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 βExodusβ (1977) was named Album of the Century by Time Magazine and his song βOne Loveβ 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
Rastaman Live Up!.
Bob Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bongoman, don't give up!
Congoman, live up, yeah!
Binghi-man don't give up!
Keep your culture,
Don't be afraid of the vulture!
Grow your dreadlock,
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
Rastaman, live up!
Binghi-man, don't give up!
Congoman, live up, yeah!
Bongoman, don't give up!
David slew goliath with a sling and a stone;
Samson slew the philistines with a donkey jawbone:
Iyaman, live up!
Rastaman, don't give up!
Binghi-man, live up!
Congoman, don't give up!
Trodding through creation in a irie meditation;
Seen many visions in-a this yah armagiddyon:
Rastaman, live up!
Congoman, don't give up!
Rastaman, live up, yeah!
Natty dread, no give up!
Saw it in the beginning, so shall it be in this iwa;
And they fallen in confusion, well-a just a step from babel tower
Rastaman live up!
Congoman, no give up!
Rastaman live up, yeah!
Congoman, no give up!
Grow your dreadlocks,
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
A-tell you, one man a-walkin',
And a billion man a-sparkin'.
Rastaman, live up!
Binghi-man, don't give up!
Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up!
The lyrics of the song "Rastaman Live Up" by Bob Marley are a call to all the Rastafarians to live up to their culture and roots without fear. The song starts by addressing the Rastaman, Bongoman, Congoman, and Binghi-man, urging them to keep their culture and not be afraid of the vulture or the wolf-pack. These two animals can be considered as representing the oppressors and those who do not understand Rastafarianism.
The lyrics then refer to biblical stories about David and Samson, who defeated their enemies against all odds. This is a metaphorical message that the Rastaman must fight for their rights, just like David and Samson did. The next lines, βTrodding through creation in a irie meditation; Seen many visions in-a this yah armagiddyon," could be interpreted as a reference to the Rastafarian belief that their journey on earth is a spiritual one, and they have seen many visions of the truth.
The chorus repeats the message of living up and not giving up, reinforcing the idea of standing up for one's beliefs. The final lines urge the Rastaman to grow their dreadlocks and not fear the wolf-pack again, emphasizing the importance of their identity and culture.
Overall, "Rastaman Live Up" by Bob Marley's song is a rallying cry for Rastafarians to stay true to their roots, not be intimidated, and fight for their beliefs and identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Rastaman, live up!
Encouragement to the Rastafarians to live according to their principles.
Bongoman, don't give up!
Encouragement to the drummers to keep playing.
Congoman, live up, yeah!
Encouragement to the Congolese to hold on to their cultural identity.
Binghi-man don't give up!
Encouragement to the traditional Rastafarian drummers to keep playing.
Keep your culture,
Don't forget the cultural heritage of your country and your community.
Don't be afraid of the vulture!
Don't let the greedy, opportunistic people scare you.
Grow your dreadlock,
Practice your African heritage by growing your hair in dreadlocks.
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
Don't be afraid of those who discriminate against you due to your appearance.
David slew goliath with a sling and a stone;
Anything is possible, even for the most unlikely person.
Samson slew the philistines with a donkey jawbone:
Sometimes, the greatest strength comes from the most unexpected source.
Trodding through creation in a irie meditation;
Traveling through life in a peaceful and positive state of mind.
Seen many visions in-a this yah armagiddyon:
Having a deep understanding of the world and its place in the universe.
Natty dread, no give up!
Don't give up on the natural way of living.
Saw it in the beginning, so shall it be in this iwa;
The way things began is the way they will end up.
And they fallen in confusion, well-a just a step from babel tower
The Babylon system is in chaos, and we are close to the end of the world.
Grow your dreadlocks,
Embrace your African cultural traditions and grow your hair in dreadlocks.
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
Don't let those who judge you based on your appearance scare you.
A-tell you, one man a-walkin',
One person can make a difference.
And a billion man a-sparkin'.
And when many people work together, they can create something truly powerful.
Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up!
Never give up on your dreams and aspirations.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOB MARLEY, LEE PERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@suzannefernandes4486
Rastaman, live up!
Bongoman, don't give up!
Congoman, live up! (Yeah)
Binghi-man don't give up!
Keep your culture
Don't be afraid of the vulture!
Grow your dreadlock
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
Rastaman, live up!
Binghi-man, don't give up!
Congoman, live up! (Yeah)
Bongoman, don't give up!
David slew Goliath
With a sling and a stone
Samson slew the philistines
With a donkey jawbone
Iyaman, live up!
Rastaman, don't give up!
Binghi-man, live up! (Yeah)
Congoman, don't give up!
Trodding through creation
In a irie meditation
Seen many visions
Inna dis 'ya Armageddon
Rastaman, live up!
Congoman, don't give up!
Rastaman, live up! (Yeah)
Natty dread, no give up!
Saw it in the beginning
So shall it be in this iwa
And they fallen in confusion
Wellβ¦
@thomjunior9947
Rastaman, live up!
Bongoman, don't give up!
Congoman, live up, yeah!
Binghi-man don't give up!
Keep your culture:
Don't be afraid of the vulture!
Grow your dreadlock:
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
Rastaman, live up!
Binghi-man, don't give up!
Congoman, live up, yeah!
Bongoman, don't give up!
David slew Goliath with a sling and a stone;
Samson slew the Philistines with a donkey jawbone:
Iyaman, live up!
Rastaman, don't give up!
Binghi-man, live up!
Congoman, don't give up!
Trodding through creation in a irie meditation;
Seen many visions in-a this yah Armagiddyon:
Rastaman, live up!
Congoman, don't give up!
Rastaman, live up, yeah!
Natty Dread, no give up!
Saw it in the beginning, so shall it be in this iwa;
And they fallen in confusion, well-a just a step from Babel Tower
Rastaman live up!
Congoman, no give up!
Rastaman live up, yeah!
Congoman, no give up!
Grow your dreadlocks;
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
A-tell you, one man a-walkin';
And a billion man a-sparkin'.
Rastaman, live up!
Binghi-man, don't give up!
Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up!
@iriemusic8642
Love that song..Gives a lot of strength, confidence and perseverance... One of my all time favorites. Thanks for Upload!
@moscomx
La sensaciΓ³n de paz, serenidad y confort al alma que estΓ‘ leyenda genera con su musica. Por siempre Bob Marley
@thewolf81lobo86
Asi mismo,no otro artista tiene esa capacidad de impactar la humanidad como el maestraso Jamaicano..
@suzannefernandes4486
Rastaman, live up!
Bongoman, don't give up!
Congoman, live up! (Yeah)
Binghi-man don't give up!
Keep your culture
Don't be afraid of the vulture!
Grow your dreadlock
Don't be afraid of the wolf-pack!
Rastaman, live up!
Binghi-man, don't give up!
Congoman, live up! (Yeah)
Bongoman, don't give up!
David slew Goliath
With a sling and a stone
Samson slew the philistines
With a donkey jawbone
Iyaman, live up!
Rastaman, don't give up!
Binghi-man, live up! (Yeah)
Congoman, don't give up!
Trodding through creation
In a irie meditation
Seen many visions
Inna dis 'ya Armageddon
Rastaman, live up!
Congoman, don't give up!
Rastaman, live up! (Yeah)
Natty dread, no give up!
Saw it in the beginning
So shall it be in this iwa
And they fallen in confusion
Wellβ¦
@NattyBix
...a just one step form babel towa! a seh yuh 1 man a walkin' and a billion men are sparkin' Rastaman Live up!
@tinawaqa1031
πβ€ lovely lyrics ππ
@jamiesimms7084
The depth and craft of this song is amazing, the references, the overall story and message are astounding
@westyraviz
Word!
@tealohatint6749
Legend never dies....
@stevejunor2737
The distinguished Bob Marley whose
message in his music was incomparable