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)

Mr. Chatterbox
Bob Marley & The Wailers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mr. Chatterbox how long will you live?
Always to receive but never to give
Always carry news all over the place
Mr. Chatterbox you are a big disgrace

You teeth and you tongue a go let you down
And a when them let you down we a go batter you around
Bif, baf, boof, those are the blows you're gonna get

Mr. Talkative, I know you will regret

Mr. Chatterbox how long will you live?
Always to receive but never to give
Always carry news all over the place
Mr. Chatterbox you are a big disgrace

You teeth, teeth, teeth, and tongue, tongue, tongue a go let you down
And a when them let you down we a go batter you around, hey
Bif-an, baf-an, boof, those are the blows you're gonna get, hey
Mr. Talkative I know you will regret

Mr. Chatterbox how long will you live?
Always to receive but a never to give
Always carry news all over the place
Mr. Chatterbox you are a big disgrace

You teeth and tongue a go let you down
And a when them let you down we a go batter you around
Bif-an, baf-an, boof-an, that's the blows you gonna get
Mr. Chatterbox, I know you will regret

Ooh yeah, Mr. Chatterbox, ooh yeah

Mr. Chatterbox, ooh yeah
Watch him, Mr. Chatterbox

Overall Meaning

The song "Mr. Chatterbox" by Bob Marley and the Wailers is a critique of gossip and those who spread it. The lyrics describe the titular character as someone who is always receiving news but never giving anything back. This suggests that Mr. Chatterbox is a shallow person who is only interested in spreading rumors and gossip for their own benefit. Bob Marley goes on to warn Mr. Chatterbox that his teeth and tongue will eventually let him down and that he will regret his behavior.

The repetition of the line "always to receive but never to give" emphasizes the selfishness of Mr. Chatterbox's behavior. The threats of violence ("bif, baf, boof") and the repetition of the phrase "you will regret" suggest that Bob Marley has a strong distaste for gossip and sees it as a destructive force in society.

Overall, "Mr. Chatterbox" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of gossip and reminds us to think twice before spreading rumors or listening to them without question.

Line by Line Meaning

Mr. Chatterbox how long will you live?
How long will you continue with your habit of incessant talking?

Always to receive but never to give
You only talk about others but never contribute to anything yourself

Always carry news all over the place
You spread rumors and gossip everywhere you go

Mr. Chatterbox you are a big disgrace
Your habit of talking too much and spreading rumors makes you look bad

You teeth and you tongue a go let you down
You will eventually get into trouble because of your loose talk

And a when them let you down we a go batter you around
When you get into trouble because of your talking, people will criticize and punish you

Bif, baf, boof, those are the blows you're gonna get
You will be subjected to harsh criticism and punishment

Mr. Talkative, I know you will regret
Your habit of talking too much will make you feel sorry in the end

You teeth, teeth, teeth, and tongue, tongue, tongue a go let you down
Your loose talking will be the cause of your downfall

Bif-an, baf-an, boof, those are the blows you're gonna get, hey
You will face severe criticism and punishment because of your habit of talking too much

Ooh yeah, Mr. Chatterbox, ooh yeah
Bob Marley is mocking the person who talks too much

Watch him, Mr. Chatterbox
Bob Marley is warning others to be careful of people who talk too much

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BOB MARLEY, EDWARD OSULLIVAN LEE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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