Bob Marley was a genius, full stop. He channeled the soul of his battered and exploited nation and created something beautiful. He balanced the violence of his everyday with a transcendent love and a politician’s human canniness. He’s a towering figure.
But in this, he was absolutely wrong. Music is pain.
Or, at its best, it can be. We all have breakup playlists, even if they just exist in our heads. We all have songs that remind us of the time they ripped out our beating heart and just let it slow to stillness in the gathering dusk.