Ziggy learned Rastafari faith from his parents and had access to some of the world's best reggae musicians in the comp band of his father – the legendary reggae Wailers. Ziggy Marley first sat in on recording sessions with Bob Marley and the Wailers when he was around 10 years old. Joining with his three siblings to become The Melody Makers, Ziggy crafted his own soulful sound blending blues, RnB, hip-hop and roots reggae.
After their first two albums, Play The Game Right (1985) and Hey World! (1986), The Melody Makers earned their first Grammy (Best Reggae Recording) for Conscious Party (1988), an album produced by Talking Heads Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth which included the hit songs "Tomorrow People" and "Tumbling Down."
Subsequent albums included the Grammy-winning One Bright Day (1989), Jamekya (1991), Joy and Blues (1993), Free Like We Want 2 B (1995), their third Grammy winner Fallen is Babylon (1997), Spirit of Music (1999) and Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers Live, Vol 1 (2000), which featured some of their biggest hits as well as a cover of Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved."
While selling records by the millions and selling out countless concerts with the Melody Makers, including a recent European tour, Ziggy Marley has never lost sight of his foundation of faith, fellowship and family.
After two decades as the driving creative force behind The Melody Makers, Ziggy stepped out on his own with his first solo album, Dragonfly (2003). Never content to rehash the success of his past, Ziggy uses Dragonfly to explore new ground and create his own distinctive musical identity as a solo artist.
"Working on my own gave me a chance to take my time and experiment a lot," Ziggy says of the material on Dragonfly." It took one year to finish this record. It's the longest I've ever worked on a album. It's different when you on your own. At some point it's scary and then at another it's a drive that makes you focus more."
Although the members of the most close-knit musical families often yearn to step out on their own, for Ziggy, a solo debut was not a long-awaited goal. "It's not something that I wished for since I began doing music," he says. "It was just the circumstances, and I wanted to be true to myself and what I feel. The record has strong messages and it feels good."
In addition to being Ziggy's first album of solo material, for Dragonfly he felt it was time for a change of scene. "Usually we record in Kingston. These songs were written in Jamaica and recorded in America. I did the first set of recordings in a house in Miami and then went to L.A. rented a house, set up my equipment and basically did the rest there. I left Jamaica for a while, because as an artist I need to experience different things, to see the world and have different energies. Living in one place is not good for me and I was tired of making music in a studio setting. I wanted it to be more like everyday life a part of me.
"As an individual, I've opened up more by traveling outside Jamaica, and I've been more able to be open to people and ideas. It helps me to grow as a person to be outside of my element; to be on my own in a strange place meeting people. That's good for me not to be in my secure domain."
The evidence of that growth is everywhere on Dragonfly.
On July 2nd, 2006, Ziggy released his second album, Love is My Religion. He states "This album is from my heart," and he feels that he embraces his spiritual and emotional side of life. This album show Ziggy coming into his own as an artist, as he wrote all of the songs for the album and played nearly all of the instruments.
Love is My Religion is a testament to Ziggy Marley's talent as he follows in the footsteps of his father, the Legend.
A Lifetime
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh a lifetime isn't enough to love you
And a lifetime isn't enough to live
Oh a lifetime isn't enough to love you
And one lifetime isn't enough to live
I may be different than you, criticized for what I do
I chose to explore the truth, the truth of me
I stand on my feet, because I am yeah
Took the risk the chance just to understand
Well I been cold, bold, selfish, misunderstood
Like the lamb I will sacrifice to find you
[Chorus]
Been around so many people, without you I'm always alone
Gazing into space, my existence unknown
I don't want to be here, I wanna be near
I stand on my feet, because I am yeah
Took the risk the chance just to understand
Well I been cold, bold, selfish, misunderstood
Like the lamb I will sacrifice to find you
[Chorus]
Am I so different than you, criticized for what I do
I chose to explore the truth, the truth of you
And I won't be afraid on that day
I stand on my feet, because I am yeah
Took the risk the chance just to understand
( Chorus )
Hey a lifetime isn't enough to love you
And one lifetime isn't enough to live
Ziggy Marley's song "A Lifetime" appears to be a deeply personal reflection on the magnitude of love and life's meaning. The chorus appears to be a kind of lament that even a lifetime is not enough to fully live or love properly. The lyrics convey a certain level of vulnerability and introspection within the artist, as they challenge societal norms and question their own identity. The first verse appears to reflect the artist's desire to explore the truth of one's self, even if it means being different or criticized. In this journey of self-discovery, the artist seems to express a willingness to make sacrifices and take risks, much like the lamb who is sacrificed to find love.
The second verse continues with an introspective reflection, expressing a sense of loneliness and longing to be near to the one they love. Even though the artist has been bold and selfish in the past and may have been misunderstood, they are still willing to make sacrifices to find that love. The chorus is repeated twice more, perhaps emphasizing the point that a single lifetime is not enough to fully understand and experience all that life and love have to offer.
Overall, the song expresses a sense of yearning for greater meaning and understanding in life and love, and the artist's willingness to step outside of societal norms to achieve that.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh a lifetime isn't enough to love you
The amount of time I have on this earth is not enough for me to express the depth of my love for you.
And a lifetime isn't enough to live
The amount of time I have on this earth is not enough for me to fully experience all of the possibilities that life has to offer.
I may be different than you, criticized for what I do
Others may judge me for being different from them and for making choices that they don't understand.
I chose to explore the truth, the truth of me
I have decided to seek out my own truth and discover who I truly am.
And I won't be afraid on that day
I will not be afraid to be myself and stand up for what I believe in, even when others disapprove.
Took the risk the chance just to understand
I have taken risks and made sacrifices in order to gain a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me.
Well I been cold, bold, selfish, misunderstood
In the past, I have sometimes been driven by negative qualities such as coldness, boldness, and selfishness, which have caused others to misunderstand me.
Like the lamb I will sacrifice to find you
Like a lamb, I am willing to make a sacrifice in order to find and be with the person I love.
Been around so many people, without you I'm always alone
Although I am surrounded by many people, I still feel alone without the person I love by my side.
Gazing into space, my existence unknown
I sometimes feel lost and disconnected from the world around me, unsure of my place in it.
I don't want to be here, I wanna be near
I don't want to simply exist in this world, I want to be close to the person I love and experience all that life has to offer with them.
Am I so different than you, criticized for what I do
Others judge me for being different from them and for making choices that they don't understand, but is that really such a bad thing?
I chose to explore the truth, the truth of you
I have also decided to seek out the truth of the person I love and understand them on a deeper level.
Hey a lifetime isn't enough to love you
No amount of time is enough for me to express the depth of my love for you.
And one lifetime isn't enough to live
No amount of time is enough for me to fully experience all that life has to offer.
Lyrics © Regard Music, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ZIGGY MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher McGrowder
love this so much
Laura Terry
carry on the torch
Jefferson DA Silva Martins
Isso que e som se e Loko ¡!!
Alexander Appiak
Great, love ur music and religion. :-) Thank You! Greetings to ur familiy.
Melikaya Master Mfanekiso
what a nice music
@FLGurl
This song brings tears to me every time I hear it. My husband of 10 years now, was my first boyfriend. He was 12, and I was 14 when we met. We tried to date, but it was difficult as we lived 25 miles apart. We did see each other as best as we could. Then, we got older and drifted away from each other. We saw each other 1 time in our early 20's. Then, when I was in my early 40's, I searched for him. After 6 months I found an email address and sent email with question that only he would know. He replied, it's me. We have been together ever since. He moved from Missouri to Florida to be with me. Unfortunately, he has had cancer for most of our reuniting. But I would never trade this time.
A lifetime is never enough is so very true for us. We have known each other 40 plus years. I love this man so much. This song is our story. Thank you very much Ziggy for singing our story.
Hugs to you.
Update: 9/10/2022: I will treasure this song of love today, and every day forward. My dear best friend and husband passed away very peacefully on April 25, 2020 at 4:20 am (yes, 4:20) and I am always missing him every day. This update was caused because of a reply to the original post of 3 years ago and I felt compelled to provide this update.
When you have love, cherish it always every day. Give honor to God who blessed you with that love. Never forsake it, and hold it dear to your heart. I did and there is no one who will ever replace my dear sweet departed. ❤ Yes, I still grieve, but in a good way because I know he is in no pain, no suffering and I carry on the torch that he gave me to help others and I shall do so for every day that I am blessed with.
Love is a gift, for today, tomorrow, and always.
@yah-ufishing5574
I spent the last 7 years falling in love with the woman of my dreams. This song reminds me of her and everything she’s become to myself and my family. I’m gonna marry her one day and this is the song I wanna dance with her to. A life time isn’t enough to love you ❤️
@philipnativio3923
1 year later: Plot Twist: She slept with the pool guy
@noahbruce3643
That’s beautiful. Marry her already😂
@oscarvilla2448
I dedicate this to my Beautiful Mother, Maria deLourdes Vergara, she really deserved the best in this world, a woman of pure heart, a fighter who even in time of hardships continued to fight, who made sure we had everything we needed, and always helping those in need. Thank you Mom for all the LOVE YOU gave me and forgive me Mom for a lifetime isn’t enough to LOVE YOU!!!
@FLGurl
This song brings tears to me every time I hear it. My husband of 10 years now, was my first boyfriend. He was 12, and I was 14 when we met. We tried to date, but it was difficult as we lived 25 miles apart. We did see each other as best as we could. Then, we got older and drifted away from each other. We saw each other 1 time in our early 20's. Then, when I was in my early 40's, I searched for him. After 6 months I found an email address and sent email with question that only he would know. He replied, it's me. We have been together ever since. He moved from Missouri to Florida to be with me. Unfortunately, he has had cancer for most of our reuniting. But I would never trade this time.
A lifetime is never enough is so very true for us. We have known each other 40 plus years. I love this man so much. This song is our story. Thank you very much Ziggy for singing our story.
Hugs to you.
Update: 9/10/2022: I will treasure this song of love today, and every day forward. My dear best friend and husband passed away very peacefully on April 25, 2020 at 4:20 am (yes, 4:20) and I am always missing him every day. This update was caused because of a reply to the original post of 3 years ago and I felt compelled to provide this update.
When you have love, cherish it always every day. Give honor to God who blessed you with that love. Never forsake it, and hold it dear to your heart. I did and there is no one who will ever replace my dear sweet departed. ❤ Yes, I still grieve, but in a good way because I know he is in no pain, no suffering and I carry on the torch that he gave me to help others and I shall do so for every day that I am blessed with.
Love is a gift, for today, tomorrow, and always.