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 โ Ziggy, Julian, Damian and Ky-Mani โ 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.
Rock Stone
Stephen Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, rockstone was my pillow
Rock stone, was my pillow
Hear the man say
R-R-Rock stone was my pillow could not find place fi sleep
Everyday we terrorize by soldier and police
When the thing dem a drum and di thing dem a beat
From dem a play cowboy, and Indian, and Chief
From the first, to the third, straight up to seven street
One thing in a wi mind a fi trample di beast
And make it in a life, and inherit as the meek
Better the stone dem deh yah
Self employed, cannot get lay off
Mount a work mi have
Can't even get a day off
Who did waan fi stop mi now dem find out seh dem way off
Alright, and mi seh one by one, one by one
One by one, wi stepping out a Babylon
Then one by one, one by one
Hail King Selassie the conquering lion
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, Rock Stone was my pillow
Sizzla Kalonji
Rock stone, was my pillow (Stephen Ragga Marley, aha!)
Help us Jah
Take us from the slum
Never give up no matter what, strictly fiyah burn
Hail Rasta, take us from the slum
Never give up matter what
King Selassie I blessing come
Sufferation is thing could be no harder time
Got to widen your views, got to broaden your mind
What we face in the ghetto, nowhere else can you find
Hunger, poverty, a system so unkind
As a matter a fact, there is an after shock
When cold ground was my bed and my pillow was a rock
Try to make it through the system all the doors were lock
Yet nothing beats a try so I ain't go stop
Mount a time they write a book on you
A set amount ah crap they'd ah put on you
Yet when yuh in the dirt they wouldn't look on you
They would only scorn and wanna wipe the foot on yuh
But, see yah
So open up, Zion door
Ethiopia, Africa for sure
Liberate the poor, the poor, hey
Mi nah lie, true mi hail Selassie I dem wah fi war I
Read mi Bible turn to peace and praise Tafari
Good bye Babylon goodbye, goodbye
Open up, Zion door
Mount Zion, Ethiopia for sure
Children of Israel, children of Israel
Hey!
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone, was my pillow
Hear me now
Jah man me cool, nuh stumble like you
Walk pon di street, me nuh gwaan for fool
Arrive at the dance, di mic a mi tool
Eat pon table, sit inna stool
Me black, me brown
Me brown no black
Ribs and mi chest, mi spine and mi back
Wait 'til you hear, when dis riddim drop
Head yuh toe, yuh body a rock, from me pon di mic
Steve Marley ah chat, firm and strong
Doh step pon the lot
The peaceful, righteous, Rastaman
Rod of correction, inna him hand
Preachin' out to man and woman, give riches to King Solomon
Now, bass come out, and treble a top
Cap an no buck, an nuh buck a no cap
Sweetest singer, was Sugar Minott
Man a come in and ah give me a shot
Dracula turn inna vampire bat
When him see sun, him cyah take dat
Eyes dem dark, fi use contact
I pon the mic, Raggamuffin a chat
Fi mi head dread, me head it no plat
Nuh fraid ah no mouse, nuh fraid ah no rat
Pray to Jah, me never will stop
We hot no cold, wah cold nuh hot
Live in a house, no live in a flat
Up inna Zion, di righteious will top
Jah blow breeze, the devil cannot
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone, was my pillow
"Rock Stone" by Stephen Marley, ft. Sizzla and Capleton, is a powerful song that expresses the artists' experience of growing up in poverty, facing hunger, oppression, and violence from soldiers and police officers. The repeated line "Rock stone was my pillow" serves as a metaphor for the harsh living conditions they had to face, where sleeping on the ground with a rock as a pillow was the norm. The song talks about the struggles of everyday life, such as finding food to eat, being self-employed but unable to get a day off work, and facing a system that is unkind to the poor.
The song, however, is not just about the struggles of life but also about hope, faith, and liberation. The artists express their solidarity with the poor and disenfranchised, acknowledging that there is power in numbers. The line "Hail King Selassie the conquering lion" is an ode to the Rastafarian faith and its beliefs in the divinity of Emperor Haile Selassie, who symbolized hope, freedom, and justice for many Jamaicans. The song encourages people to keep pushing forward, even though they may face numerous obstacles, as freedom and liberation are possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock stone was my pillow
I slept on rocks, I had no bed
Rock stone was my pillow could not find place fi sleep
I had no home, I slept on rocks
Pot dem empty we haffi find food fi eat
We had no food and we had to find a way to feed ourselves
Everyday we terrorize by soldier and police
We are constantly being oppressed and harassed by soldiers and police
From dem a play cowboy, and Indian, and Chief
They play games that trivialize our culture and heritage
One thing in a wi mind a fi trample di beast
Our goal is to overcome our struggles and emerge victorious
Better the stone dem deh yah
It is better to have rocks as a foundation than nothing at all
Self employed, cannot get lay off
As a self-employed person, I can't be fired from a job
Mount a work mi have
I have a lot of work to do
Can't even get a day off
I don't have the luxury of taking a day off
Hail King Selassie the conquering lion
I praise and honor King Selassie, a symbol of strength and power
Help us Jah
We pray for guidance and support from Jah
Never give up no matter what, strictly fiyah burn
We must persevere and keep fighting no matter what obstacles we face
Sufferation is thing could be no harder time
We are facing extreme hardships that feel impossible to overcome
As a matter a fact, there is an after shock
We are still dealing with the consequences of past traumas
Yet nothing beats a try so I ain't go stop
We won't give up, regardless of how difficult the situation may seem
Open up, Zion door
We seek entry into the promised land of Zion
Ethiopia, Africa for sure
Our ultimate destination is Ethiopia, Africa
Hear me now
Listen carefully
Jah man me cool, nuh stumble like you
I am composed and confident, unlike you who seems unsure
Then one by one, one by one
We will overcome our struggles one step at a time
Lyrics ยฉ SUELION MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BarberSacter33
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
Hear de man say
R-R-Rock stone was my pillow
Couldna find place fi sleep
Pot dem empty, we haffi find food fi eat
Everyday we terrorize
By soldier and police
When the thing dem a strum
And the thing dem a beat
From dem a play cowboy
And Indian, and chief
From the first, to the third
Straight up to seven street
One thing in a we mind
Haffe trample the beast
And make it in a life
And inherit as the meek
Self employed, cannot get lay off
Mount a work mi have
Can't even get a day off
Who did waan fi stop mi now
Dem find out seh dem way off
Alright
So mi seh one by one, one by one
One by one we stepping out ah babylon
And then one by one, one by one
Hail the King Selassie I, the conquering lion
Lion, Lion
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
Help us Jah
Take us from the slum
Neva giveup matta what
Strictly fire burn
Hail rasta, take us from the slum
Neva giveup matta what
King Selassie I blessing come
Sufferation is a thing
Could be no harder time
Got to widen your views
Got to broaden your mind
What we face in the ghetto
Nowhere else can you find
Hunger, poverty, a system so unkind
As a matter of fact
There is an aftershock
When cold ground was my bed
And my pillow was a rock
Try to make it through the system
All the doors were locked
Yet nothing beats a try
And so I ain't go stop
Mount a time they write a book on you
A set amount a crap
They would a put on you
Yet when you in the dirt
They wouldn't look on you
They would only scorn
And wanna wipe they foot on you
So open up, Zion door
Ethiopia Africa for sure
Liberate the poor, the poor, ehhh
Mi nah lie, true mi hail
Selassie I dem waah fi war I
Read mi bible
Turn to peace
And praise 'tafari
Goodbye babylon goodbye, goodbye
Open up zion door
Mount Zion Ethiopia for sure
Children of Israel, children of Israel, Eh
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
Hear me now
Jah man me cool, nuh stumble like you
Walk pon di street, me nuh gwaan for fool
Arrive at the dance, di mic a my tool
Eat pon table, sit inna stool
Me black me brown, me brown no black
Ribs an me chest, me spine a me back
Wait till you hear, when dis riddim drop
Head, you toe, you body a rock
From mi pon di mic, Steve Marley ah chat
Firm and strong, doh step pon the lot
The peaceful, righteous, Rastaman
Rod of correction, inna mi hand
Preachin out to man and woman
Give riches to King Solomon
Now, bass come out, and treble a top
Cap an no buck, an nuh a no cap
Sweetest singer, was sugar minott
Man a come in and ah give me a shot
Dracula tun inna Vampire bat
When him see sun, him cyah take that
Eye dem dark, fi use contact
I pon the mic, Raggamuffin a chat
Fi mi head dread, me head it no plat
Nuh fraid ah no mouse, nuh fraid ah no rat
Pray to Jah, me never will stop
We hot no cold, wah cold nuh hot
Live in a house, no live in a flat
Up inna zion, De righteous will top
Jah blow breeze, the devil cannot
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
I say, rock stone was my pillow
Rock stone was my pillow
@blessingsmukisi3248
2024 this master piece is still lighting up our spirits ๐ฅ
@JohnDoe-bb2qn
Yes , sir !
@shobhitjha2741
REAL
@sammiles8417
Had j on canโt beat soul soothing
@erikahandy4848
If your soul doesn't shiver when you hear this then your not human! ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
@ultreiasherpa6457
Rock stooooone, was my pellooooow. Let's meet in Jamaica I say!
@ShyonFlavell
๐๐๐๐๐ its music your not human music dosen't make you who you are
@ShyonFlavell
Im still human if it doesn't it doesn't matter ๐
@midigoo.4780
To more life
@amard6014
Real talkโฃ... Just discovered this im on my fourth listen/watch im stuck on it.... From South Africa