Turn Your Lights Down Low

Not to be confused with Lights Down Low.

"Turn Your Lights Down Low" is a song by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers from their 1977 album, Exodus. It is the only song on side B of the album that was not released as a single. However, a remastered version featuring Lauryn Hill (credited as Bob Marley featuring Lauryn Hill) was released in 1999. The duet was commercially successful, peaking at number one on the UK R&B Chart while topping the charts in New Zealand and Romania. It received a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 43rd Grammy Awards.^[1][2]

"Turn Your Lights Down Low"
Song by Bob Marley and the Wailers
from the album Exodus
Recorded	1977
Length	3:39
Label	Tuff Gong Island
Songwriter(s)	Bob Marley
Producer(s)	Bob Marley and the Wailers
Audio
"Turn Your Lights Down Low" on YouTube

Duet version

"Turn Your Lights Down Low"
Single by Bob Marley featuring Lauryn Hill
from the album Chant Down Babylon
Released	12 October 1999 (1999-10-12)
Length	4:04
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Bob Marley
Producer(s)	Stephen Marley
Bob Marley singles chronology
"Sun Is Shining" (1999) "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (1999) "Rainbow Country" (2000)
Lauryn Hill singles chronology
"Everything Is Everything" (1999) "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (1999) "Lose Myself" (2007)
Audio
"Turn Your Lights Down Low" on YouTube

A cover/remixed version was released in October 1999, with original artist Bob Marley featuring American singer-songwriter Lauryn Hill. Hill contributes her vocals to the song as well as a rap verse. The single is taken from the compilation album Chant Down Babylon (1999), which features remixes and covers of Bob Marley songs by various modern day soul, hip-hop and rock artists. This duet became a hit in late 1999 and early 2000, reaching number one in New Zealand and Romania for two weeks.^[3][4] The song also reached the top 10 in the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.^[5] In France, where it peaked at number 14, it received a Gold certification for sales exceeding 250,000 copies.^[6][7]

Music video

An accompanying music video to the Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley remix was directed by Francis Lawrence and released in 1999. The video takes place in Jamaica and opens with a group of Jamaican kids playing soccer. Following this, are a series of panning shots showing night life in Jamaica, and scenes where Hill is singing in a recording studio. In other scenes, Hill is shown dancing at a party with former boyfriend Rohan Marley, son of Bob Marley.

Track listings

All songs are performed by Lauryn Hill except "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (Hill and Bob Marley), "To Zion" (Hill and Carlos Santana), and the original version of "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (Bob Marley and the Wailers).

Australian CD single^[8]

1. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (album version) – 4:02
2. "The Sweetest Thing" – 4:49
3. "Ex-Factor" (A Simple Breakdown) – 4:10

UK CD1^[9]

1. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" – 4:02
2. "Forgive Them Father" – 4:29
3. "To Zion" – 4:33

UK CD2^[10]

1. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" – 4:02
2. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version) – 3:38
3. "Superstar" – 4:57

UK cassette single and European CD1^[11][12]

1. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (album version) – 4:02
2. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version) – 3:38

European CD2^[13]

1. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (album version) – 4:02
2. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version) – 3:38
3. "Forgive Them Father" – 4:29
4. "To Zion" – 4:33

Japanese CD single^[14]

1. "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
2. "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version)
3. "Everything Is Everything"

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[15] 69 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[16] 22 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 24 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[18] 22 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[19] 14 France (SNEP)[6] 14 Germany (GfK)[20] 33 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[21] 15 Ireland (IRMA)[22] 19 Italy (Musica e dischi)[23] 19 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 5 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[3] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[25] 3 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[4] 1 Scotland (OCC)[26] 21 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[27] 5 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 11 UK Singles (OCC)[29] 15 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[30] 1 US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[31] 4 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[32] 49 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[33] 15

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[34] 118 New Zealand (RIANZ)[35] 30 Sweden (Hitlistan)[36] 56 Chart (2000) Position Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[37] 84 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[38] 63 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[39] 66 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[4] 24 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 67

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[7]	Gold	250,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[41]	2× Platinum	60,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[42]	Gold	15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[43]	Silver	200,000‡
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	12 October 1999	Rhythmic contemporary radio	Columbia	[44]
	19 October 1999	Urban adult contemporary urban radio		[45]
Europe	15 November 1999	CD		[20]
Japan	20 November 1999		SME	[46]
United Kingdom	29 November 1999	CD cassette	Columbia	[47]

Covers

• Colbie Caillat made a cover version of this song on her 2008 album Coco.
• Megan Joy covered the song on American Idol season 8.
• Rosie Gaines covered the song on her album Closer Than Close.
• K'LA sampled the song on her 2011 first single "All Your Love".
• Anita Antoinette covered the song on The Voice (U.S. season 7)
• Jim James covered the song on Sweetheart 2014.

See also

• List of number-one singles from the 1990s (New Zealand)
• List of Romanian Top 100 number ones of the 2000s