Burning and Looting
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics

Ey!
Attention getter or an exclamation to begin the song.

This morning I woke up in a curfew
The singer conveys that he was woken up under military curfew, which means there is no freedom to move.

Oh God, I was a prisoner, too
The singer reveals his helplessness as if he was a prisoner in his own home.

Could not recognize the faces standing over me
The singer unknowingly woke up to the faces of the government-controlled military personnel on his doorstep.

All dressed in uniforms of brutality
The military personnel were probably dressed in uniforms that symbolize control and repression.

How many rivers do we have to cross
The question implies how many obstacles one has to overcome to reach the desired goal i.e., freedom.

Before we can talk to the boss?
To achieve that goal, how much more do the oppressed have to endure before they can speak to the oppressor and negotiate.

I'm saying, all we got, it seems we have lost
The singer laments that no matter how hard they try, oppressed people have lost everything they have attained so far in life.

We must have really paid the cost
The cost paid could be the lives lost to gain freedom or the price paid with the collective freedom of people.

That's why we gonna be burnin' and a-lootin' tonight
The singer suggests that burning and looting may be the only way left to get their message across, as previous peaceful protests have failed to evoke change.

Burnin' all pollution tonight
The singer might be referring to the corruption of the government officials, politicians or corporation bureaucrats responsible for the pollution of the country.

Oh, we're burnin' all illusion tonight
The singer wants to burn the illusion that the current reality is what it ought to be; he wants to break away from the systematically induced delusions of his people.

Oh, give me the food and let me grow
The singer wants access to food and resources to grow and be healthy, which is only possible when there is no oppression.

Let the Roots Man take the gold
In contrast to the exploitation and greed of the elite, the 'Roots Man,' who represents grassroots level citizens, deserves to have the riches of the land restored to them.

I say, 'cause all them drugs gonna make you slow, now
The singer tells his fellow men that drugs can slow them down, which could result in them missing the chance of liberation altogether.

It's not the music from the ghetto
Placement of the blame on the suffering faced by ghetto people on music is a fallacy; the real cause is the people and systems that create and enable their misery.

Weeping and a-wailin' tonight
The singer emphasizes on the sadness and sorrow felt collectively by the people due to their overall plight.

How many rivers do we have to cross?
A repetition of the refrain 'how many rivers do we have to cross,' highlighting the struggle faced by the oppressed to achieve their goal.

Talk to the boss
Repeated call to action to urge people to negotiate and speak to their oppressor to achieve their goal.

And one more, if all we got, we have lost
If they lose all and have nothing else to lose, then what option will they have left?

What I mean yeah, we must have really paid the cost
The people have already paid the price of oppression and now refuse to bear that cost anymore.

Who can stop the tears tonight?
The tears are unstoppable and will only end when the struggle for freedom reaches its end goal.

So, pretty no, no tears tonight, eh!
The singer discourages the people from shedding tears tonight, urging them instead to fight for their freedom with a clear head and a determined heart.