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.
Blowin' In The Wind
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
The song "Blowin' In The Wind" by Ziggy Marley is a cover of the original song by Bob Dylan. The lyrics invite reflection on humanity's deep-and eternal-questions of justice, freedom, and equality. Throughout the song, the artist asks how many roads a person must walk down before they can be called a "man," how many seas a dove must fly across before finding peace, how many times cannonballs must fly before war is banished, and so forth.
The lyrics are open-ended, leaving the listener to ponder their own interpretation of what the answer to all of these questions might be, and what this answer means for society. The song urges humanity to be conscious of the world and to question authority, to not simply accept what they are being told but to find their own answers. The answer, of course, is not a single, definitive answer that can be found in a book or by asking an expert. Rather, the answer is something that is constantly changing, evolving, and shifting with the wind.
Overall, "Blowin' In The Wind" is a song that asks deep questions about humanity and the world in which we live. The lyrics express the universal desire for peace, equality, and freedom, and urge us to keep searching for the answers to these questions, even as they continue to "blow in the wind."
Line by Line Meaning
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many experiences does a man need before society considers him a responsible adult?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
How many journeys must someone undertake before they can be at peace and rest?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
How many wars and conflicts must people endure before they realize the need for peace and put an end to it?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
The answer to these questions is not absolute but rather subjective and open to interpretation.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
How many times must someone be reminded to look at the beauty of the world before they can appreciate it?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
How empathetic and compassionate must someone be to truly understand the pain and suffering of others?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
How many lives must be lost before people realize the true cost of violence and conflict?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
There is no clear answer to these questions, only the hope that people will one day understand and act on the lessons of the past.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
How long can something remain unchanging and immovable in the face of the relentless forces of nature and time?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
How long must people suffer under oppression and injustice before they are granted the basic human right of freedom?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
How often can someone ignore the problems of the world around them, choosing to see only what they want to see rather than the truth?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
The ultimate solution to these issues lies in the collective actions and choices of humanity, and not in any single easy answer.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
33raceway
Wow, I'm a huge 50+ year fan of Robert Allen Zimmerman. This Ziggy Marley "Blowin' In The Wind" cover is a perfect example of a cover song almost better than the original? You can almost hear the (2) Bobs singing along in this tune. I went right out and bought the "Chimes Of Freedom" (4) CD album after hearing this. 80 artists singing Dylan songs. (Caution..there are a few song interpretations that suck however). Thanks for posting dfmckay1!
Meu olhar
<3 A voz do amor!
ourflbooksandart
A freakish example of how one can be a better songwriter than performer.Plenty of performers who can't write.So many examples from Hendrix to Ziggy, who write fine on their own and still are so moved by Dylan.
Eric Frostic
A Wonderful Fresh Cover!! Love it!!
Ewerton Dantas
Suplicy e Bob me perdoem, mas essa é a melhor versão de Blowing in the Wind. Obrigado a anestia internacional e a Ziggy, que Deus te proteja da erva maldita.
Galavax
I didn't like it at first, but after listening to in a few more times I like where he's going with it. I can dig the desperado balled sound
proman84
I actually quite dig the off-harmony of this track. Great approach.
Marion Young
Brilliant work!!
MuJo
wonderful cover
gothmamafreedom
yeah this is a fresh take on the song. love it. i am a mega Dylan fan and so far love Natasha Bedingfield's cover and her brother Daniels cover. Blake Mills, Rise Against, Darren/Chuck Criss, and Silversun Pickups. and that is after only a few days! there are a lot of great covers on this album!!!!!!!