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.
DAY BY DAY
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wanna hear this one on your radio station
Conscious lyrics have to reach number one
Teach we come to teach we come to teach the nation
Lyrically, lyrically inspiration
Love and nuff unity with lots of education
We'll take it by the hundred take it one by one
This is ragga with the inspiration
I can only sing of destruction today
'Cause my people are shedding blood everywhere
There is no happy song to sing
When every time I'm frowning
I watch my back as I pass through
'Cause they're aiming their bullets at me
Jah say he see us through
So I knew that the wicked would perish
Never forget your dreams
Life is full of ups and downs, yeah
No matter how hard it seems
Never forget your dreams (Never forget your dreams)
Just take it day by day by day by day by day
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
We laugh at them, for they know their day is coming
The wicked draw their swords to slay the upright
Well the wicked bend their bows to cast down the poor
Yet their swords shall pierce them in their own hearts
Never you lose your faith
Things and times will have to change, yeah
Say, you might be down today
But never you lose your faith (Never you lose your faith)
Just take it day by day by day by day by day
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
Boom boom boom raggamuffin done tell you this yah tune yah a boom
Boom boom boom rugu rugu done tell you this yah tune yah a boom
Junior gong in a the place and everybody say boom
Ziggy Ziggy in a the place say everybody say boom
See they here every one see the boom
Not to mention every time, everybody say boom
Cheri chera,everybody say boom
Boom this yah boom this yah tune yah a boom
Raga muffin on the version so it must be a boom
Boom this boom this yah tune yah a boom
Boom this yah boom this yah tune yah a boom
Boom this yah boom this yah tune yah a boom
This is ragga ragga telling you bout the boom
Boom boom boom this yah tune yah a boom
Boom boom
Worry not of tomorrow
For we know not what a day may bring
Faithful are the wounds of a brother
Than the kisses from an enemy
Pride is their chain of honor
Violence is the garment that covers them
My feet were at that stumbling point
Ooh but I didn't slip
Never forget your dreams
Life is full of ups and downs, yeah
Say no much how hard it seems
Never forget your dreams (Never forget your dreams)
Let's take it day by day by day by day by day
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
Day by day by day by day by day by day by
So ragga muffin junior gong with a next element
You keep the vibes in a the music make so the music have strength
Don't forget all you dreams nor you hopes yah me friend
Ragga muffin junior gong a teach it like a Reverend
So all foreigner go hold a yardie accent
And make we take you weh and fling you to another wavelength
Like the Nazerene Samson we have a lot of strength
Digging up Jah Jah, blowing breath like a vent
So ragga muffin junior gong with a next element
You keep the vibes in a the music make so the music have strength
Don't forget all you dreams nor you hopes yah me friend
Ragga muffin junior gong a teach it like a Reverend
So all foreigner go hold a yardie accent
And make we take you weh and fling you to another wavelength
Like the Nazerene Samson we have a lot of strength
Digging up Jah Jah, blowing breath like a vent
The lyrics to Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers' "Day by Day" advocate for conscious and uplifting music that can inspire and educate the masses. The song opens with a call for people from all backgrounds to listen to conscious lyrics that teach and unite. The importance of education and inspiration through music is stressed throughout the song. However, the song also acknowledges the harsh realities of life, particularly the violence that plagues certain communities. Nevertheless, the message is one of hope and perseverance, urging listeners to take life "day by day" and never give up on their dreams, despite the obstacles that they might face.
The last few lines of the song are particularly interesting because they incorporate Jamaican Patois, a dialect that combines English, West African, and Spanish words. This demonstrates the band's cultural roots and identity as Jamaicans. The repeated use of "boom" in the song is a common feature of reggae music and is typical of ragga or dancehall genres that emerged in Jamaica in the 1980s.
Line by Line Meaning
Now whether you come from yard or whether you come from London
No matter where you come from, this is a song for everyone
Wanna hear this one on your radio station
I want everyone to hear this song on the radio
Conscious lyrics have to reach number one
Important, meaningful lyrics deserve to be at the top of the charts
Teach we come to teach we come to teach the nation
We're here to educate and share our knowledge with everyone
Lyrically, lyrically inspiration
Our lyrics are inspiring and meant to uplift
Love and nuff unity with lots of education
We promote love, unity, and education
We'll take it by the hundred take it one by one
We'll keep pushing forward no matter how slow we have to go
This is ragga with the inspiration
Our style is ragga, but it's still inspiring and positive
I can only sing of destruction today
Unfortunately, today I can only sing about destruction due to the violence in the world
'Cause my people are shedding blood everywhere
People all around me are being hurt and killed
There is no happy song to sing
I can't find anything to be happy about at the moment
When every time I'm frowning
I'm in a constant state of worry and sadness
I watch my back as I pass through
I have to be careful and protect myself at all times
'Cause they're aiming their bullets at me
People are specifically targeting me with violence
Jah say he see us through
I have faith that God will guide us through this difficult time
So I knew that the wicked would perish
Evil will not win in the end
Never forget your dreams
Always remember your goals and aspirations
Life is full of ups and downs, yeah
Life is full of both good and bad times
No matter how hard it seems
No matter how difficult life gets, don't give up on your dreams
Just take it day by day by day by day by day
Take things one step at a time, don't rush
We laugh at them, for they know their day is coming
Those who cause harm to others will eventually face the consequences
The wicked draw their swords to slay the upright
Evil people will try to harm those who are good
Well the wicked bend their bows to cast down the poor
Evil people will try to harm those who are less fortunate
Yet their swords shall pierce them in their own hearts
The wicked will eventually suffer the consequences of their actions
Worry not of tomorrow
Don't stress over the future
For we know not what a day may bring
We can't predict the future, anything can happen
Faithful are the wounds of a brother
It's better to receive constructive criticism from a friend than flattery from an enemy
Than the kisses from an enemy
False flattery from someone who doesn't have your best interests at heart is worse than honest criticism
Pride is their chain of honor
Arrogance is what motivates the wicked
Violence is the garment that covers them
Violence is how the wicked maintain their power
My feet were at that stumbling point
I was about to give up
Ooh but I didn't slip
But I kept going and didn't give up
So ragga muffin junior gong with a next element
Ziggy Marley is a ragga muffin artist, and he's bringing something fresh to his music
You keep the vibes in a the music make so the music have strength
The energy and spirit of the music is what gives it strength
Don't forget all you dreams nor you hopes yah me friend
Never lose sight of your dreams and hopes, my friend
Ragga muffin junior gong a teach it like a Reverend
Ziggy Marley is an artist, but he's also a spiritual teacher
So all foreigner go hold a yardie accent
Everyone should try to pick up a Jamaican accent
And make we take you weh and fling you to another wavelength
Let's take you to another level, with a different vibe
Like the Nazerene Samson we have a lot of strength
Like Samson in the Bible, we have strength and power to overcome challenges
Digging up Jah Jah, blowing breath like a vent
We're invoking the power of God and using it to spread positive energy
Boom boom boom raggamuffin done tell you this yah tune yah a boom
This is a super catchy, fun song that will make you want to dance
Cheri chera,everybody say boom
Everyone is having a great time and enjoying the music
Boom this yah boom this yah tune yah a boom
This song is a total hit and everyone loves it
This is ragga ragga telling you bout the boom
This song is ragga, but it's also about good vibes and positive energy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID NESTA MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aldi Septian
on Love Is My Religion
steady
Aldi Septian
on True To Myself
steady.
Oznir Selbor
on Changes
best of the the best
Metin Karamanoğlu
on True To Myself
seni hep dinliyorum.
Sigrid Pauline
on True To Myself
���
James Bryan C Quipanes
on True To Myself
nice cool music Jah rastafarai :)
James Bryan C Quipanes
on True To Myself
yes man .
Joseni Dias
on Never Deny You
ziggi marlei so pedra curte so
Christopher McGrowder
on A Lifetime
love this so much
Christopher McGrowder
on Melancholy Mood
gwaan foodie respect