No Woman%2C No Cry
Bob Marley %26 The Wailers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
Say, say
Say I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
As they would mingle with the good people we meet
Good friends we have
Oh, good friends we lost along the way
In this great future
You can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I say
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
Little darling, don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
Say, say
Said I remember when we use to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
I seh, log would burnin' through the nights
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
Of which I'll share with you
My feet is my only carriage
And so I've got to push on through
Oh, while I'm gone
Everything 's gonna be alright
Everything 's gonna be alright
No woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
I say little darlin'
Don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
The iconic Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" is a legendary reggae song that communicates a message of hope and reassurance to the people. The lyrics are powerful and straightforward, touching the hearts of many generations. The key message in the song is that one should not worry too much about the absence of women, but instead, they should focus on the positive things in life. In the first stanza, Bob Marley repeats the words "no woman, no cry" four times, indicating that nothing to cry about when there are no women around.
The song then moves on to reminisce about Bob's childhood memories of Trenchtown, a low-income neighborhood in Kingston, Jamaica. The lyrics illustrate how the people in the community came together to help one another through their daily struggles. Bob Marley describes moments spent with good friends in government yards, where they observed "the hypocrites" mixing with the good people they met.
The second verse talks about how Georgie lit the fire in the yard, and they would cook cornmeal porridge, which they would share with each other. In essence, Bob Marley is saying that this was a simple life, but it was filled with positive moments and friendships that allowed them to persevere through their struggles. Through this, he reassures the listener that even though we may lose friends and sometimes long for what we have lost, we must remember that there are brighter days ahead of us, and everything will be alright.
Line by Line Meaning
No woman, no cry
If there is no woman, there is no need to cry, as women can sometimes bring sadness and heartache.
No woman, no cry
The repetition of the line emphasises that without women, one can find peace and happiness.
No woman, no cry
The line also implies that women are sometimes the cause of one's tears, and without them, one can avoid emotional pain.
No woman, no cry
The line is repeated at the beginning of each verse to set the tone of the song and emphasise the importance of finding happiness without women.
Say, say
The artist is giving a call to attention, prompting listeners to pay attention to what he has to say.
Say I remember when we used to sit
The singer recalls a time when he and others would spend time together in a government housing complex in Trenchtown.
In a government yard in Trenchtown
The location is significant as it represents the struggles of poverty and instability that people in Jamaican housing projects often faced.
Observing the hypocrites
The artist and his friends could see the injustices and double standards of people in positions of power.
As they would mingle with the good people we meet
The artist and his friends saw the corrupt people mingling with the good people in their community, noting the stark differences between the two groups.
Good friends we have
The artist values the friendships he has made in his life.
Oh, good friends we lost along the way
The singer has experienced the pain of losing close friendships over time.
In this great future
The artist is optimistic that things will get better in the future.
You can't forget your past
The singer reminds listeners that it's important to remember where they came from and the struggles they have overcome.
So dry your tears, I say
The singer encourages listeners to not dwell on the past, but to instead focus on the present and future.
Little darling, don't shed no tears
The singer is addressing a loved one, telling them to not cry because things will be okay.
Said I remember when we used to sit
The artist is reminiscing about a time from his past when he sat with friends in Trenchtown.
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
Georgie was responsible for lighting the fire they would gather around.
I seh, log would burnin' through the nights
The logs would burn all night long as they sat around the fire.
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
The group would make and eat a simple meal of cornmeal porridge.
Of which I'll share with you
The artist is offering to share this memory with his current listener.
My feet is my only carriage
The artist is expressing that he does not have much, but he has his feet to carry him wherever he needs to go.
And so I've got to push on through
The artist acknowledges that despite challenges, he must keep moving forward.
Everything 's gonna be alright
The singer is using repetition to reinforce that things will get better in the future.
No woman, no cry
The line is repeated to emphasise that without women, there is less pain and heartache in life.
No woman, no cry
The line is a reminder that sometimes, women can cause emotional pain, and without them, one can find more peace.
I say little darlin'
The singer is addressing a loved one, using a term of affection.
Don't shed no tears
The singer is comforting their loved one, telling them not to cry.
No woman, no cry
The song ends with a final reminder that without women, one can find more happiness and emotional stability.
Contributed by Nicholas K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.