Ooh ooh ooh-ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh
Slave driver
The table has turned (Catch a fire)
Catch a fire (Catch a fire)
So you can get burned now
(Catch a fire)
Slave driver
The table has turned (Catch a fire)
Catch a fire (Catch a fire)
You’re gonna get burned
(Catch a fire)
Whoa now
Every time I hear the crack of a whip
My blood runs cold
I remember on the slave ship
How they brutalize our very souls
Today they say that we are free
Only to be chained in poverty
Good God, I think it’s illiteracy
It’s only a machine that make money
(Slave driver)
The table has turned, y’all
(Ooh ooh ooh)
(Slave driver, ugh)
The table has turned, baby now! (Catch a fire)
(Catch a fire)
So you can get burned, baby now! (Catch a fire)
(Slave driver)
The table is turned y’all (Catch a fire)
(Catch a fire)
So you can get burned now (Catch a fire)
Every time I hear the crack of a whip
My blood runs cold
I remember on the slave ship
How they brutalize our very souls
(Ooh ooh ooh-ooh ooh ooh)
Oh God have mercy on our souls!
(Ooh ooh ooh)
Oh!
Slave driver
The table has turned, y’all (Catch a fire)
Catch a fire (Catch a fire)
So you can get burned
(Catch a fire)
Slave driver (Slave driver)
The table has turned, y’all (Catch a fire)
Catch a fire
So you can get burned (Catch a fire)
Unpacking the Meaning Behind “Slave Driver”
Bob Marley’s “Slave Driver” is a stark and powerful song that delves into the enduring scars of slavery and its modern-day echoes. The lyrics evoke vivid imagery of suffering, with the crack of the whip serving as a haunting reminder of the past. Marley draws a direct line from historical enslavement to contemporary struggles, suggesting that while legal freedom has been achieved, many are still chained by poverty and systemic oppression. The refrain, “the table has turned,” hints at a sense of resistance and the hope for justice and change. Marley’s impassioned delivery underscores a call for awareness, urging listeners to recognize both the roots of oppression and the ongoing fight for true liberation.
Song Credits
Songwriter: Bob Marley
Release Year: 1973
Label: Island Records