Starting out in 1963 with the group Bob Marley & The Wailers, he forged a distinctive song-writing and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide.
The Wailers would go on to release some of the earliest reggae records with producer Lee Scratch Perry.
After The Wailers disbanded in 1974, Marley pursued a solo career which culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977 which established his worldwide reputation and became one of the world's best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million albums and singles.
Bob Marley was a member of this Rastafari movement, whose culture was a key element in the development of reggae. Bob Marley became the leading proponent of the Rastafari, taking their music out of socially deprived areas of Jamaica and onto the international music scene.
Now considered a "Rasta" prophet, Marley's adoption of the characteristic Rastafarian dreadlocks and famous use of marijuana as a sacred sacrament in the late sixties were an integral part of his persona. He is said to have entered every performance proclaiming the divinity of Jah Rastafari.
A few months before his death, Marley was baptised into the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and took the name Berhane Selassie (meaning the Light of the Holy Trinity in Amharic).
His best known songs are a mixture of reggae, Roots Reggae, and rhythm and blues, which include:
I Shot the Sheriff
Exodus
Could You Be Loved
Redemption Song
No Woman, No Cry
Three Little Birds
Buffalo Soldier
Is This Love
One Love
Stir It Up
Jammin'
Get Up, Stand Up
His posthumous album Legend (1984) became the best-selling reggae album ever, with sales of more than 12 million copies.
Bob Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994; in December 1999, his album “Exodus” (1977) was named Album of the Century by Time Magazine and his song “One Love” was designated Song of the Millennium by the BBC.
Awards and Honors:
1976 - Rolling Stone Magazine's "Band of the Year"
1978 - United Nations' Peace Medal of the Third World
1981 - Jamaican Order of Merit
1994 - The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1999 - Time Magazine's Best Album of the Century
2001 - Star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame
2001- GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award
2004 - Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time (#11)
2006 - The United Kingdom's "Blue Plaque"
2006 - Bob Marley Boulevard named in Brooklyn, New York
2010 - GRAMMY Hall Of Fame (Catch A Fire)
2012 - August the 7th, proclamed Bob Marley Day (Los Angeles)
2013 - GRAMMY Tribute Performance
Marley tragically died of cancer at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami, Florida on May 11, 1981.
Religion:
Bob Marley was a member of the Rastafari movement, (not rastafaranism as that is seen as a derogortory term as Rasta's don't like being refered to as an ism) whose culture was a key element in the development of reggae music in Jamaica. Rastas belive they are outcast from their native Zion and looked on Ethiopia as their real home and Tafarai Makonnen, who took the title Haile Sellasie I(Power of the Holy Trinity in Amharic), after he became the emperor of Ethiopia, as their leader. Rastas belive H.I.M. is Jesus in flesh. Rastas are considered to be black Jews.
Rastas claim their root from King Solomon and Abbysinian queen of Sheba, through lineage of their son Menelik, emperor of Abbysinia. H.I.M. is said to be a direct decendant of Menelik. 'Ras' means Head and 'Tafarai" means Creator. 'Jah' is the shortened form of the Hebrew word Jehovah. Rastas belive in one truth and that is the truth of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Sellasie I, King of kings, Lord of lords, conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah, two hundred and twenty-fifth ruler of the three thousand year old Ethiopian empire, elect of Jah, Light of the world. Jah Rastafari live out. Rastas preach a non-materialistic, egalitarian way of life. Bob Marley became a leading proponent of the Rastafari, taking their music out of the socially deprived areas of Jamaica and onto the international music scene. Bob Marley was baptized by the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church in Kingston, Jamaica on November 4, 1980.
Diet:
Marley's diet was ital; fruit, vegetables and fish; which is food approved by the Rastafari movement.
Family:
Bob Marley had 13 children: three with his wife Rita Marley, two adopted from Rita's previous relationships, and the remaining eight with separate women.
His children are, in order of birth:
Imani Carole, born May 22, 1963, to Cheryl Murray;
Sharon, born November 23, 1964, to Rita in previous relationship;
Cedella born August 23, 1967, to Rita;
David "Ziggy Marley", born October 17, 1968, to Rita;
Stephen Marley, born April 20, 1972, to Rita;
Robert "Robbie", born May 16, 1972, to Pat Williams;
Rohan, born May 19, 1972, to Janet Hunt;
Karen, born 1973 to Janet Bowen;
Stephanie, born August 17, 1974; according to Cedella Booker she was the daughter of Rita and a man called Ital with whom Rita had an affair; nonetheless she was acknowledged as Bob's daughter;
Julian Marley, born June 4, 1975, to Lucy Pounder;
Ky-Mani Marley, born February 26, 1976, to Anita Belnavis;
Damian Marley, born July 21, 1978, to Cindy Breakspeare;
Makeda, born May 30, 1981, to Yvette Crichton.
See here for comedian Bob Marley the comedian: Comedian Bob Marley
Get Up Stend Up
Bob Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
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
It's not all that glitters is gold;
'Alf the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. Come on!
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!
Most people think,
Great God will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. Jah!
Get up, stand up! (Jah, Jah!)
Stand up for your rights! (Oh-hoo!)
Get up, stand up! (Get up, stand up!)
Don't give up the fight! (Life is your right!)
Get up, stand up! (So we can't give up the fight!)
Stand up for your rights! (Lord, Lord!)
Get up, stand up! (Keep on struggling on!)
Don't give up the fight! (Yeah!)
We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game,
Dyin' 'n' 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 can't fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (What you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
So you better,
Get up, stand up! (In the morning! Git it up!)
Stand up for your rights! (Stand up for our rights!)
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! (Don't give it up, don't give it up!)
Get up, stand up! (Get up, stand up!)
Stand up for your rights! (Get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! (Get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up!
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight!
"Get Up, Stand Up" is a powerful song by Bob Marley that compels the oppressed people to stand up for their rights and fight against the injustice around them. The song is not just about standing up against oppression and discrimination but also encourages the people to know their worth and believe that life is worth living with pride and dignity. The song directly addresses religious authorities and politicians, who try to rule the people using fear and lies about the promised land of heaven. Bob Marley urges the people to stand up and fight for their rights because "life is your right."
The song begins with Bob Marley passionately urging people to stand up for their rights and not give up the fight. By emphasizing key phrases in repetition, he creates a chant-like effect, arousing people to join in and raise their voice against oppression. The lyrics are simple but impactful, and the song's message is to empower people to believe in their power and abilities to bring change.
Bob Marley asserts that many people blindly follow religious leaders who promise a better life in the afterlife, instead of acknowledging the present suffering and fighting for their rights. He denounces this practice by saying that "Almighty God is a living man" and encourages the people to recognize that they cannot be fooled by those who try to control them.
Line by Line Meaning
Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!
Bob Marley urges listeners to rise up and fight for their rights and not give up in the face of adversity.
Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight!
He emphasizes the importance of not giving up the fight for your rights and to keep standing up for what you believe in.
Preacher man, don't tell me, Heaven is under the earth.
Bob Marley dismisses the idea of heaven being in the earth and urges the religious community not to deceive the masses with false promises.
I know you don't know What life is really worth.
He acknowledges the artist's lack of understanding of the true value of life.
It's not all that glitters is gold; 'Alf the story has never been told: So now you see the light, eh! Stand up for your rights. Come on!
Bob Marley suggests that appearances can be deceiving and that only a part of the story is known. He invites the listener to join him and fight for their rights.
Most people think, Great God will come from the skies, Take away everything And make everybody feel high.
He criticizes the naive belief that God will come and provide instant heaven on earth for everyone.
But if you know what life is worth, You will look for yours on earth: And now you see the light, You stand up for your rights. Jah!
Bob Marley advocates that people should aspire to find fulfillment in their lives and fight for their rights while they live.
We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game, Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, Lord.
He expresses his disgust with the game of deception that religion and politics play with people's lives.
We know when we understand: Almighty God is a living man. You can fool some people sometimes, But you can't fool all the people all the time.
He asserts that God is embodied in the power of the people and that even though some may be fooled, eventually, the truth will prevail.
So now we see the light (What you gonna do?), We gonna stand up for our rights! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
He urges listeners to take action upon seeing the light of truth and stand up for their rights.
So you better, Get up, stand up! (In the morning! Git it up!) Stand up for your rights! (Stand up for our rights!)
The urgency in his voice captures the importance of waking up and fighting for one's rights in the morning.
Don't give up the fight! (Don't give it up, don't give it up!) Get up, stand up! (Get up, stand up!) Stand up for your rights! (Get up, stand up!)
He repeatedly asserts the need to keep fighting and rising up for one's rights.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir One Music, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: BOB MARLEY, PETER TOSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonesaul6887
Lyrics
Get up, stand up (Oh yeah) stand up for your rights (Lord, Lord)
Get up, stand up (In the morning) stand up for your rights (Stand up for your rights)
Get up, stand up (Stand up for your life) stand up for your rights (Stand up for your life)
Get up, stand up (Stand up for your life) don't give up the fight!
Oh I say
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
'Alf the story has never been told
So now you see the light, eh
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up (Lord, Lord) stand up for your rights (What you got to give?)
Get up, stand up (For the life you live) don't give up the fight (Yeah)
Get up, stand up (Life is your right) stand up for your rights (Without life you can't fight)
Get up, stand up (Keep the good time calling) don't give up the fight (Oh Lord)
Most people think
Great god will come from the skies
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high
But if you know what life is worth
You will look for yours on earth
And now you see the light
You stand up for your rights jah
Get up, stand up! (Jah, jah!)
Stand up for your rights! (Oh-hoo!)
Get up, stand up! (Get up, stand up!)
Don't give up the fight! (Life is your right!)
Get up, stand up! (So we can't give up the fight!)
Stand up for your rights! (Lord, lord!)
Get up, stand up! (Keep on struggling on!)
Don't give up the fight! (Yeah!)
We sick an' tired of-a your ism-schism game
Dyin' 'n' 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 can't fool all the people all the time
So now we see the light (What you gonna do?)
We gonna stand up for our rights! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
So you better
Get up, stand up! (In the morning! git it up!)
Stand up for your rights! (Stand up for our rights!)
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! (Don't give it up, don't give it up!)
Get up, stand up! (Get up, stand up!)
Stand up for your rights! (Get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up! (Don't be a neighbour in your neighbourhood)
Don't give up the fight! (Get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up! (I don't think that should be very good, Lord)
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight
@wyndhl8309
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar:
"Cowards die many times before their (actual) deaths."
The contrary refrain:
"He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day."
Bob's songs are as meaningful now as they were during the '70's, '80's and '90's. '90's, especially in United States, South America and the West Indies.
Bob's, Peter's, Max Romeo's...
@JarredG1
"Better to die fighting for freedom, than be a prisoner all the days of your life" - Bob Marley
@TheVcareyon
Jarred Gilbert that is motavation word....
@robertaafred9244
One❤❤❤
@jelledehertogh7267
Wise comment ...
@nethazyo
110% Please dont be consumed by hate, having a peace of mind and a love for everyone can be hard, but its possible. Stay strong, Freedom is the reality. Those who wanna take away freedom from people suffers and are not truely happy. You can see it clearly.
Stay happy <3
@Kruppt808
Fight and you may die, run and you'll live. For awhile.......... William Wallace
@dsstroyer
We need this now more than ever. Yes Bob.
@BioDjango
Amen
@gavinmacmounsey
word.
@SugmaDLigmaNutz
Facts!