Africa Unite
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics


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Ziya-po ya-ya, pa-pa-ya-pa!
Ti-da-lee, na po-po pu-du-loo!
Ste-na-peh na-na po po-ro po!

Africa unite
'Cause we're moving right out of Babylon
And we're going to our Father's land
How good and how pleasant it would be
Before God and man, yeah
To see the unification of all Africans, yeah
As it's been said already
Let it be done, yeah
We are the children of the Rastaman
We are the children of the Iyaman

So, Africa unite
'Cause the children (Africa unite) wanna come home, yeah
Africa unite
'Cause we're moving right out of Babylon
And we're grooving to our Father's land

How good and how pleasant it would be
Before God and man
To see the unification of all Rastaman, yeah
As it's been said already, let it be done
I tell you who we are under the sun
We are the children of the Rastaman
We are the children of the Iyaman

So, Africa unite
Afri, Africa unite, yeah!
Unite for the benefit (Africa unite) of your people!
Unite for it's later (Africa unite) than you think!
Unite for the benefit (Africa unite) of my children!
Unite for it's later (Africa uniting) than you think!
Africa awaits (Africa unite) its creators!
Africa awaiting (Africa uniting) its creator!
Africa, you're my (Africa unite) forefather cornerstone!




Unite for the Africans (Africa uniting) abroad!
Unite for the Africans (Africa unite) a yard!

Overall Meaning

The song "Africa Unite" by Bob Marley & The Wailers is a call for all Africans to unite and return to their roots in Africa. The lyrics are a call to action to move away from Babylon, a metaphor for the oppressive and corrupt Western world, and return to the promised land of their ancestors. The song expresses the desire for unification of all Africans, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity, as they are all the children of the Rastaman or Iyaman, two symbols of Rastafarianism.


The song speaks to the importance of unity for the benefit of the people, especially the younger generation who are seeking to find their identity and place in the world. It emphasizes the urgency of this call to action and the need to act now before it's too late. The repeated refrain of "Africa unite" serves as a rallying cry for all Africans to come together and work towards a common goal of peace and prosperity for all the people of Africa.


Line by Line Meaning

Ziya-po ya-ya, pa-pa-ya-pa!
Opening chant with no clear meaning


Ti-da-lee, na po-po pu-du-loo!
Continuation of opening chant with no clear meaning


Ste-na-peh na-na po po-ro po!
Continuation of opening chant with no clear meaning


Africa unite
Call to unite the people of Africa


'Cause we're moving right out of Babylon
Because we are leaving the oppression of Babylon behind


And we're going to our Father's land
And returning to our ancestral home


How good and how pleasant it would be
It would be wonderful and enjoyable


Before God and man, yeah
In the presence of both God and humans


To see the unification of all Africans, yeah
To witness the coming together of all Africans


As it's been said already
As has been proposed before


Let it be done, yeah
Let us make it a reality


We are the children of the Rastaman
We are the descendants of Rastafarianism


We are the children of the Iyaman
We are the followers of Haile Selassie, also known as the 'Iyaman'


So, Africa unite
Once again, a call to unite the people of Africa


'Cause the children (Africa unite) wanna come home, yeah
Because the descendants of Africa want to return to their land of origin


Unite for the benefit (Africa unite) of your people!
Unite for the betterment of African society


Unite for it's later (Africa unite) than you think!
Unite because there is no time to waste


Unite for the benefit (Africa unite) of my children!
Unite for the sake of the next generation


Unite for it's later (Africa uniting) than you think!
Once again, a call to unite because there is no time to waste


Africa awaits (Africa unite) its creators!
Africa is waiting for its people to come together and build their own future


Africa awaiting (Africa uniting) its creator!
Once again, a call for Africans to come together and take control of their own destiny


Africa, you're my (Africa unite) forefather cornerstone!
Africa, you are the foundation upon which everything else has been built


Unite for the Africans (Africa uniting) abroad!
Unite with Africans who are living outside of their homeland


Unite for the Africans (Africa unite) a yard!
Unite with the Africans who are living and working to improve their communities




Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOB MARLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Eddy Manijean

Africa Unite
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Africa unite
'Cause we're moving right out of Babylon
And we're going to our Father's land, yeah
How good and how pleasant it would be
Before God and man, yeah
To see the unification of all Africans, yeah
As it's been said already, let it be done, yeah
We are the children of the Rastaman
We are the children of the Iyaman
So, Africa unite
'Cause the children wanna come home (Africa unite), yeah, yeah
Africa unite
'Cause we're moving right out of Babylon
And we're grooving to our Father's land, yeah
How good and how pleasant it would be
Before God and man
To see the unification of all Rastaman, yeah
As it's been said already, let it be done
I tell you who we are under the sun
We are the children of the Rastaman
We are the children of the Iyaman
So, Africa unite
Afri- Africa unite, yeah
Unite for the benefit of your people (Africa unite)
Unite for it's later than you think (Africa unite)
Unite for the benefit of my children (Africa unite)
Unite for it's later than you think (Africa unite)
Africa awaits its creators (Africa unite)
Africa awaiting its Creator (Africa unite)
Africa, you're my forefather cornerstone (Africa unite)
Unite for the Africans abroad (Africa unite)
Unite...



Eddy Manijean

Africa Unite
Bob Marley & The Wailers
L’Afrique unie
Parce que nous sortons directement de Babylone
Et nous allons sur la terre de notre Père, oui
Comme ce serait bon et agrΓ©able
Devant Dieu et devant l’homme, oui
Voir l’unification de tous les Africains, oui
Comme cela a dΓ©jΓ  Γ©tΓ© dit, qu’on le fasse, oui
Nous sommes les enfants du Rastaman
Nous sommes les enfants de l’Iyaman
Alors, l’Afrique s’unit
Parce que les enfants veulent rentrer Γ  la maison (l’Afrique s’unit), oui, oui
L’Afrique unie
Parce que nous sortons directement de Babylone
Et nous avançons vers la terre de notre Père, oui
Comme ce serait bon et agrΓ©able
Devant Dieu et devant l’homme
Pour voir l’unification de tous les Rastaman, oui
Comme cela a dΓ©jΓ  Γ©tΓ© dit, qu’on le fasse
Je vous dis qui nous sommes sous le soleil
Nous sommes les enfants du Rastaman
Nous sommes les enfants de l’Iyaman
Alors, l’Afrique s’unit
Afri- L’Afrique unissez-vous, oui
Unissez-vous pour le bien de votre peuple (Africa unite)
Unissez-vous car c’est plus tard que vous ne le pensez (l’Afrique unissez-vous)
Unissons-nous pour le bien de mes enfants (Africa unite)
Unissez-vous car c’est plus tard que vous ne le pensez (l’Afrique unissez-vous)
L’Afrique attend ses crΓ©ateurs (Africa unite)
L’Afrique attend son CrΓ©ateur (L’Afrique s’unit)
L’Afrique, tu es ma pierre angulaire (Africa unite)
Unissons-nous pour les Africains Γ  l’étranger (Africa unite)
Unir...



All comments from YouTube:

Wendy Mazelin

This is the song we need to start playing, I stand with Africa πŸŒπŸ’―πŸ’―

Shanti M

This is probably the most important song EVER, regarding Afrikan people's survival and progress.

PesoWithTheDraco

Alkebulon !

Dellan anjo

and the whole world. Lets unite with russia as soon as possible. We had it better with them b4 the war. I refuse to pick sides. i dont support any war. I stand against it.

Lets stop fight one another.

Robert Ko

Yep and its starting to happen after the coup in Niger very recently.

LorraineYah

Afrika is uniting as we speak the western nations knew at some point we would unite, but they have had a long run by the hand of YAH because of the sins of Israel. But, we are praying and repenting and seeking YAH to join us back with our people in Righteousness and Holiness.
We are the children of the MOST HIGH YAH!

Emma Ravelomanarivo

Thank you for the good vibe Bob, especially thanks for the deep and powerful message for the lost generation.

Badr Mohamed

Share This Song To Every African All over the World This Should Be Our Anthem .. spread Unity

Eric Badu

How good and how pleasant it would before God and man. Guys I was 16 years when this came in 1979. It's bringing tears to my eyes. Rip Tuff Gong, beautiful accompanying guitars(Al Anderson, Junior Marvin), excellent drumming ( Santa Davis). There will never be another band like this.

Rot Schimmel

The most beautiful song ever written.

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