Upon completi… Read Full Bio ↴Song is originally from the Album “Rastaman Vibration”
Upon completing the tour, Marley and his band returned to Jamaica, laying down the tracks for Rastaman Vibration (1976) at legendary studios run by Harry Johnson and Joe Gibbs. At the mixing board for the sessions were Sylvan Morris and Errol Thompson, Jamaican engineers of the highest caliber.
Album Tracks:
01 Positive Vibration
02 Roots, Rock, Reggae
03 Johnny Was
04 Cry To Me
05 Want More
06 Crazy Baldhead
07 Who The Cap Fit
08 Night Shift
09 War
10 Rat Race
11 Jah Live
Johnny Was
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet
Woman hold her head and cry
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
Wondering
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
Gift of Jah is life (life)
She cried
Ah-um, I, I know!
Johnny was a good man
I, I know! (never did a thing wrong)
Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good man
(Johnny was good man) He cried, he cried
Wo-ooh! Woman hold her head and cry
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system (system)
Woman hold her head and cry
Comforting her I was passing by
She complained, then she cry
Oh-whoah
yeah, I know now, I know, I know now (Johnny was a good man)
Said I know, hmm (Never did a thing wrong)
(Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care, she cried, (Never did a thing wrong)
Cease towards the child she bear? (Johnny was a good man)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman (Never did a thing wrong)
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear? (Never did a thing wrong)
Wo-now, cry! (Johnny was a good man)
The lyrics of Bob Marley's song "Johnny Was" tell a story of a woman who is grieving the death of her son who was shot and killed by a stray bullet. As she cries, a passerby tries to comfort and console her, but she is inconsolable, unable to comprehend why this tragedy had to happen to her. The woman expresses her anger and frustration with the system that allowed her son to be killed like this. The lyrics also suggest that the wages of sin is death, while the gift of Jah is life.
The song conveys a powerful message about the consequences of violence and the importance of standing up against injustice. It speaks directly to the heart of the struggle that many people face in Jamaica and other parts of the world, where violence and poverty are a daily reality. The woman’s grief is a reflection of the larger social and political issues that are plaguing her community.
Bob Marley uses his signature reggae sound to create a haunting and reflective mood for the song. The combination of the music and the powerful lyrics creates an emotional impact that is hard to forget.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman hold her head and cry
A woman is weeping and holding her head in sadness
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
Her son was killed in the street by a stray bullet
From a stray bullet
The cause of death was a random bullet
Explaining to her was a passerby
A person passing by tried to comfort her
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
The passerby witnessed her emotional pain
Wondering
The passerby is pondering what can console her
How can she work it out
The passerby ponders how the woman can cope
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
The woman is realizing the tragic cost of wrongdoing
Gift of Jah is life (life)
Life is a precious gift from God
She cried Ah-um, I, I know!
The woman sobs in agreement with the passerby's reassurance
Johnny was a good man
The victim Johnny was a kind-hearted person
Wo-ooh!
An expression of lament
Woman hold her head and cry
The woman continues to grieve
Just because of the system (system)
The root of the problem was systemic oppression
Comforting her I was passing by
The passerby tries to comfort her again
She complained, then she cry
The woman vents her frustrations and continues to sob
Said I know, hmm (Never did a thing wrong)
The passerby reiterates that Johnny did not deserve to die
Can a woman tender care, she cried, (Never did a thing wrong)
The woman points out Johnny's innocence and questions the cruel twist of fate
Cease towards the child she bear? (Johnny was a good man)
Is a mother's care any less for her son? (Johnny deserved better)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman (Never did a thing wrong)
The woman continues to cry and grieve for her son and society's injustice
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah! (Johnny was a good man)
The woman sobs, lamenting the loss of her son's goodness
Wo-now, cry! (Johnny was a good man)
The woman's tears flow as she mourns the loss of a good man, Johnny
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Rita Anderson Marley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@erithecure2123
(Wo-o-o-o! Wo-o-o-o! Wooo!)
Woman hold her head and cry,
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet.
Woman hold her head and cry;
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
Wondering how can she work it out,
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
Gift of Jah is life. (life)
She cried: Ah-um, I - I know!
"Johnny was a good man," I - I know! (never did a thing wrong)
"Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good,
good, good, good man", (Johnny was good man)
she cried - she crie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ied!
Wo-ooh! Woman hold her head and cry,
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system. (system)
Woman hold her head and cry;
Comforting her I was passing by.
She complained, then she cry:
Oh-ooh-wo-ah, cry (ah-ah), yeah, I know now (ah-ah),
no I know, I know now: (Johnny was a good man)
Said I know, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm. (Never did a thing wrong)
Ah! Ah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care, she cried, (Never did a thing wrong)
Cease towards the child she bear? (Johnny was a good man)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman - (Never did a thing wrong)
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear? (Never did a thing wrong)
Wo-now, cry! (Johnny was a good man)
@rezihernanda7764
Woman hold her head and cry
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet
Woman hold her head and cry
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
Wondering
How can she work it out
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
Gift of Jah is life (life)
She cried
Ah-um, I, I know!
Johnny was a good man
I, I know! (never did a thing wrong)
Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good man
(Johnny was good man) He cried, he cried
Wo-ooh! Woman hold her head and cry
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system (system)
Woman hold her head and cry
Comforting her I was passing by
She complained, then she cry
Oh-whoah
yeah, I know now, I know, I know now (Johnny was a good man)
Said I know, hmm (Never did a thing wrong)
(Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care, she cried, (Never did a thing wrong)
Cease towards the child she bear? (Johnny was a good man)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman (Never did a thing wrong)
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear? (Never did a thing wrong)
Wo-now, cry! (Johnny was a good man
@nelsonmushi25
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics
Track "Bob Marley & The Wa…"
on Bandsintown
"Johnny Was"
(Wo-o-o-o! Wo-o-o-o! Wooo!)
Woman hold her head and cry,
'Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet.
Woman hold her head and cry;
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry (cry)
Wondering how can she work it out,
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death, yeah!
Gift of Jah is life. (life)
She cried: Ah-um, I - I know!
"Johnny was a good man," I - I know! (never did a thing wrong)
"Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good,
good, good, good man", (Johnny was good man)
she cried - she crie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ied!
Wo-ooh! Woman hold her head and cry,
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system. (system)
Woman hold her head and cry;
Comforting her I was passing by.
She complained, then she cry:
Oh-ooh-wo-ah, cry (ah-ah), yeah, I know now (ah-ah),
no I know, I know now: (Johnny was a good man)
Said I know, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm. (Never did a thing wrong)
Ah! Ah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care, she cried, (Never did a thing wrong)
Cease towards the child she bear? (Johnny was a good man)
Wo-ho-ho-ooh! Woman cry, woman - (Never did a thing wrong)
She cried, wo-oh! She cried, yeah! (Johnny was a good man)
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear? (Never did a thing wrong)
Wo-now, cry! (Johnny was a good man
@taufiqueshayibu6296
My dad use to play this in his car when I was kid and drove me to school, together with that of culture and lucky dube. Indeed he initiated me well into the love for reggae.......a timeless yet a very sorrowful song which resonates through anybody who can relate to the message.💔❤️
@Gracejoans034
My dad too sad song but a nice memory 🥰❤️💚💛
@TRANZEURO
One of Bob Marley & The Wailers very best songs in my opinion but it's not well known to the majority.
@justaguy3078
Exactly like i didnt know it even if i listen all kind of musics and reggae.i just listen it today by luck while listening some mix songs and im like wait a minute i know the voice but what s this lyrics?this song touched me with the first words.from today is one of my fav songsxD
@moragmacgregor6792
I just saw today that Rita Marley is credited as the songwriter. Makes total sense...I always thought it unusual that Bob would have written about a mother's grief.
I believe I remember from decades ago that a young man had been hit by a stray bullet and killed in Kingston and that was the basis of the song
@TRANZEURO
@@moragmacgregor6792 Yes,I had read before that Rita was the songwriter. Great contribution from her. I didn't know that the incident was the basis of the song though.
@moragmacgregor6792
@@TRANZEURO I'm not 💯 it's "based on a true incident." Around the same time I was also introduced to "Johnny Too Bad" and I love it a lot too. I may be getting the backstories confused... but Johnny Was at least has a dramatic incident. Johnny Too Bad just describes the young men. I'm pretty sure I heard both of the too-bad boys spent most of their lives in prison; that would have been in the album notes for either "The Harder They Come" soundtrack or "The King Kong Compilation" of great songs that Leslie Kong produced.
Makes more sense for the Rita Marley song, I believe. I'll see if I can get one of these websites to confirm. Johnny Too Bad is decidedly melancholy but it's not the pure grief of the mother's song
edit: because i hit "post" before i intended to
@dannymoulton4829
@@TRANZEURO If you believe that then you believe that Bob only wrote one song on Rastaman Vibration 😂
@8kumquat
As a mother, my heart cries...as a music lover no other like Robert Nesta Marley..." Johnny was a good man...she cryyyyyy!"
@josephel4292
This song brings back vivid painful memories of my mother's grief over the murder of her son my younger brother. It was a hard period for us, but we somehow survived.