Get Up Stand Up
Bob Marley;Bob Marley & the Wailers Lyrics


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Ey, get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!

Preacher man, don't tell me
Heaven is under the earth
I know you don't know
What life is really worth
It's not all that glitters is gold
Half the story has never been told
And now you see the light
You stand up for your rights

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!

You see, most people think
Great God will come from the sky
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high
But if you know what life is worth
You would look for yours on earth
And now you see the light
You stand up for your rights

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!

We sick an' tired of your 'ism-schism game
Dyin', goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, Lord
We know when we understand
Almighty God is a living man
You can fool some people sometimes
But you couldn't fool all the people all the time
And now we see the light
You stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight

Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight
Don't give up the fight

I say now (don't give up the fight) whooa-oh, ooh-oh
Whooa-oh, ooh-oh
Whooa-oh, ooh-oh
Whooa-oh, ooh-oh

Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)
Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)
Oh, yo (oh, yo)
Oh, yo (oh, yo)
Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)
Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)
Ethiopia (Ethiopia)
Yo-o (yo-o)
Yo, Jah-Jah (yo Jah-Jah)
Yo-o (yo-o)
Yo, Jah-Jah (yo Jah-Jah)
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
I said now, whoa-a (whoa-a)
Whoa-a (whoa-a)
Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)
Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight
So we won't give up the fight

You see, most people think
Great God will come from the sky
Take away everything
Make everybody feel high
But if you know what life is worth
You would look for yours on earth
And now you see the light
You stand up for your rights

Oh, yo (oh, yo)
Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)
Oh, yo (oh, yo)
Oh, yo-yo-yo (oh, yo-yo-yo)

Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!




Stand up for your rights!
Stand up for your rights!

Overall Meaning

In "Get Up, Stand Up," Bob Marley is encouraging oppressed people to defend their rights and not rely on religion or divine intervention for salvation. In the first verse, Marley challenges religious leaders who preach about heaven and ignore the injustices on earth. He states that life is worth fighting for and that half the story of life has never been told. The pre-chorus then leads to the catchy and iconic chorus that motivates oppressed people to stand up and fight for their rights. The second verse attacks the idea that God will come down from the sky and solve everyone’s problems; instead, Marley insists that people need to take action and seek justice on earth.


The third verse calls out organized religion and its tendency to divide people into groups due to differences in beliefs. Marley declares that God is a living man and rejects the idea that one religion has the ultimate truth. He then reminds listeners that they should not be fooled by leaders who preach false ideologies. In the end, Marley beckons everyone to stand up for their rights and continue fighting against all forms of oppression.


"Get Up, Stand Up" was a collaboration between Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, who wrote the song's chorus. It was released in 1973 on the album Burnin’.


Line by Line Meaning

Ey, get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Wake up and stand up for your rights!


Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!
Keep fighting for your rights!


Preacher man, don't tell me Heaven is under the earth
Don't tell me everything is okay when it's not!


I know you don't know What life is really worth
You don't understand what it's like to live my life!


It's not all that glitters is gold Half the story has never been told
Not everything is what it appears to be and there is more beneath the surface that people are unaware of!


And now you see the light You stand up for your rights
Now that you know the truth, stand up for yourself and your rights!


You see, most people think Great God will come from the sky Take away everything And make everybody feel high
Most people are waiting for some higher power to save them, but that's not how it works!


But if you know what life is worth You would look for yours on earth And now you see the light You stand up for your rights
If you truly understood the value of life, you would appreciate what you have on Earth and fight for your rights!


We sick an' tired of your 'ism-schism game Dyin', goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, Lord
We're tired of the divisions and the false promises of salvation!


We know when we understand Almighty God is a living man
When you truly understand the nature of God, you realize that he's a living force within every person!


You can fool some people sometimes But you couldn't fool all the people all the time And now we see the light You stand up for your rights!
Some people might believe your lies, but eventually the truth comes out and people will stand up for their rights!


Don't give up the fight
Keep fighting for your rights!


Ethiopia (Ethiopia) Yo-o (yo-o) Yo, Jah-Jah (yo Jah-Jah)
Acknowledging Ethiopia and Jah-Jah as symbols of resistance and strength!


So we won't give up the fight
We will continue to fight for our rights!


Stand up for your rights!
Fight for your rights and stand up for what you believe in!




Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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