Legalize It
Peter Tosh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah yeah
And I will advertise it
Some call it tamjee (tamjee)
Some call it the weed (tamjee)
Some call it marijuana (marijuana), ayy-yeah
Some a dem call it ganja (ganja)
Never mind, got to legalize it
And don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it
Singers smoke it
And players of instrument too
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
That's the best thing you can do
Doctors smoke it
Nurses smoke it
Judges smoke it
Even lawyer too
So you've got to legalize it
And, uh, don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it
It's good for the flu
Good for asthma
Good for tuberculosis
Even umara composis
Go to legalize it
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
I will advertise it
Birds eat it
Ants love it
Fowls eat it
Goats love to play with it
So you've got to legalize it
And don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it
Keep on telling you legalize it
In Peter Tosh's song "Legalize It," he advocates for the legalization of marijuana and the end of the social stigma surrounding it. The lyrics urge people to stop demonizing and criticizing marijuana and instead embrace it as a natural substance that has medicinal and recreational benefits. Tosh begins by listing different names for marijuana, including tamjee, weed, marijuana, and ganja. He then emphasizes that regardless of the name, it should be legalized and not criticized.
Throughout the verses, Tosh mentions various people who use marijuana, including singers, players of instruments, doctors, nurses, judges, and lawyers. He points out that many people, including those in respected professions, consume marijuana, and therefore it should not be labeled as a negative and illegal substance. Tosh argues that legalizing marijuana would have multiple benefits, including treating flu, asthma, tuberculosis, and even umara composis. He concludes the song by reminding people to keep advocating for its legalization and not criticize it.
Overall, "Legalize It" is an unapologetic and passionate call for the legalization of marijuana and a message of tolerance and acceptance for its users. The song highlights the many benefits that marijuana has and argues that it should be treated like any other natural substance rather than being punished and stigmatized.
Line by Line Meaning
Legalize it
Marijuana should be legalized
Don't criticize it
Marijuana should not be subject to negative judgement
Legalize it, yeah yeah
Reiterating the call for legalization of marijuana
And I will advertise it
Peter Tosh will publicly advocate for the legalization of marijuana
Some call it tamjee (tamjee)
Different cultures and languages have different names for marijuana
Some call it the weed (tamjee)
Marijuana is also called 'the weed'
Some call it marijuana (marijuana), ayy-yeah
Marijuana is also called 'marijuana'
Some a dem call it ganja (ganja)
Marijuana is also called 'ganja'
Never mind, got to legalize it
Despite different names and perceptions, marijuana should be legalized
Singers smoke it
Musicians smoke marijuana
And players of instrument too
Musicians who play instruments also smoke it
That's the best thing you can do
Legalizing marijuana is the right thing to do
Doctors smoke it
Even doctors smoke marijuana
Nurses smoke it
Even nurses smoke marijuana
Judges smoke it
Even judges smoke marijuana
Even lawyer too
Even lawyers smoke marijuana
It's good for the flu
Marijuana has medicinal properties that make it good for treating the flu
Good for asthma
Marijuana has medicinal properties that make it good for treating asthma
Good for tuberculosis
Marijuana has medicinal properties that make it good for treating tuberculosis
Even umara composis
Marijuana has medicinal properties that make it beneficial for treating various illnesses
Birds eat it
Birds feed on marijuana
Ants love it
Ants are attracted to marijuana
Fowls eat it
Fowls consume marijuana
Goats love to play with it
Goats are attracted to marijuana and enjoy interacting with it
Keep on telling you legalize it
The message of legalizing marijuana should continue to be spread widely
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Peter Tosh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mitchell Nobles
araha del ganja fedelia antoka rastaman arie del rasta
Juan Lantigua
if love ganja go for it
John Leo Macayran Murillo
uram nga oka
Willian Junior
legalize
Jordy Fox Vargas Gonzales
LEGALIZE IT IN PERU
willieluncheonette
Ninth song by Peter Tosh on the anniversary of his passing in 1987.
Bunny, always the spiritual one, left the Wailers in 1973 after Chris Blackwell, the owner of their label Island Records, stated the Wailers would play " freak clubs" on the upcoming American portion of their tour. Peter left a few months later in November
Peter's first solo album, Legalize It, with its iconic cover of the man becoming one with a field of ganja, made him a world wide sensation. I'm sure the album surprised many with its very laid back vibe---usually Peter was militant and filled with righteous indignation towards oppressors everywhere.
Here is what Wiki has to say-- " Legalize It is an album and song by Peter Tosh. Legalize It was Tosh's debut album as a solo artist after leaving The Wailers. It was recorded at Treasure Isle and Randy's, Kingston, Jamaica in 1975 and released in Jamaica in the same year. ]
Legalize It is one of the three solo albums released in 1976 by Wailers members, along with Bunny Wailer's album Blackheart Man and Bob Marley's Rastaman Vibration.
The song was written in response to his ongoing victimization by the Jamaican police and as a political piece pushing for the legalization of cannabis, particularly for medical use. In 1977, Tosh backed this up by saying 'We are the victims of Rasclot circumstances. Victimization, colonialism, gonna lead to bloodbath'. Tosh also said 'Herb will become like cigarettes', in an NME interview in 1977."
Let's hear three songs from Legalize It. First up is the famous title song.
. Peter Tosh β guitar, keyboards, vocals
Al Anderson β guitar
Aston Barrett, Robbie Shakespeare β bass
Carlton "Santa" Davis, Carlton Barrett β drums
Tyrone "Organ D" Downie β keyboards
Donald Kinsey β guitar
Robbie "Ras" Lee β harmonica
Rita Marley β background vocals
Judy Mowatt - background vocals
Bunny Wailer β background vocals
Rezky Auliayusuf
Legalize it
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah yeah
And I will advertise it
Some call it tamjee (tamjee)
Some call it the weed (tamjee)
Some call it marijuana (marijuana), ayy-yeah
Some a dem call it ganja (ganja)
Never mind, got to legalize it
And don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it
Singers smoke it
And players of instrument too
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
That's the best thing you can do
Doctors smoke it
Nurses smoke it
Judges smoke it
Even lawyer too
So you've got to legalize it
And, uh, don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it
It's good for the flu
Good for asthma
Good for tuberculosis
Even umara composis
Go to legalize it
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
I will advertise it
Birds eat it
Ants love it
Fowls eat it
Goats love to play with it
So you've got to legalize it
And don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it
Keep on telling you legalize it
Michael Dowd
Bob Marley may be regarded as the reigning monarch of reggae music, but it is imperative to recognize the profound impact and legacy of Peter Tosh. Not only did he pen some of The Wailersβ earliest and most iconic hits, such as β400 yearsβ, βGet Up, Stand Upβ and others but he also played a pivotal role in shaping the groupβs musical and spiritual development, having taught Bob Marley how to play the guitar and influenced the bandβs embrace of Rastafarianism. Furthermore, Peter Tosh was a trailblazer in his own right, as he was the first popular reggae figure to sign with a major label, Columbia Records, and to publicly advocate for marijuana legalization through his groundbreaking album βLegalize Itβ. This was years before Bob Marley became synonymous with cannabis culture. It is high time we give Peter Tosh the credit and reverence he deserves for his enduring contributions to reggae and cultural history.
Eric Smal
A
Arturo Perez
Yes of course there would be no bob without tosh each of them had their thing even bunny wailer the i-threes and the others I mean they made a good band cause they all had something great to give out r.i.p to almost all the members of bob marley and the wailers there's only one founding member left she's still beautiful as she was when she was with the teenagers
J T
PapΓ‘ Roy taught Bob how to play the guitar? He are you talking about?
fred arsenault
There s way more to reggae than bob marley, but he was whitewashed and became the face of reggae