Marley’s ‘No Woman No Cry’ sends ‘Black Panther’ trailer trending
Published:Tuesday | July 26, 2022 | 12:07 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Bob Marley’s iconic reggae ballad No Woman No Cry is prominently featured in the official teaser for the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, and, after amassing more than 18 million views in two days, it is being hailed as “the best trailer ever” and “an emotional rollercoaster”. At press time, it was trending at number 21.
Nigerian singer-songwriter Temilade Openiyi, professionally known as Tems, powerfully communicates the passion seeped throughout the song, and although it is not directly said, fans are intricately intertwining it with the late Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman. “ No Woman, No Cry will always make me shed a tear. Such a beautiful song, and it fits perfectly with the movie and real life. Both the King and Chadwick are gone, but everything’s gonna be all right. RIP Chadwick. Wakanda Forever,” one fan commented.
Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, and Winston Duke are featured in the trailer. Bassett’s raw, emotive two sentences are the only words spoken in the two minutes and 11 seconds of intensity driven by sonics and impactful visuals.
“I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world (scene cuts to a mural of Chadwick Boseman), and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?” she asks poignantly, after which the soothing lines of the song, “everything’s gonna be alright”, chime back to her on repeat.
“That ‘everything’s gonna be alright’ build-up will hit anyone with the feels for reasons even beyond this movie because any normal person is struggling through loss, health decline, financial problems or relationship issues,” a viewer posted on YouTube.
Other comments include: “This trailer stands out from every other trailer we’ve gotten in a long time. It’s emotional, elegant, master class, and it makes sure to not reveal too much while telling you what the movie is about. RIP Chadwick.”
“This just hit us at another level. In recent times I haven’t felt this emotional for any trailer. Long live Chadwick Boseman. Always a king. We will never forget you, friend.”
“This trailer is the definition of perfection. Every second is beautiful, perfectly fit, especially the build-up of the song. We miss you, Chadwick.
No Woman No Cry was recorded in 1974 and released on Bob Marley and the Wailers’ classic studio album, Natty Dread. It is said that Marley gave Vincent ‘Tata’ Ford songwriting credits to this song as a way of honouring him and the impact he had on his early life. Marley and Tata’s friendship is well documented. Tata ran a soup kitchen in Trench Town, the inner-city community where Marley’s mother relocated after leaving Nine Mile, St Ann.
No Woman No Cry, which has been covered by acts like Jimmy Cliff, Nina Simone, and The Fugees, is ranked 37 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The more popular live version appears on Bob Marley and The Wailer’s Live! album recorded at the Lyceum Theatre in London in July 1975 as part of his Natty Dread tour.
Bob’s widow, Rita, titled her 2005 memoir No Woman, No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley.
Tems, who is credited on track 10 of Beyonce’s latest album, Renaissance, sings in the opening of the trailer, “No woman, no cry/Oh little darling, don’t shed no tears No woman, no cry/Good friends we have, oh, good friends we’ve lost along the way/In this great future, you can’t forget your past so dry your tears I say …”
The Marvel Studios flick is directed by Ryan Coogler and is set to be released in the United States on November 11.