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
Ride Natty Ride (12
Bob Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he's got to fulfill that mission
To see his hurt is their greatest ambition, yeah!
But we will survive in this world of competition
'Cause no matter what they do
Natty keep on comin' through
And no matter what they say
Natty do them every day, yeah!
Through the mystics of tomorrow
Natty dread rides again
Have no fear, have no sorrow, yeah!
All and all you see a-gwan
Is to fight against Rastaman
So they build their world in great confusion
To force on us the devil's illusion
But the stone that the builder refuse
Shall be the head cornerstone
And no matter what game they play
We got something they could never take away
We got something they could never take away
And it's the fire (fire), it's the fire (fire)
That's burning down everything
Feel that fire (fire), the fire (fire)
Only the birds have their wings, yeah!
No time to be deceived
Oh, brothers, you should know and not believe
Jah say this judgement, it could never be with water
No water could put out this fire (fire)
This fire (fire), this fire (fire)
This fire (fire), a yaga y'all! ride, natty, ride!
Go there, dready, go there,
'Cause now the fire is out of control
Panic in the city, wicked weeping for their gold!
Everywhere this fire is burning,
Destroying and melting their gold,
Destroying and wasting their souls
Go ride, natty, ride!
Go there, dready, go there!
Tell you what now the people gather on the beach
And the leader try to make a speech
But the dreadies understandin' that it's too late
Fire is burning
Man, pull your own weight!
Fire is burning
Man, pull your own weight!
Natty dread rides again (natty dread rides again)
And me say, go there, dready! Go there! (go there, go there)
Oh ride, natty, ride! (dread rides again)
And go there, dready! (go there, go there)
Ridin' through the storm,
Riding through the calm (go there, go there)
Oh ride, natty, ride!
Go there, dready, go there!
Ride, natty, ride!
Go there, dready, do there!
The lyrics to Bob Marley's song "Ride Natty Ride" speak to the struggles faced by Rastafarians and those who follow the principles of the Rastafarian faith in the face of a hostile society that actively seeks to undermine their beliefs and way of life. Throughout the song, Marley praises the strength and resilience of the Rastafarian community, declaring that they will "survive in this world of competition" thanks to their unwavering commitment to their beliefs.
The first stanza speaks to the mission of those who seek to oppress Rastafarians, which is to "see his hurt." Despite this, Marley declares that "Natty keep on comin' through" and that "no matter what they say / Natty do them every day." The message here is one of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
In the second stanza, Marley speaks to the way in which the society at large seeks to undermine Rastafarian beliefs by creating confusion and promoting the devil's illusion. However, he also proclaims that "the stone that the builder refuse / shall be the head cornerstone," meaning that the Rastafarian faith and way of life will ultimately prevail over the false beliefs and illusions created by those in power.
The final stanza speaks to the chaos and destruction that arises when we refuse to acknowledge and address the injustices and inequalities present in our society. Marley urges his listeners to "pull their own weight" and join in the fight against oppression and injustice, rather than waiting for a leader to take charge.
Overall, "Ride Natty Ride" is a powerful song that speaks to the strength and resilience of Rastafarians and their commitment to their faith, despite facing oppression and hostility from the larger society.
Line by Line Meaning
Dready got a job to do
Dreadlocks has a mission that he needs to accomplish.
And he's got to fulfill that mission
He has to complete his task to reach his goal.
To see his hurt is their greatest ambition, yeah!
Some people want to see him fail, but he won't let them bring him down.
But we will survive in this world of competition
Despite the challenges and competition, they will survive and thrive.
'Cause no matter what they do
Regardless of what others do to him,
Natty keep on comin' through
He persists and overcomes the obstacles.
And no matter what they say
Even if they say negative things,
Natty do them every day, yeah!
He keeps on doing what he knows is right every day.
Natty dread rides again
Dreadlocks is on the move again,
Through the mystics of tomorrow
He moves forward, guided by his own intuition and perception of the future.
Have no fear, have no sorrow, yeah!
He feels no fear or sadness because he knows he is doing the right thing.
All and all you see a-gwan
All that is happening around you,
Is to fight against Rastaman
Is a fight against the Rastafarian people and their way of life.
So they build their world in great confusion
Others build their world with chaos and confusion,
To force on us the devil's illusion
To impose the devil's deceitful ways.
But the stone that the builder refuse
The truth that others rejected,
Shall be the head cornerstone
Will become the most important and significant aspect.
And no matter what game they play
Regardless of the schemes they come up with,
We got something they could never take away
They will never be able to take away what he truly believes in.
And it's the fire (fire), it's the fire (fire)
It's the passion and determination inside him,
That's burning down everything
That is unstoppable and destroys everything in its path.
Feel that fire (fire), the fire (fire)
That fire that he feels inside him,
Only the birds have their wings, yeah!
Only those who truly understand can feel it.
No time to be deceived
There's no time for deceit,
Oh, brothers, you should know and not believe
People should be aware and not blindly believe everything they are told.
Jah say this judgement, it could never be with water
God declares that this punishment cannot be washed away.
No water could put out this fire (fire)
This passion and determination cannot be extinguished.
This fire (fire), this fire (fire)
This fire, this unstoppable urge,
This fire (fire), a yaga y'all! ride, natty, ride!
This fire, ride on, dreadlocks, ride!
Go there, dready, go there,
Move forward, dreadlocks,
'Cause now the fire is out of control
Because the passion has taken over
Panic in the city, wicked weeping for their gold!
People are losing their minds and crying over their material possessions.
Everywhere this fire is burning,
The passion is spreading,
Destroying and melting their gold,
Destroying and melting the materialistic desires and greed of others,
Destroying and wasting their souls
Destroying and draining their true essence and humanity.
Tell you what now the people gather on the beach
People gather in one place,
And the leader try to make a speech
A leader tries to explain what's happening.
But the dreadies understandin' that it's too late
But the dreadlocks understand that it's all too late.
Fire is burning
The passion is spreading like wildfire,
Man, pull your own weight!
People should take responsibility and work to make things right.
Natty dread rides again (natty dread rides again)
Dreadlocks moves forward once again,
And me say, go there, dready! Go there! (go there, go there)
Encouraging dreadlocks to keep going and not give up.
Oh ride, natty, ride! (dread rides again)
Ride on, dreadlocks, ride!
And go there, dready! (go there, go there)
Keep moving forward, dreadlocks,
Ridin' through the storm,
Despite the storms and challenges,
Riding through the calm (go there, go there)
And the moments of peace and clarity,
Oh ride, natty, ride!
Ride on, dreadlocks, ride!
Go there, dready, go there!
Persist and keep moving forward, dreadlocks.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOB MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@makaveli4life
Padahaah rub rub rubby-doo-day
Rum-pum-pum a-rum-pum-pum-pum oohohooh yeah
Dready got a job to do
And he's got to fulfill that mission yeah
To see his hurt will be there greatest ambition yeah
But-a we will survive in this World of competition
'Cause no matter what they do
Natty keep on coming through
And no matter what they say-ay-ay-ay
Natty de deh every day yeah
Natty Dread rides again
Through the mystics of tomorrow
Natty Dread rides again now
Have no fear have no sorrow yeah
All and all you see a-gwan
Is to fight against Rastaman
So they build their World in great confusion
To force on us the devil’s illusion
But the stone that the builder refuse
Shall be the head cornerstone
And no matter what game they play
And we got something they can never take away
We got something they can never take away
And it's the fire (Fire) it's the fire (Fire)
That's burning down everything
Feel the fire (Fire) feel the fire (Fire)
Only the birds have their wings yeah
No time to be deceived
Ooh brothers you should know and not believe
Just say this judgemen could never be with water
No water can put out this fire (Fire)
This fire (Fire) this fire (Fire) this fire (Fire) a yaga y'all
Ooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
'Cause now the fire is out of control
Panic in the city wicked weeping for their soul
Everywhere this fire is burning
Destroying and melting their gold
Destroying and waisting their souls
Go ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
Tell you what
Now the people gather on the beach
And the leader try to make a speech
But the Dreadies understanding that it's too late
Fire is burning man pull your own weight
Fire is burning man pull your own weight
Natty Dread rides again (Natty Dread rides again)
I me say go there Dready go there (Go there go there)
Ooh ride Natty ride (The Dread rides again)
And go there Dready go there (Go there go there)
Riding through the storm
Riding through the calm (Go there go there)
Oohohoh ooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
'Cause now the fire is out of control
Panic in the city wicked weeping for their soul
Everywhere this fire is burning
Destroying and melting their gold
Destroying and waisting their souls
Go ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
Tell you what
Now the people gather on the beach
And the leader try to make a speech
But the Dreadies understanding that it's too late
Fire is burning man pull your own weight
Fire is burning man pull your own weight
Natty Dread rides again (Natty Dread rides again)
I me say go there Dready go there (Go there go there)
Ooh ride Natty ride (The Dread rides again)
And go there Dready go there (Go there go there)
Riding through the storm
Riding through the calm (Go there go there)
Oohohoh ooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
'Cause now the fire is out of control
Panic in the city wicked weeping for their soul
Everywhere this fire is burning
Destroying and melting their gold
Destroying and waisting their souls
Ooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
Tell you what
Now the people gather on the beach
And the leader try to make a speech
But the Dreadies understanding that it's too late
Fire is burning man pull your own weight
Fire is burning man pull your own weight
Natty Dread rides again (Natty Dread rides again)
I me say go there Dready go there (Go there go there)
Ooh ride Natty ride (The Dread rides again)
And go there Dready go there (Go there go there)
Riding through the storm
Riding through the calm (Go there go there)
Oohohoh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
Ooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
And no matter what they say-ay-ay-ay
Natty de deh every day yeah
Natty Dread rides again
Through the mystics of tomorrow
Natty Dread rides again now
Have no fear have no sorrow yeah
All and all you see a-gwan
Is to fight against Rastaman
So they build their World in great confusion
To force on us the devil’s illusion
But the stone that the builder refuse
Shall be the head cornerstone
And no matter what game they play
And we got something they can never take away
We got something they can never take away
Ooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
Ooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready go there
Oohohohooh ride Natty ride
Go there Dready
@mariawood2467
One of my top 5 Marley Albums. Ride Natty is so true today more than ever. Only the birds have their wings! ❤💛💚🖤
@williemolina1206
I totally agreed with you Maria, keep the positive vibes,have a wonderful day.
@ronalrodriguez1359
tienes roda la razon living
@cathybadjo2804
The king 🏆🏆🏆🏆
@kristiank1276
i fkn love ride natty ride! we got something they can never take away. marleys music seems to get more relevant as the years go by
@williemolina1206
This is one of the best Marley albums. You feel the vibes.
@cathybadjo2804
Super👍👍👍👍👍
@CAMPIRANO
fr 🎉❤
@teofilodejesus3791
La mejor musica que puede esistir para que este umanidad viva su vida con amor y nos consideremos como hermanos todos porque asi losomos y un buen ejenplo para los niños los jovenes y nosotros tanvien los mayores .my jente yo entiendo y conprondo que muchas personas y mas aqui en mi tierra natal dominican republic que consideran esa musica lo peor y tienen sus rasones solo el porque no entienden su idioma y por su apariencia del pelo y porque no tienen nuestra tradition pero le asegugo k nunca habra un cantanti y conpositor como el nunca lo habra asi es que mi jente de todas parte del mundo no seconfundan por su apariensia y baloremos a Bob Marley es un amor un angel un berdadero ejenplo para todos nosotros una leyenda y que Dios lo bendiga a el y acada uno de nosotros🙏 jusgen las personas por su apariencia por favor por Dios amemosnos unos alos otros y busquemos acada momento y cada dia a nuestro papa Dios nuestro creador y unico Dios. Amen amen amen y que Dios nos bendiga a todos y buenas noches 🙏😇❤
@ronalrodriguez1359
Lo mejor del maestro bob marley por. los siglos