Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to t… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Robert Nesta Marley), Peter Tosh (Hubert Winston McIntosh), and Bunny Wailer (Neville Livingston).

During 1970 and 1971, Wailer, Marley and Tosh worked with renowned reggae producers Leslie Kong and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

They released four albums before signing to Island Records in 1972. Two more albums were created before Tosh and Wailer left the band in 1974, citing grievances over label treatment and ideological differences. Marley carried on with a new line-up, including the I-Threes that put out seven more more albums. Marley died in 1981.

The Wailers were a groundbreaking ska and reggae group, noted for songs such as "Simmer Down", "Trenchtown Rock", "Nice Time", "War", "Stir It Up" and "Get Up, Stand Up".

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley_and_the_Wailers

Studio albums
The Wailing Wailers (1965)
The Best of the Wailers (1970; released 1971)
Soul Rebels (1970)
Soul Revolution Part II (1971)
Catch a Fire (1973)
Burnin' (1973)
Natty Dread (1974)
Rastaman Vibration (1976)
Exodus (1977)
Kaya (1978)
Survival (1979)
Uprising (1980)
Confrontation (1983)

Black Progress
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Black Progress:

Black Progress, yeah yeah
Black Progress, got to get it
Black Progress, we? ve been down too long
Black Progress, Black Progress
We? re people too
We love the birds with the bee

We stop living on our knees
And we stop living on our feet
? Cause brothers like to take two eyes
To make a pair,
We won? t quit until we got our share
Black Progress, real real
Black Progress, you got to get it
Black Progress, you? ve got to fight
Black Progress, fight for your right
If you love me, black dignity...
I′ve worked on jobs with my feet and my hands
But all the work I did was for the other man, children
We demands a right to do things for ourselves
Instead of standing down here
An workin' for someone else
Black Progress, little children
Black Progress, all over the world
Black Progress, anytime, anyway
How we? ve been down, I? m black and I? m proud

Say it loud, I? m black and I? m proud
Say it loud, I? m black and I? m proud

Overall Meaning

The song "Black Progress" by Bob Marley & The Wailers highlights the struggles and aspirations of the black community worldwide. From the very beginning of the song, Bob Marley sings out the urgency and importance of achieving Black Progress. He recognizes that the black community has been oppressed for too long and that it's time to take charge of their own destinies. In the second verse of the song, he points out that black people are also people who love nature, and they love to stop living on their knees and start living with dignity. The phrase "brothers like to take two eyes to make a pair" highlights how the black community has been subjected to injustice and inequality.

Furthermore, the song calls for action and urges people to fight for their right to progress. The lyrics emphasize the importance of self-reliance and doing things for oneself. Bob Marley is aware that many black people are working for someone else and wants them to demand the right to control their destiny. The chorus "Black Progress, you've got to get it" is a call to the black community to take their rightful place in the world and not to give up until they've achieved it. In the final few lines of the song, Marley sings "Say it loud, I'm black, and I'm proud," which is a powerful statement of unity, confidence, and ownership of oneself, encouraging black people to feel proud of their heritage.

Line by Line Meaning

Black Progress, yeah yeah
Let's achieve black progress

Black Progress, got to get it
We need to work towards achieving black progress

Black Progress, we've been down too long
Black people have been oppressed for too long and it's time for progress

Black Progress, Black Progress
The importance of black progress is emphasized twice

We're people too
We are humans and deserve equal treatment

We love the birds with the bee
We appreciate nature too, just like anyone else

We stop living on our knees
We won't tolerate being oppressed anymore

And we stop living on our feet
We won't live with the burden of discrimination

'Cause brothers like to take two eyes To make a pair,
Some people are greedy and don't want to share resources

We won't quit until we got our share
We won't stop fighting for our share of resources and opportunities

Black Progress, real real
Black progress is important and it's not just a concept

Black Progress, you got to get it
We all need to work towards black progress

Black Progress, you've got to fight
Fighting for black progress is necessary

Black Progress, fight for your right
We need to fight for our rights as black people

If you love me, black dignity...
If you truly care for me, you'll respect my black dignity

I've worked on jobs with my feet and my hands But all the work I did was for the other man, children
Black people have been forced to work hard but for the benefit of others, not themselves

We demands a right to do things for ourselves Instead of standing down here An workin' for someone else
We deserve the right to work for ourselves instead of constantly working for the benefit of others

Black Progress, little children
Black progress is important for the next generation

Black Progress, all over the world
Black progress is needed everywhere

Black Progress, anytime, anyway
Black progress is needed now and in any form

How we've been down, I'm black and I'm proud
Despite the oppression, we are proud to be black

Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud
We are proud of our blackness and will proclaim it loudly

Writer(s): Bob Marley

Contributed by Julia S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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