up, Stand Up
Bob MarleyPeter Tosh Robert Nesta MarleyWinston Hubert McIntosh Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
2
Hallelujah Time
Jean Watt Jean Watt Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
3
I Shot the Sheriff
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
4
Burnin' and Lootin'
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
5
Put It On
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
6
Small Axe
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
7
Pass It On
Jean Watt Jean Watt Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
8
Duppy Conqueror
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
9
One Foundation
Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)
10
Rasta Man Chant
Traditional Traditional Robert Nesta MarleyChris Blackwell Bob Marley (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 7 contributors

RN
Robert Nesta Marley
Writer · Producer
On this album6 written
BM
Bob Marley
Writer · Vocals
On this album6 written
JW
Jean Watt
Writer
On this album2 written
PT
Peter Tosh
Writer
On this album2 written
WH
Winston Hubert McIntosh
Writer
On this album2 written
T
Traditional
Writer
On this album1 written
CB
Chris Blackwell
Producer
On this album10 produced

More from Bob Marley

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1971 83%
Soul Revolution Part II
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1973 100%
Catch a Fire
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Natty Dread
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Rastaman Vibration
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1977 100%
Exodus
Island Records / Tuff Gong
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1978 100%
Kaya
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1979 100%
Survival
Island Records / Tuff Gong
10 tracksProd. Robert Nesta Marley
1980 100%
Uprising
Island Records / Tuff Gong
10 tracksProd. Robert Nesta Marley
1983 100%
Confrontation
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10 tracksProd. Robert Nesta Marley

Frequently Asked Questions Burnin'

When was Bob Marley and the Wailers' album Burnin' released?
Burnin' was released on October 19, 1973, on Island Records and Tuff Gong. It was the sixth studio album by the Wailers and the last to feature the original trio of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer.
Who wrote I Shot the Sheriff on Burnin'?
Bob Marley wrote I Shot the Sheriff by himself. The song appears as the third track on Burnin' and runs 4:39. Eric Clapton's 1974 cover version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his only US chart-topping single.
Who wrote Get Up, Stand Up on Burnin'?
Get Up, Stand Up was co-written by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. It opens the album and became one of the most enduring protest anthems in reggae. Both Marley and Tosh performed the song live throughout their later solo careers.
What is the song Burnin' and Lootin' about on the album?
Burnin' and Lootin' was written by Bob Marley and runs 4:11 on the album. The track uses imagery of curfews and confinement to address state oppression and resistance. It is one of several politically charged songs that give the record its confrontational tone.
What genre is Burnin' by Bob Marley and the Wailers?
Burnin' is a reggae album, more specifically rooted in roots reggae. The record blends spiritual Rastafarian themes with overtly political and militant lyrics. It ranks among the defining works of early 1970s Jamaican reggae.
Who produced and engineered Burnin'?
Burnin' was produced by Chris Blackwell and the Wailers. The album was engineered by Tony Platt and Phill Brown. Recording took place at Harry J Studios in Kingston and Island Studios in London during the spring of 1973.
Did Bob Marley write all the songs on Burnin'?
No, songwriting on Burnin' was shared across the original trio. Bob Marley wrote or co-wrote most of the tracks, including I Shot the Sheriff and the Tosh co-write Get Up, Stand Up. Bunny Wailer contributed Hallelujah Time and Pass It On, while Peter Tosh wrote One Foundation.
How did Burnin' perform on the charts?
Burnin' reached number 151 on the Billboard 200 and number 41 on the Black Albums chart in the United States. Its commercial profile grew over later decades through reissues and the lasting popularity of its songs. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in the United States.

Sources

Wikipedia: Burnin' (Bob Marley and the Wailers album) Wikipedia: Burnin' (Bob Marley and the Wailers album) Wikipedia: I Shot the Sheriff MusicBrainz: Burnin' release group Cover Art Archive: Burnin' front cover DancehallMag: Burnin' Goes Gold in the UK Cover Art Archive: Burnin' by Bob Marley