Damian was two years old when his father Bob died; he is the only child born to Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976. Damian's nickname Junior Gong is derived from his father's nickname of Tuff Gong. Damian has been performing since the age of 13 and released his first album in 1996, at the age of 18. He shares, along with most of his family, a full-time career in music. Unlike his brothers and sisters, however, his musical specialty is "toasting", a Jamaican vocal technique that is a predecessor to rapping.
Damian has 3 records to date, including the highest placed reggae album in the USA billboard album charts with Welcome To Jamrock, and the highest place reggae song in the UK Top 40 with Welcome to Jamrock.
Like his father before him and the rest of the Marley family, he is a Rastafarian and his music reflects the Rastafari guiding principles of love and political freedom.
There For You
Damian Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tra la la, la
La la, la, la la, mhh, mhm
Tra la la
Tra la la, la
La la, la, la la, ay
Vexation of spirit is a waste of time
Verbal conflict is a waste of word
Physical conflict is a waste of flesh
People will always be who they want
And that's what really makes the world go 'round
Unconditional love is scarce
'Til Shiloh I shall not forsake thee
Now and forevermore, forevermore, forevermore, yeah
You see, you gave precious life to me
So I live my life for you, you
You see, you've always been there for me
And so I'll be there for you, you
'Til Shiloh I shall not forsake thee
Bless your eyes and may your days be long
May you rise on the morning when His kingdom come
Good deeds aren't remembered in the hearts of men (ooh)
Bless your eyes and may your dreams come true
May you rise on the morning when Jah kingdom come
Good deeds aren't remembered in the hearts of men
'Til Shiloh I shall not forsake thee
Now and forevermore, forevermore, forevermore
You see, you've always had faith in me
And so I'll have faith in you, you
You've always been there for me
And so I'll be there for you, you
Hey, you've always been good to me
Even when I'm not good to myself
You've always been fair to me
Even when I'm not fair to myself
You've always done right by me
So I will do right by you, you
'Til Shiloh I shall not forsake thee
You've always been there for me, mama
And so I'll be there for you, papa
You've always been fair to me, brother
And so I'll be fair to you, sister
You've always had faith in me
And so I'll have faith in you, you
Hey, you've always been good to me
You've always been kind to me
You've always stood up for me
You've always been there for me
You've always been, ooh
You've always been, ooh
You've always did care for me, yeah
You've always did share with me, yeah
You've always been true to me
And so I'll be true to you
The song "There For You" by Damian Marley is a tribute to his mother, father, and siblings, with lyrics that express his gratitude and loyalty to his family. The opening lines of the song, "Vexation of spirit is a waste of time/Negative thinking, don't you waste your thoughts," provide a philosophical message on the importance of positive thinking and letting go of negativity. This concept is further explored in the lines, "Verbal conflict is a waste of word/Physical conflict is a waste of flesh," which suggest that there is no benefit in engaging in conflict or violence.
The chorus of the song, "You see, you gave precious life to me/So I live my life for you," is a testament to the love and sacrifice of his family. He acknowledges that they have always been there for him and promises to reciprocate that support. This sentiment is reinforced in the lines, "You've always been good to me/Even when I'm not good to myself/You've always been fair to me/Even when I'm not fair to myself."
The song also includes a reference to Shiloh, which could be interpreted as a biblical reference to the coming of a savior. The phrase "Til Shiloh I shall not forsake thee" could be seen as a declaration of loyalty to his family, indicating that he will always be there for them.
Overall, the lyrics of "There For You" express Damian Marley's appreciation and devotion to his family, and his desire to repay them for their love and support.
Line by Line Meaning
Vexation of spirit is a waste of time
Don't spend your time being upset
Negative thinking, don't you waste your thoughts
Don't dwell on negative thoughts
Verbal conflict is a waste of word
Arguing is pointless
Physical conflict is a waste of flesh
Fighting is pointless and leads to harm
People will always be who they want
People will be who they choose to be
And that's what really makes the world go 'round
Diversity and individuality make the world interesting
Unconditional love is scarce
Love without conditions is hard to find
'Til Shiloh I shall not forsake thee
I will not abandon you until the end of time
You see, you gave precious life to me
My life is valuable because of you
So I live my life for you, you
I want to make you proud by living a good life
You see, you've always been there for me
You've been a constant source of support in my life
And so I'll be there for you, you
I will be there for you like you've been there for me
Bless your eyes and may your days be long
I hope you have a long and happy life
May you rise on the morning when His kingdom come
I hope you are there for the end of the world
Good deeds aren't remembered in the hearts of men (ooh)
People don't always remember your good deeds
May you rise on the morning when Jah kingdom come
I hope you are there for the end of the world
You see, you've always had faith in me
You've always believed in me
And so I'll have faith in you, you
I will believe in you like you've believed in me
Hey, you've always been good to me
You've always treated me well
Even when I'm not good to myself
Even when I struggle to care for myself
You've always been fair to me
You've always treated me fairly
Even when I'm not fair to myself
Even when I don't treat myself fairly
You've always done right by me
You've always done what's best for me
So I will do right by you, you
I will do what's best for you
You've always been there for me, mama
You've always been there for me, mom
And so I'll be there for you, papa
I will be there for you, dad
You've always been fair to me, brother
You've always treated me fairly, brother
And so I'll be fair to you, sister
I will treat you fairly, sister
You've always did care for me, yeah
You've always cared for me
You've always did share with me, yeah
You've always shared with me
You've always been true to me
You've always been honest with me
And so I'll be true to you
I will be honest with you
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Stephen Marley, Patrick Levy, Damian Marley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janaina Araújo
on Julie
Gosto muito!!!
Serigne Mbacke Thiam
on Welcome to Jamrock
damian marley serigne mbacke @gmail.com 1525