Turn Your Lights Down Low

Album: Chant Down Babylon (1999)
Charted: 15 104
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Songfacts®:

  • This poetic love song was originally recorded by by Bob Marley & The Wailers on their 1977 album Exodus. Marley supposedly wrote the tune for his lover, 1976 Miss World Cindy Breakspeare, who is the mother of Damian Marley. The reggae legend is also said to have penned "Waiting in Vain" and "She Used To Call Me Dada" about their love for each other.
  • The song was reworked in 1999 by Lauryn Hill, who is the 5-time mother to Rohan Marley's children. She recorded the tune for the remix tribute album Chant Down Babylon and the 1999 film The Best Man. The sessions were orchestrated by another of Bob Marley's sons, Stephen Marley.
  • Hill's version is a duet featuring her singing along with Bob Marley's original vocal tracks. "Yeah, everybody raises an eye when I say that," she laughed in a 1999 interview with The Times, before adding, "Steve Marley took Bob's original vocals and put them together with mine, and I love the song."
  • The Fugees singer's revamped version was credited to Bob Marley featuring Lauryn Hill in the UK, where it peaked at #15 on the singles chart. In the US the song was credited to Lauryn Hill & Bob Marley and it reached #104 on the Hot 100.
  • California singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat recorded a cover version for her 2008 Coco album. Her interpretation can be found on the UK Deluxe Edition.

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