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 โExodusโ (1977) was named Album of the Century by Time Magazine and his song โOne Loveโ 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
Work
Bob Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come together and make it work, yeah
We can make it work
We can make it work
Five days to go, working for the next day
Four days to go, working for the next day
Say we got, three days to go now, working for the next day
Say we got, one day to go, working for the
Every day is
Work
Work
Work
Work
We can make it work
We can make it work
We, Jah people, can make it work
Come together and make it work
We can make it work
We can make it work
We got, five days to go work, oh, working for the next day, eh
Four days to go, working for the
Three days to go now, working for the next day, yeah
Two days to go, working for the next day
Say we got, one day to go now, working for
Every day is work, wotcha-wa
(Work) I work in the mid-day sun
(Work) I work 'til the evening come
(Work) if ya ain't got nothing to do
(Work) ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
(Work)
The song "Work" by Bob Marley & The Wailers is a rallying cry for people to come together and work towards a better future. The lyrics talk about the daily grind of work, with references to counting down the days until the next day of work. The song acknowledges that work is a necessary part of life, but also encourages people to find common ground and work together to achieve their goals. The repeated refrain "We can make it work" emphasizes the message of unity and hope.
The lyrics of "Work" speak to the struggle and perseverance of the working-class. Bob Marley himself comes from a background of poverty and hard work, so the song likely reflects his own experiences. The use of the term "Jah people" refers to Rastafarians, a group that Marley was a part of. Rastafarians believe in unity and equality for all people, and the theme of unity is present throughout the song. The repetition of the word "work" adds to the feeling of drudgery and monotony, but it also serves to highlight the importance of hard work and determination.
Overall, "Work" is a song that celebrates the power of collective action and speaks to the struggles faced by working-class people. Its message is still relevant today, and the idea that we can come together and make things work is one that resonates with people around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
We, Jah people, can make it work
As a collective, we who believe in Jah can come together to make things work, even in difficult times.
Come together and make it work, yeah
Unity is key in making things work, and we should all come together to do so.
We can make it work
Despite the challenges we face, we have the ability to overcome and make things work.
Five days to go, working for the next day
We're putting in work today so that we're prepared for tomorrow.
Four days to go, working for the next day
We continue to work hard as we prepare for tomorrow's challenges.
Say we got, three days to go now, working for the next day
We have three days left to prepare ourselves for tomorrow, and we must work hard to do so.
Two days to go (ooh), working for the next day, yeah
With only two days left until tomorrow, we're working hard to ensure we're ready.
Say we got, one day to go, working for the
With only one day left until tomorrow, we're still putting in the work to make sure we're prepared.
Every day is
Work
Work
Work
Work
There's always work to be done, and we must stay focused and diligent in our efforts to make things work.
We got, five days to go work, oh, working for the next day, eh
We have five days left to prepare ourselves for what's to come, and we're working hard to make it happen.
Three days to go now, working for the next day, yeah
With only three days left to prepare, we're working hard to make sure we're ready for whatever comes our way.
Say we got, one day to go now, working for
One more day until the next challenge, and we're putting in the work to be ready.
Every day is work, wotcha-wa
(Work) I work in the mid-day sun
(Work) I work 'til the evening come
(Work) if ya ain't got nothing to do
(Work) ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
(Work)
We must work hard every day, even when it's difficult or we're facing challenges. Whether it's in the sun or in the evening, we must stay diligent and focused on the task at hand.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOB MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ninjah
TRADUCTION EN FR
Nous, le peuple de Jah, pouvons y arriver
Rassemblons-nous, et nous y arriverons
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Il reste cinq jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Il reste quatre jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Je dis quโil reste trois jours maintenant, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Il reste deux jours (ooh), ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Je dis quโon a un jour, ร travailler pour le
Chaque jour cโest travail - travail โ travail โ travail
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
(..)
Nous, le peuple de Jah, pouvons y arriver
Rassemblons-nous, et nous y arriverons
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
On a cinq jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant, eh
Il reste quatre jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Il reste trois jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant, oui
Il reste deux jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Je dis quโon a un jour maintenant, ร travailler pour
Chaque jour cโest travail, travail
Je travaille sous le soleil de midi
Je travaille jusquโau soir venu
Si tu nโas rien ร faire
On a du travail pour toiโฆ
romello valentine
This is literally one of the greatest songs of all time
Rรดmulo Carrer
Yeah !
Good Vibes Day
Definitely
Bradley Papineau
The groove is fucking insane.
The Saint ST1
Without doubt
Ade Maya
Amen...I can't listen to it only once. I have to play it at least 3 times back to back before I'm satisfied.
tcharico
Magnifique je me lasse jamais de Bob Marley et tout particuliรจrement de cette chanson . Dommage quโil nโest plus la !!๐ข๐ข๐ข
Alan Kinsella
A fantastic way to explain how many people feel about work. Working for the next day.
Ninjah
TRADUCTION EN FR
Nous, le peuple de Jah, pouvons y arriver
Rassemblons-nous, et nous y arriverons
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Il reste cinq jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Il reste quatre jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Je dis quโil reste trois jours maintenant, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Il reste deux jours (ooh), ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Je dis quโon a un jour, ร travailler pour le
Chaque jour cโest travail - travail โ travail โ travail
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
(..)
Nous, le peuple de Jah, pouvons y arriver
Rassemblons-nous, et nous y arriverons
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
Nousโฆ pouvons y arriver
On a cinq jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant, eh
Il reste quatre jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Il reste trois jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant, oui
Il reste deux jours, ร travailler pour le jour suivant
Je dis quโon a un jour maintenant, ร travailler pour
Chaque jour cโest travail, travail
Je travaille sous le soleil de midi
Je travaille jusquโau soir venu
Si tu nโas rien ร faire
On a du travail pour toiโฆ
Melu4ever Ngcamphalala
2021 I still WORK... Marley'music is inspirational