Bob Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981), born Nesta Robert Marley whic… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Marley (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981), born Nesta Robert Marley which was later to be changed by passport officials to Robert Nesta Marley, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist. He was the most widely known writer and performer of Reggae, and more specifically Roots Reggae. He is famous for popularising the genre outside of Jamaica and the Caribbean. Much of his music dealt with the struggles of the spiritually wealthy rasta and/or spiritually powerful Jah Rastafari.

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

Go Tell It To The Mountain *1
Bob Marley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
To set my people free

Who's there yonder dressed in red
Set my people free
Who's there yonder dressed in red

Set my people free
Who's that yonder dressed in red
Must be the children that Moses led

Go tell it on the mountain
To set my people free
Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
To set my people free

Who's there yonder dressed in white
Set my people free
Who's there yonder full dressed in white
Set my people free
Who's there yonder dressed in white
Must be the children of the Israelites
Go tell it on the mountain
To set my people free

Mm mm mm mm

Who's there yonder dressed in white
Set my people free
Who's there yonder dressed in white
Set my people free
Who's there yonder dressed in white
Must be the children of the Israelites

Go tell it on the mountain
To set my people free

Overall Meaning

Bob Marley's song "Go Tell It To The Mountain" is a call to action for everyone to proclaim the message of freedom to all. The song's core message is about the artist's longing for his people's freedom, and along with that, he wants everyone's freedom from oppression, discrimination, and injustice. In the lyrics, there's a call to go out and share the message of hope and freedom to all, especially to those who are suffering under oppression.

The repetition of "Go tell it on the mountain" implies that the message of hope and freedom should spread far and wide, over hills and everywhere, so that everyone can hear it. The song draws parallels from the biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of slavery, where a line refers to a "yonder dressed in red," which Marley believed is the children that Moses led. Later in the song, there's a mention of "yonder dressed in white," which represents the children of the Israelites, who also fought for their freedom.

Overall, the song "Go Tell It to the Mountain" is a powerful message of hope and freedom for all through its mixed biblical allusions and themes of social justice. It is a reminder that the message of hope should spread farther and wider so that everyone can hear it and live a life of freedom.

Line by Line Meaning

Go tell it on the mountain
Spread the message of freedom far and wide

Over the hills and everywhere
Let the message reach all corners of the land

To set my people free
To liberate my fellow oppressed people

Who's there yonder dressed in red
Who is that person in red clothing?

Set my people free
Free my people from oppression

Who's that yonder dressed in red
Who could that person in red be?

Must be the children that Moses led
It is likely those are descendants of those led by Moses when he freed the Israelites

Who's there yonder dressed in white
Who is wearing white clothing over there?

Who's there yonder full dressed in white
Who is that person fully dressed in white clothing over there?

Must be the children of the Israelites
They are likely descendants of the original Israelite people

Mm mm mm mm
Vocal sounds with no specific meaning