Stephen Robert Nesta Marley, (⋆20 Apr 1972 in Wilmington, Delaware; raised… Read Full Bio ↴Stephen Robert Nesta Marley, (⋆20 Apr 1972 in Wilmington, Delaware; raised in Kingston, Jam) is a reggae artist and producer, son to Bob Marley and Rita Marley and a 6-time Grammy award winner. 8-20 years old, he was a part of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers. His solo debut Mind Control came 2007 (acoustic version 2009). He has produced much of his half brother Damian Marley's albums, as 2005's Welcome to Jamrock, and also for half brother Julian Marley. 2011 Stephen begun release a series of albums benamed Revelation...

Jo-Ann Greene writes about "Mind Control" AllMusic.com: "Stephen has continued to grow, adding new sounds and styles to his repertoire over the years. A conduit to the past and a bridge to the future, his music -- like his father's -- sounds timeless: reggae that embraces the world."

2004 he started the 27-city Bob Marley Roots, Rock, Reggae Festival tour with his four brothers and sons of Bob – Ziggy, Julian, Damian and Ky-Mani – each of whom have their own professional recording careers. The tour was the first time the brothers have officially performed together on stage.

Every February in Miami, Marley and his brothers perform at his family's annual Caribbean Festival in honour of their late father Bob Marley.

Iron Bars
Stephen Marley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What am I doing behind these iron bars
Never robbed nor killed, never done no one harm
You put me in shackles, you place I in chains
Said I'll never see the outside again
Oh!
Yeah, Yeah

I'm a prisoner locked up for what

Freedom of Speech ain't that all we've got
Wounded pride my head held up high
Rebels for life, we rebel for the right

Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
Oh you crazy mother

Heyo, listen, took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars

Yo I was caught in the mix with nowhere to go
Rent need to be paid things moving slow

I just want to get a deal and spit this flow
See ain't that the dream to live well and get dough
You looking for a change man there ain't no changing
This money, this gun, this drug exchanging
And if you got seeds that makes you go even harder
If it ain't for them man then why even bother

You must think say man a sprat
Ain't no back and belly rat
Well man a lion, yeah
You must think say man a sprat
Don't play no back and belly rat
Well man a lion, yeah
Man a lion

Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside

Wanna take away my freedom wanna take away my life
Lock me up, fi what? likkle sensimilia and a knife
So who a good feed mi youth dem eeh who a go care mi wife
You a gwan like ghetto people n'have no rights
Yow, you better let me out or else we gonna bruk out of here
Ghetto pickney we a go load dem in a truck out of here
You see any Rasta youth and need to puck out a hair
You luck out a here you got to duck out of here
'Cause like a vampire a lot of blood you suck out of here
You tek way every cent and every buck out of here
And lock we up in a yu prison fi wi work out of here

We a go bruk down all the wall and get the fuck out of here
Blaze it!

Overall Meaning

The song "Iron Bars" by Stephen Marley conveys the message of being imprisoned for a crime one did not commit and how it feels to be chained, caged, and deprived of freedom. The lyrics detail the frustration and sense of injustice experienced by someone who has been incarcerated for speaking out for what they believe. The song also touches upon issues of social inequality and highlights the struggles and hardships faced by those living in poverty-stricken areas.

The chorus of "Let me out, let me out, I'm an angry lion" mirrors the sentiment of the song as a whole - that the singer is not an animal, but a person who has been wrongfully imprisoned. The lines "Took my freedom, my honor, my pride, to provide for my family I tried" represents the singer's struggle to feed his family and provide for them while being locked up.

Overall, "Iron Bars" is an emotional and powerful song that showcases the frustration and anger that comes with being wrongly incarcerated. It also illustrates the broader implications of societal injustice and inequality.

Line by Line Meaning

What am I doing behind these iron bars
Questioning why he is in prison when he has never committed a crime

Never robbed nor killed, never done no one harm
Asserting his innocence and non-violent nature

You put me in shackles, you place I in chains
Describing how he is being physically restrained

Said I'll never see the outside again
Revealing that he has been given a life sentence

Oh!
An exclamation and cry for help

I'm a prisoner locked up for what
Questioning why he is being punished for exercising his freedom of speech

Freedom of Speech ain't that all we've got
Stating that freedom of speech is a fundamental right

Wounded pride my head held up high
Remaining prideful despite being stripped of his freedom

Rebels for life, we rebel for the right
Identifying as a lifelong rebel who fights for what is right

Let me out, let me out
Demanding to be released from his confinement

I'm an angry lion
Comparing himself to an angry lion ready to fight for his freedom

Oh you crazy mother
A taunting statement aimed at his captors

Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
Explaining how his imprisonment has robbed him of his dignity

To provide for my family I tried
Showing that he turned to crime to provide for his loved ones

Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
Acknowledging the need to be ready for anything

We's here for the ride
Accepting his current situation and enduring the journey

Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Feeling trapped and unable to fully see a way out

Yo I was caught in the mix with nowhere to go
Describing the circumstances that led him to crime

Rent need to be paid things moving slow
Explaining the financial pressures he faced

You looking for a change man there ain't no changing
Suggesting that he had to turn to crime because there were no other options available to him

If it ain't for them man then why even bother
Believing that the only reason to continue living is to provide for his family

You must think say man a sprat
Disagreeing with the assumption that he is a small and insignificant person

Well man a lion, yeah
Affirming that he is strong and powerful

Wanna take away my freedom wanna take away my life
Accusing his captors of being oppressive and unjust

Lock me up, fi what? likkle sensimilia and a knife
Challenging the legality of his arrest for possessing marijuana and a knife

So who a good feed mi youth dem eeh who a go care mi wife
Questioning how he will provide for his family while in prison

You a gwan like ghetto people n'have no rights
Accusing the system of not treating people from the ghetto equally

Yow, you better let me out or else we gonna bruk out of here
Threatening to break out of prison if not released soon

Blaze it!
A call to action, likely advocating for the legalization of marijuana and the release of nonviolent drug offenders from prison

Lyrics © Regard Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CARLOS GRANT, WALTER JACOBS, TERRANCE COCHEEKS KELLY, DAVID MARLEY, JULIAN MARLEY, STEPHEN MARLEY, ZIGGY MARLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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