Analyzing Bob Marley’s 'Buffalo Soldier'

In my opinion, the infamous Bob Marley, singer extraordinaire, sent us astray with this song Buffalo Soldier.  

“Said he was a Buffalo Soldier - Win the war for America - Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta -Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival”

-- Bob Marley, Buffalo Soldier, posthumous release, 1983

What Do I Think?

What is the “stench” he refers to, and why do we often overlook its devastating irony? 

As with his other songs—War, Exodus, Zimbabwe, Get Up-Stand Up, and Africa Unite—Marley calls attention to the struggles of Africans, urging post-colonial unity. Buffalo Soldier, narrows down on the African American regiments of the U.S. Army. These regiments, created by Congress in 1866, served across the Western U.S., Hawaii, and even Alaska.

I think Marley’s lyrics speak directly to the soldiers and their descendants, lambasting them to understand their past.

"If you know your history,

 Then you would know where you coming from,

 Then you wouldn't have to ask me,

 Who the heck do I think I am,

 I'm just a Buffalo Soldier,

 In the heart of America.”

Present-day narratives about these regiments often highlight their achievements—building infrastructure, guarding settlements, fighting in wars, and serving as the first National Park rangers. These accomplishments are undeniably significant. Yet, what is the “stench” Marley analyzes?

"I mean it, when I analyze the stench,

To me, it makes a lot of sense,

How the dreadlock Rasta was the Buffalo Soldier.”

I believe there are three distinct types of stench tied to the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers, stench that we forget when we hear the popular song.

First Stench: Slavery 

These black soldiers and their forefathers endured slavery and segregation, surviving unimaginable suffering and systemic dehumanization. Marley’s haunting refrain echoes: 

"Stolen from Africa, brought to America,

 Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival.”

The literal stench of slavery is a stark reminder of the entire system: kidnapping and captivity, inhuman conditions of slave ships, buying and selling of human beings, death, forced labor, and denial of fundamental freedoms—including the ability to practice one’s religion. To compound the injustice, the U.S. Constitution de-humanized these individuals to only three-fifths of a person, solidifying their status as property rather than people.

Second Stench: Fighting for them 

Could you imagine being part of a battalion that was created by Congress only a year after the end of the Civil War and the 13th Amendment, and several years before the country made you a whole person? That’s insane. How could you fight for the country and people who enslaved you and freely segregated you from whites? 

Anti-black sentiment was still deep-rooted, permeating both the U.S. Army and the white communities that the soldiers served. Segregation was still the norm. Segregated units, black soldiers under white officers, unequal pay, and harsh treatment within the army, underscored the hypocrisy of their situation. These soldiers were never fully accepted or respected by the communities or the nation they served. The U.S. government exploited their labor and loyalty and gave them the most difficult of tasks, ones that white soldiers did not want. The stench can symbolize both the moral insanity and the physical toll. 

Third Stench: Doing unto others

One purpose for the Buffalo Soldier regiments stemmed from their physical strength, ability to endure, and determination to prove themselves. 

I think this leads to the most vile stench, the one that I feel is completely missing from the song and discussions about the song. The soldiers were instrumental in westward expansion, clearing the way for settlers. Marley says "Win the war for America". But what this really meant, what I was misled in ignorance, was participating in the attacks, eviction, and killing of the American Indians from their own lands -- winning the war against the Indians for the white government and settlers. The settlements they protected were white settlements against the Indians. 

Therein lies the irony, a group of oppressed people being intentionally used by the government and army to oppress another group who had always known freedom. They were mirroring the same oppression that they themselves had endured. 

Why Should You Care:

This irony should NOT be lost . Next time you sing along to Buffalo Soldier, think about it. We should really know how low we can go, as a country, a people, a government, and a military. Were you, like I was, misled by this  omission? Our treatment of American Indians is, I believe, the most devastating chapter in our nation’s history—the intentional and systematic destruction of cultures, lands, nations, and lives. It is the trio of colonialism and genocide under the umbrella of the Manifest Destiny. 

Compounding this tragedy is the fact that we used one oppressed group, African Americans, to oppress another. Recognize the relationship between these two historically oppressed groups - blacks and American Indians when you hear the King of Reggae or think about the plight of either group.

And please, please, do not do something to others while simultaneously lamenting that bad things were done to you.

References:

• National Park Service, Buffalo Soldiers, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/buffalosoldiers/index.htm
• National Park Service, Buffalo Soldiers in The Guadalupe Mountains, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/gumo_buffalosoldiers.htm 
• Buffalo Soldier-Dreadlock Rasta? The Buffalo Soldier of the West and the Elimination of the Native American Race, Matthew Mullin, https://www.uvm.edu/~debate/dreadlibrary/mullin.html
• Image: OpenClipArt-Vectors from Pixabay