No Woman, No Cry

Although Bob Marley is widely believed to have written the song,^[7][8] or at least the melody,^[9] songwriting credit was given to Vincent Ford, a friend of Marley's who ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown, the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica, where Marley grew up (he specifically mentions the Government Yards of Trenchtown, a public housing project). The royalty payments received by Ford ensured his efforts would continue.^[10]

The original studio version of the song used a drum machine. Jean Roussel provided the arrangement and Hammond organ parts for this recording.^{[citation needed]} The title and main refrain, "No Woman, No Cry" is Jamaican Patois and means "Woman, don't cry",^[11] although it has sometimes mistakenly been understood to mean "if there is no woman, there is no reason to cry".^[12]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

"No Woman, No Cry" was covered by American hip-hop group Fugees. It was released in November 1996, by Ruffhouse Records, as the fourth single from their second studio album, The Score (1996). The song was produced by Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. Fugees' version of the track features Jean on lead vocals and changes the lyric "in a government yard in Trenchtown" to "in a government yard in Brooklyn." An official remix of the track, featuring Stephen Marley, was included on the group's third release, Bootleg Versions. Jean later recorded a solo version of the track for his 2003 anthology Greatest Hits.

Fugees' version was successful worldwide, peaking atop the New Zealand Singles Chart for two weeks, reaching number-two in the United Kingdom and becoming a top 40 hit in 13 additional countries. It did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100 due to not receiving a physical release in the US, which at the time was a requirement for songs to appear on the Hot 100. It instead charted on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, peaking at number 38.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Fugees continue to offer the hip-hop masses a thorough musical history—this time targeting Bob Marley's classic reggae hit 'No Woman, No Cry'. Steve Marley's heartwarming vocal similarity to his dad and Wyclef's present-day Brooklyn, N.Y.- project-sensitive lyrics successfully bind new jacks to dancehall's reggae origins. The music video for the single continues the legacy: Lauryn Hill gets her unique vocal swerve on with the Melody Makers in scenes reminiscent of Rita, Judy, and Marcia's I-Three days, and early Wailers footage interspersed with the collaborators' studio time supplies an overall tear-jerking, historic experience."^[24]

Track listings

• UK CD1

1. "No Woman, No Cry" (LP version) – 4:03
2. "No Woman, No Cry" (Remix) – 3:55
3. "No Woman, No Cry" (Remix instrumental) – 3:55
4. "Killing Me Softly" (Live) – 4:25

• UK CD2

1. "Don't Cry, Dry Your Eyes" – 5:03
2. "Don't Cry, Dry Your Eyes" (Instrumental) – 5:03
3. "No Woman, No Cry" (LP version) – 4:03
4. "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Live) – 6:04

Charts

More information Chart (1996–1997), Peak position ...

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for the cover by the Fugees Chart (1996–1997) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[25] 20 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[26] 40 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 31 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[28] 11 Denmark (IFPI)[29] 7 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[30] 14 Europe (European Dance Radio)[31] 4 Europe (European Hit Radio)[32][a] 5 Europe Atlantic Crossovers (Music & Media)[33] 3 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[34] 6 France (SNEP)[35] 12 Germany (GfK)[36] 33 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[37] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[38] 5 Italy (Musica e dischi)[39] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[40] 21 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[41] 22 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[42] 1 Scottish Singles Sales (Official Charts)[43] 7 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[44] 14 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[45] 23 UK Singles (Official Charts)[46] 2 UK Hip Hop/R&B (Official Charts)[47] 1 UK Pop Tip Club Chart (Music Week)[48] 26 US Radio Songs (Billboard)[49] 38

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for the cover by the Fugees Chart (1996) Position Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[50] 15 UK Singles (OCC)[51][52] 74

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Certifications

More information Region, Certification ...

Certifications and sales for "No Woman, No Cry"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[53]	Gold	5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[54]	Silver	200,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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In 2014, at Koga Studios for BBC 1Xtra Destination Africa live in Lagos, Nigeria, Wizkid took a creativity challenge that produced a mash-up of "Joy" and "No Woman, No Cry" The accoustic-backed cover was highly praised for its emotional depth and smooth Afrobeats blend.^[55][56] The infectious performance chronicled Wizkid's humble beginning and the role of a mother in guiding a child towards their dreams. It received critical acclaim by fans and critics who saw it as another extension of Wizkid's artistry.

"No Woman, No Cry" was covered by Nigerian singer Tems and Marvel Music for the soundtrack of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.^[57][58][59] It was produced by Ludwig Göransson and released on 25 July 2022 as the lead single off the EP.^[60][61] It received generally positive reception from fans who viewed the teaser trailer and it debuted at number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.^[62]

Accolades

The song received severals accolades,^[63] including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding International Song and the All Africa Music Award for Best Soundtrack Movie Song.^[64][65]

Charts

More information Chart (2022), Peak position ...

Weekly chart performance for "No Woman, No Cry"

Chart (2022)	Peak position
US Afrobeats Songs (Billboard)[66]	7
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[67]	50
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[68]	1

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