Arise Blackman
Bob Marley & Peter Tosh Lyrics
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And be ye lifted up, ye ever livin' black people
The King of glory shall come in
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
We've been sittin' in the dirt too long
And it seems we don't know when we're right or wrong
But help me sing my song, Blackman arise
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself right now
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
For the moon shall turn into blood
And the rivers turn into flood
And the sun will never shine, Blackman arise
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
Remember we've been down here as slaves
And to get a little job you have to trim and shave
Your heaven becomes your grave, Blackman arise
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
For the time of rights is now
And you don't have to ask me how
You've got to make a move, Blackman arise
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself right now
Arise Blackman, arise
Arise and denote thyself
Every man on earth is a man
And every tub have to stand on its own bottom
No matter where you're from, Blackman arise
So arise Blackman, arise
The song "Arise Blackman" by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh is a call to action to black people to rise up and assert their identity and worth. The song begins with an invocation for the gates to be lifted up so that the King of glory can come in. This is a metaphorical reference to the opening up of the hearts and minds of black people to receive a message of empowerment and liberation. The repetition of the phrase "Arise Blackman, arise" serves as a rallying cry for black people to become aware of their potential and stand up to the injustices and discrimination they face.
The song also speaks to the historical struggles of black people as slaves and how even in the post-slavery era, they still face discrimination and marginalization. The lyrics point to the fact that black people have been sitting in the dirt for too long, and need to rise up and assert their rights. The song highlights the idea that to get a job, black people have to conform to societal norms and expectations and therefore their heaven becomes their grave. The overall message of the song is that the time is now for black people to assert their identity and not let the world dictate who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Lift up your heads, o ye gates
Let us lift our heads with pride and dignity
And be ye lifted up, ye ever livin' black people
Let us stand tall as living, breathing black people
The King of glory shall come in
We invite the King of glory to join us in our struggle
Arise Blackman, arise
Black men, stand up and take control!
Arise and denote thyself
You have the power to define yourself, so do it now!
Arise Blackman, arise
Black men, stand up and take control!
Arise and denote thyself
You have the power to define yourself, so do it now!
We've been sittin' in the dirt too long
Our oppression has lasted too long
And it seems we don't know when we're right or wrong
We've been conditioned to believe in the oppressor's version of right and wrong
But help me sing my song, Blackman arise
We will sing our song and rise up, Black men!
For the moon shall turn into blood
The world will be transformed into a bloody battleground
And the rivers turn into flood
The rising of the oppressed will cause a powerful wave of change
And the sun will never shine, Blackman arise
If we don't act now, the future looks bleak for us and our children
Remember we've been down here as slaves
We must always remember our history of oppression and slavery
And to get a little job you have to trim and shave
We have to conform to oppressive standards just to get by
Your heaven becomes your grave, Blackman arise
If we don't take control of our lives, our aspirations will be buried with us
For the time of rights is now
It's time for us to demand our basic human rights
And you don't have to ask me how
We know what needs to be done, now it's time to act
You've got to make a move, Blackman arise
It's time to take action and seize the power for ourselves
Every man on earth is a man
All men are equal and must be treated as such
And every tub have to stand on its own bottom
Each person is responsible for their own actions and must make their own way
No matter where you're from, Blackman arise
We are all one people and must work together to rise up and take control
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Peter Tosh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@soljah2365
And why Bob Marley featuring Peter Tosh? Too many Bob Marley fanboys not giving Peter the credit he is due.
@robertocaballero9367
Exactly
@rastalavie
Peter is Forever!!! Who says Bob says Peter... Wherever is Bob there is Peter... Forever...
@LikkleSire
As far as I know, it's really a Tosh-Song. Got it on CD (album from Peter Tosh) and never heard Bob Marley sang it, though I've got almost every album of Bob Marley and many samplers. Doesn't mean anyone doubts that Marley was a great musician. But you got to give credits to the right man. Seen?
@wednesdaystwinflametvandta299
R.i.p lawrence agustus finley aka ceaser#mostcroft kid,sadley missed my dread but god will let us see each other 1 beautiful ganga filled day,on top of the clouds with bob 1 love my G
@nuneswhite
In Steppin Razor when Peter said"It to blck fi dem?". THAT'S why he never gets credit. But anyhow, Happy Nat Turner Day.
@rasapplepipe
Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer sing baritone Bob Marley sings tenor. This is Peter on lead vocals.
@paulogutenberg5050
why bob marley pictures if this song is from peter tosh?