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] "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (album version) – 4:02 "The Sweetest Thing" – 4:49 "Ex-Factor" (A Simple Breakdown) – 4:10 UK CD1[9] "Turn Your Lights Down Low" – 4:02 "Forgive Them Father" – 4:29 "To Zion" – 4:33 UK CD2[10] "Turn Your Lights Down Low" – 4:02 "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version) – 3:38 "Superstar" – 4:57

UK cassette single and European CD1[11][12] "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (album version) – 4:02 "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version) – 3:38 European CD2[13] "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (album version) – 4:02 "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version) – 3:38 "Forgive Them Father" – 4:29 "To Zion" – 4:33 Japanese CD single[14] "Turn Your Lights Down Low" "Turn Your Lights Down Low" (original version) "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 Singles (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 (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 30 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[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]	Platinum	10,000*
Sweden (GLF)[42]	Gold	15,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	12 October 1999	Rhythmic contemporary radio	Columbia	[43]
	19 October 1999	Urban adult contemporary urban radio		[44]
Europe	15 November 1999	CD		[20]
Japan	20 November 1999		SME	[45]
United Kingdom	29 November 1999	CD cassette	Columbia	[46]

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

References

1. Staff (2 January 2001). "43rd Annual Grammy Nomination List". Variety. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
2. "2000 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
3. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
4. "Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 2000" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005.
5. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
6. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
7. "French single certifications – Lauryn Hill & Bob Marley – Turn Yours Lights Down Low" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
8. Turn Your Lights Down Low (Australian CD single liner notes). Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill. Columbia Records. 1999. 668156 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Turn Your Lights Down Low (UK CD1 liner notes). Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill. Columbia Records. 1999. 668436 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
10. Turn Your Lights Down Low (UK CD2 liner notes). Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill. Columbia Records. 1999. 668436 5.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. Turn Your Lights Down Low (UK cassette single sleeve). Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill. Columbia Records. 1999. 668436 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
12. Turn Your Lights Down Low (European CD1 liner notes). Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill. Columbia Records. 1999. COL 668101 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
13. Turn Your Lights Down Low (European CD2 single liner notes). Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill. Columbia Records. 1999. COL 668101 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
14. Turn Your Lights Down Low (Australian CD single liner notes). Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill. SME Records. 1999. SRCS 2178.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
15. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 176.
16. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
17. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
18. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
19. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 2. 15 January 2000. p. 7. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
20. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
21. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (28.10– 4.11 1999)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 29 October 1999. p. 10. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
22. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Turn Your Lights Down Low". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
23. "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 51. 18 December 1999. p. 70. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
24. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
25. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low". VG-lista. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
26. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
27. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
28. "Bob Marley feat. Lauryn Hill – Turn Your Lights Down Low". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
29. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
30. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
31. "Lauryn Hill Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
32. "Lauryn Hill Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
33. "Lauryn Hill Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
34. "Jaarlijsten 1999" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
35. "End of Year Charts 1999". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
36. "Årslista Singlar, 1999" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
37. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 52. 23 December 2000. p. 9. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
38. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2000". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
39. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2000" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
40. "Swiss Year-End Charts 2000" (in German). Retrieved 25 February 2021.
41. "New Zealand single certifications – Lauryn Hill & Bob Marley – Turn Your Lights Down Low". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 27 May 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)^{[dead link]}THE FIELD archive-url MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION from obsolete website.
42. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2000" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
43. "CHR/Rhythmic: Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1320. 8 October 1999. p. 54.
44. "AddVance Notice / Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1321. 15 October 1999. pp. 146, 155.
45. "ローリン・ヒル" [Lauryn Hill]. Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on 1 January 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
46. "New Releases – For Week Starting 29 November, 1999: Singles". Music Week. 27 November 1999. p. 23.