Mr. Brown
Marley Lyrics


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(Who-oo-oo-oo is Mr Brown?)
Mr. Brown is a clown who rides through town in a coffin
(Where he be found?)
In the coffin where there is three crows on top and two is laughing
Oh, what a confusion
Ooh, yeah, yeah
What a botheration, ooh, now, now
Who is Mr. Brown? I wanna know now
He is nowhere to be found

From Mandeville to Sligoville, coffin running around
Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town
Asking for Mr. Brown
From Mandeville to Sligoville, coffin running around
Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town
Asking for Mr. Brown

I wanna know who ooh
(Is Mr. Brown)
Is Mr. Brown controlled by remote?
Oh, Calling duppy conqueror
I'm the ghost catcher
This is your chance, oh big, big Bill bull-bucka
Take your chance, prove yourself, oh, yeah

Down in parade
People running like a masquerade
The police make a raid
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, think it fade

What a thing in town
Crows, chauffeur driven around
Skankiness if they had never known
The man they call "Mr. Brown"
I can tell you where he's from now





From Mandeville to Sligoville, coffin running around

Overall Meaning

"Mr. Brown" is a song by Bob Marley that tells the story of a mysterious character named Mr. Brown who rides through town in a coffin. The lyrics pose a series of questions, asking who Mr. Brown is and where he can be found. The song suggests that Mr. Brown is a clown or jester who is causing confusion and chaos in the community. The townspeople are upset and bewildered by Mr. Brown's antics, and they are calling for him to be apprehended by the police.


The lyrics also suggest that there may be something supernatural or otherworldly about Mr. Brown. The song references the idea of "duppy conquering," which is a Jamaican tradition of exorcising evil spirits or ghosts. The lyrics imply that Mr. Brown may be controlled by a remote force or may even be a ghost himself. The song encourages the listener to take action and catch Mr. Brown, presumably to put an end to his disruptive behavior.


Line by Line Meaning

(Who-oo-oo-oo is Mr Brown?)
The singer is questioning the identity of someone named Mr. Brown.


Mr. Brown is a clown who rides through town in a coffin
It is revealed that Mr. Brown is a clown who travels through the town in a coffin.


(Where he be found?)
The singer is questioning where Mr. Brown can be found.


In the coffin where there is three crows on top and two is laughing
Mr. Brown can be found in the coffin where three crows sit on top and two of them are laughing.


Oh, what a confusion
The situation with Mr. Brown is causing confusion and chaos.


Ooh, yeah, yeah
The singer is expressing agreement or excitement in what they are seeing or experiencing.


What a botheration, ooh, now, now
The singer is frustrated or annoyed by what is happening with Mr. Brown.


Who is Mr. Brown? I wanna know now
The artist is still curious about who Mr. Brown is.


He is nowhere to be found
Mr. Brown cannot be located.


From Mandeville to Sligoville, coffin running around
Mr. Brown's coffin travels throughout the area from Mandeville to Sligoville.


Upsetting, upsetting, upsetting the town
Mr. Brown's presence is causing disruption and upsetting the residents of the town.


Asking for Mr. Brown
People are looking for Mr. Brown.


I wanna know who ooh
The singer is still curious about the identity of Mr. Brown.


(Is Mr. Brown)
The singer is asking if Mr. Brown...


Is Mr. Brown controlled by remote?
...is controlled remotely.


Oh, Calling duppy conqueror
The artist is calling on the duppy conqueror, or someone who can put an end to evil spirits or beings.


I'm the ghost catcher
The artist claims to be able to catch and deal with ghosts.


This is your chance, oh big, big Bill bull-bucka
The singer is calling on someone named Bill to prove themselves and step up to help.


Take your chance, prove yourself, oh, yeah
The singer is encouraging Bill to take the opportunity to prove their worth.


Down in parade
There is a parade happening.


People running like a masquerade
People are running around, potentially in a playful or festive manner.


The police make a raid
The police are coming to intervene in the chaos.


Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, think it fade
The singer is expressing their belief that the situation will come to an end.


What a thing in town
The events surrounding Mr. Brown have caused a stir in the town.


Crows, chauffeur driven around
The crows are being driven around by a chauffeur.


Skankiness if they had never known
The crows are behaving in a manner that is disturbing or unsettling.


The man they call "Mr. Brown"
Mr. Brown is known to the people in town by name.


I can tell you where he's from now
The artist now knows where Mr. Brown is from.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOB MARLEY, GLENN ADAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@manxpuss

Always loved this track and the spooky story of Mr Brown. Peter and Bunnys backing vocals are sublime

@mikehopes3102

Yea definitely one reggae classic

@marcosperez1168

Hey what's the spooky story behind Mr. Brown?

@manxpuss

@@marcosperez1168 look up online John Crow Mr Brown 1970. A ghostly coffin on wheels with a crow asking for a Mr Brown terrorised parts of Jamaica in 1970. Myth or not it's a strange tale!

@marcosperez1168

@@manxpuss wow thanks brother gonna look into that

@Randall-fb9ql

Mr.brown mad electrician part family

6 More Replies...

@valeriedenton9274

Bob Marley, The GOAT!! The Greatest Musical Genius Ever!! You're Eternal Bob!! When I need that source of Motivation and Upliftment,I turn to your music. You're my Forever Therapist!! We Love you always!! Long Live The Gong!!!!

@marcwanner5623

And this tune owes much of its fabulousness to the late Scratch Perry. RIP

@ryanmelnick8793

Lee was a true Master.

@backtoeden3635

Vector

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