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
I Shot The Sherrif
Bob Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
I shot the sheriff
But I didn't shoot no deputy, ooh, ooh, oo-ooh.)
Yeah! All around in my home town,
They're tryin' to track me down;
They say they want to bring me in guilty
For the killing of a deputy,
But I say:
Oh, now, now. Oh!
(I shot the sheriff.) - the sheriff.
(But I swear it was in selfdefence.)
Oh, no! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yeah!
I say: I shot the sheriff - Oh, Lord! -
(And they say it is a capital offence.)
Yeah! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yeah!
Sheriff John Brown always hated me,
For what, I don't know:
Every time I plant a seed,
He said kill it before it grow -
He said kill them before they grow.
And so:
Read it in the news:
(I shot the sheriff.) Oh, Lord!
(But I swear it was in self-defence.)
Where was the deputy? (Oo-oo-oh)
I say: I shot the sheriff,
But I swear it was in selfdefence. (Oo-oh) Yeah!
Freedom came my way one day
And I started out of town, yeah!
All of a sudden I saw sheriff John Brown
Aiming to shoot me down,
So I shot - I shot - I shot him down and I say:
If I am guilty I will pay.
(I shot the sheriff,)
But I say (But I didn't shoot no deputy),
I didn't shoot no deputy (oh, no-oh), oh no!
(I shot the sheriff.) I did!
But I didn't shoot no deputy. Oh! (Oo-oo-ooh)
Reflexes had got the better of me
And what is to be must be:
Every day the bucket a-go a well,
One day the bottom a-go drop out,
One day the bottom a-go drop out.
I say:
I - I - I - I shot the sheriff.
Lord, I didn't shot the deputy. Yeah!
I - I (shot the sheriff)
But I didn't shoot no deputy, yeah! No, yeah!
The song "I Shot The Sheriff" by Bob Marley is a classic reggae song that tells a story of a man who claims to have shot the sheriff in self-defence but did not shoot the deputy. The song is based on a real-life experience of Marley's where he was falsely accused of shooting a deputy sheriff during a political uprising in Jamaica. The lyrics speak of the singer being pursued by law enforcement because of the alleged murder of a deputy, while claiming to have only shot the sheriff in self-defence.
The song's opening lines, "I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh! I shot the sheriff, but I didn't shoot no deputy, ooh, ooh, oo-ooh", set the stage for the storytelling in the rest of the song. The singer is on the run from the law for killing the sheriff but insists that he did not do any harm to the deputy. Marley sings about the difficulties he faces while on the run, with law enforcement officers attempting to track him down.
The singer claims that the sheriff has always disliked him, without any known reason. He also accuses the sheriff of destroying his crops before they could mature. The song sends a message that corruption in law enforcement can lead to distrust and push people to take the law into their own hands. The lyrics suggest that sometimes people are forced to go to extreme lengths to protect themselves in the face of injustice.
Line by Line Meaning
I shot the sheriff
I killed the sheriff
But I didn't shoot no deputy, oh no! Oh!
But I did not harm or kill any deputies
Yeah! All around in my home town,
Yes! Everywhere in my hometown,
They're tryin' to track me down;
They are trying to find me;
They say they want to bring me in guilty
They want to arrest and charge me with being guilty
For the killing of a deputy,
For killing a deputy,
For the life of a deputy.
For taking the life of a deputy.
But I say:
However, I assert:
Oh, now, now. Oh!
Oh, at this moment.
(I shot the sheriff.) - the sheriff.
(I killed the sheriff) - the sheriff.
(But I swear it was in selfdefence.)
(But I declare it was in self-defense.)
Oh, no! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yeah!
Oh, no! Yes!
I say: I shot the sheriff - Oh, Lord! -
I declare: I killed the sheriff - Oh, God! -
(And they say it is a capital offence.)
(And they claim it is a crime punishable by death.)
Yeah! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yeah!
Yes! (Ooh, ooh, oo-oh) Yes!
Sheriff John Brown always hated me,
Sheriff John Brown always despised me,
For what, I don't know:
For what reason, I don't know:
Every time I plant a seed,
Each time I plant a seed,
He said kill it before it grow -
He said kill it before it grows -
He said kill them before they grow.
He said kill them before they grow.
And so:
And so it goes:
Read it in the news:
I read it in the news:
(I shot the sheriff.) Oh, Lord!
(I killed the sheriff.) Oh, God!
(But I swear it was in self-defence.)
(But I assert it was in self-defense.)
Where was the deputy? (Oo-oo-oh)
Where was the deputy? (Oo-oo-oh)
I say: I shot the sheriff,
I assert: I killed the sheriff,
But I swear it was in selfdefence. (Oo-oh) Yeah!
But I assert it was in self-defense. (Oo-oh) Yes!
Freedom came my way one day
Freedom came to me at one time
And I started out of town, yeah!
And I left the town, yes!
All of a sudden I saw sheriff John Brown
Suddenly, I saw Sheriff John Brown
Aiming to shoot me down,
Attempting to shoot me,
So I shot - I shot - I shot him down and I say:
Therefore, I killed him and I say:
If I am guilty I will pay.
If I am guilty, I will accept punishment.
(I shot the sheriff,)
(I killed the sheriff),
But I say (But I didn't shoot no deputy),
But I declare (But I did not kill any deputies),
I didn't shoot no deputy (oh, no-oh), oh no!
I did not kill any deputies, oh no!
(I shot the sheriff.) I did!
(I killed the sheriff.) I did!
But I didn't shoot no deputy. Oh! (Oo-oo-ooh)
But I did not harm or kill any deputies. Oh! (Oo-oo-oh)
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MFM_88
If you're listening to this in 2024, hit me 👍
@ahmetoztekin1232
Im.saying hello from cyprus island😊
@darrellmoore8194
From Philippines
@BTWrush
I am listening and performing this Sunday for Bob Marley’s Birthday gig ❤
@Roki.hermawan
😂
@nadiaarthus4125
From Martinique
@jamestyson458
I've been listening to all of Bob Marley's hit songs since I saw Bob Marley One Love. He was very talented. And a great man
@garrithdaly4541
Same
@jessenicolas6900
Talented ? GOD GIFTED !! one love
@Ijayed22
It is only Bob Marley and Michael Jackson that can sit on the same table and enjoy a meal of corn porridge while watching Thriller play on the TV. The two greatest musicians of all time 🙌👑🙌👑🙌
Counting down from 7 days when I can finally watch Bob’s biopic ‘One Love’ on February 14th.