″One love″, ″No Woman, No Cry″, ″Redemption Song″, ″War″, ″Buffalo Soldier″, ″Three little birds″, these are a few songs of the legendary Bob Marley. And I can go on and on mentioning some more. Bob Marley and the Wailers recorded 13 studio albums of which many had silver, gold and platinum nominations. BBC named the song ″One Love″ Song of the Millennium. Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Fugees, Annie Lennox are just a few of all the artists that has covered Bob Marley’s songs. Although Bob Marley never won a GRAMMY Award, he was awarded the association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.
But what is it that makes these songs so special?
Bob was not just writing songs, he wrote poems. His writing had something mystical. Maybe this had to do with the town in which he grew up, where proverbs and fables were part of their culture.
Bob’s music is how he gets his message across. Bob Marley wrote about a range of topics, about his faith, about struggles of the society and also about love. But no matter what the subject was, Bob wrote and sang from his heart.
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Spiritual lyrics:
Many Rastaman call Bob Marley "The Prophet". I think in a way Bob Marley was a prophet indeed. Bob’s music was inspired by God. He really believed that God was with him and he expressed that believe. Bob’s sincere faith in God and his desire to serve his people were the forces that in his life and it was reflected in his music. In his song "Forever Loving Jah" one can feel that Marley is praying and not just performing.
Here are some examples of quotes of Bob Marley’s songs where he shows his spirituality:
"Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right." - One Love
"The godness of Jah-Jah I-dureth for I-ver" - Small Axe (similar to Psalms 52:1)
"Let righteousness cover the earth like the water cover the sea!" - Revolution ( similar to Isaiah 11:9)
"The sun shall not smite I by day, nor the moon by night, and everything that I do shall be upfull and right." - Night Shift (similar to Psalms 121:6)
" We all defend the right, Jah-Jah children must unite - life is worth much more than gold." - Jammin'
"Thrown in the fire, but never get burn." - Survival (similar to Daniel 3.)
"But read it in Revelation, you'll find your redemption." - One Drop
"Why do you look so sad and forsaken? When one door is closed, don't you know the other is open?" - Coming in From the Cold
"Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver and gold." - Zion Train (similar to Proverbs 16:16)
"Cause just like a tree planted, planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruits, bringeth forth fruits in due
season, everything in life got its purpose, find its reason in every season, forever, yeah!" - Forever Loving Jah (similar to Psalms 1:3 and Ecclesiastes 3:1)
"My hand was made strong by the hand of the Almighty. We forward in this generation, triumphantly." - Redemption Song
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Lyrics about social justice and revolution:
Bob Marley’s lyrics had both political as cultural messages.
The Wailers was founded just after the independency of Jamaica. After that Jamaica was trying to build a new country. In Kingston there were riots due to the fact that people wereb unhappy about the governance. Bob Marley and the wailers joined this fight by using their words as a weapon. They were the voices that fought for justice. They were using it to fight for peace and equality, giving a voice to the marginalized in Jamaica. But not only for the people in Jamaica, also for marginalized people throughout the world. Bob said once in an interview: ″We don’t want the island to change, we want the world to change.″ According to filmmaker Don Letts Bob Marley is the most famous or recognized musician in the world. In Letts’ opinion it is because he spoke – and still speaks – to the oppressed and the downtrodden, in other words to 90 percent of the planet.
Many of Marley’s songs expressed philosophical universal truths. Bob Marley’s music has inspired various global freedom fights, e.g. the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, the crumbling of Apartheid in South Africa in 1994.
Bob Marley stands for the truth and the determination to be alive and survive.
Lyrics about love:
Perhaps due to their enormous powerful influence throughout the world, most people are more familiar with Bob Marley’s songs about social justice and revolution. But Bob Marley also has a beautiful collection of love songs. Bob wrote both about teen romance and about intense mature love. He did this in a sexy poetic way.
Some examples are the following:
- In "Is This Love" Bob describes a young love, questioning if the feeling is really love, naively believing that only love is enough to survive in life and hoping that this love will be forever:
I wanna love you and treat you right;
I wanna love you every day and every night...
We'll be together with a roof right over our heads
We'll share the shelter of my single bed
We'll share the same room, yeah! - for Jah provide the bread
Is this love - is this love - is this love
Is this love that I'm feelin'?
I wanna know - wanna know - wanna know now!
I got to know - got to know - got to know now!
- "Baby, We’ve Got a Date (Rock it Baby)" reminds us about a teenage love, the first date, full of expectations.:
Baby baby we've got a date
Oh, baby, baby don't you be late! Oh, baby!
Oh, we walk through the pale moonlight,
With our love that is right...
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- In the song "Stir it Up" Bob uses the euphemism of stoking a fire, cooking a pan of food and serving a drink to quench a thirst, to describe the desires of a man that has waited a long time to be with a woman and is asking her to fire things up!:
I'll push the wood, then I'll blaze your fire;
Then I'll satisfy your heart's desire...
- The sexy tune "Turn Your Lights Down Low" is about a love that was lost and that is about to be revitalized:
Turn your lights down low and pull your window curtains;
Oh, let Jah moon come shining in - into our life again...
- The song "Could You Be Loved" is not so much about romantic love, but about one of the most important loves: the love for yourself. If you want to be loved, you must love yourself in the first place. Besides that you have to love your neighbour. And only then you can receive the love from others:
Love would never leave us alone,
Against the darkness there must come out the light.
Love your brotherman!
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- "Try Me" is a song about a man who encourages the woman to quit the loser she is with and to try him:
When the hurt is strong and everything you do is wrong;
You need someone to comfort you;
Well, listen baby, I'll come first to you, so try me...
- The song "Mellow Mood" is clearly about love, it’s very romantic:
Open up your heart.
Let love come running in, darlin',
Love, sweet love, darlin'.
- "Don't Rock My Boat" is a song about a relationship that has surpassed the turbulent phase and is comfortable with their current situation:
You satisfy my soul, satisfy my soul;
Every little action, there is a reaction...
Oh, can't you see what you've done for me, oh, yeah
I am happy inside all - all of the
When we (bend) bend a new corner
I feel like a (sweep) sweepstake winner
.
- "No Woman, No Cry" is one of Bob Marley's most renowned songs. This romantic song talks about the love story of two people, who has been through a lot together and has accomplished wealth together. It is the life story of Bob and Rita Marley:
I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
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
Then we would cook corn meal porridge
Of which I’ll share with you
- "Wait in Vain" talks about a man who is willing to wait for his love, no matter how long it will take. This was love at first sight. He knows that she has a list of men she can choose from, but she is worth the waiting. He has already waited for a long time and it has been painful. The only condition is, he wants to know if there is a chance that one day she will agree to be his girlfriend:
I don’t wanna wait in vain for your love;
From the very first time I rest my eyes on you, girl
My heart says follow t’rough
But I know, now, that I’m way down on your line
But the waitin’feel is fine:
It’s been three years since I’m knockin’on you door
And I still can knock some more:
Tears in my eyes burn – tears in my eyes burn
While I’m waiting - while I’m waiting for my turn
I can sure write some more, but I will leave you with this mellow feeling on this Sunday….
