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Outstanding essay! One that made me introspective.

Having lived in England (specifically, London) at the tail end of the 70s and through the 80s, one truly can't stress enough the impact "The Harder They Fall" had on reggae, and how it helped bring it to the masses.

I saw the film (reluctantly) with a friend. While he didn't require the subtitles, I certainly did. For a time, Jimmy Cliff was as powerful an influence as Bob Marley.

The film was good, the music was remarkable. As a fellow atheist, I paraphrase the term "For I was blind, but now I see" very differently from its biblical intention.

The "Boney M" version of Rivers of Babylon" remains to this day one of the top ten best-selling songs in UK history.

It's fair to say that the majority of those that love the song probably aren't aware of its meaning (hand in the air). It's equally fair to say that the Melodians deserve much more recognition for their impact on this unique and beautiful genre.

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