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.
Heaven Can't Take It
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heaven can't take it no more
Heaven can′t take it no more
Heaven can't take it no more
No more
No more
No more
They′re killing for power
They′re killing for religion
They're killing for colour
Some say they′re killing for peace
But the wars won't cease
When everyone one is wrong
No matter what kind of bomb, yeah
Heaven can′t take it no more
Heaven can't take it no more
Heaven can′t take it no more
Heaven can't take it no more
No more
No more
No more
You see, the grief is all the same
And the pain is like a chain
When rage is what remains
Then who are you to blame?
Let's stand up for the children
The motherless and fatherless
The world is just a mirror
Take a look upon yourselves
′Cause heaven can′t take it no more
Heaven can't take it no more
No, heaven can′t take it no more
And heaven can't take it no more
No more, no more, no more
Now let′s lift up all humanity
There's been too much tragedy
We can give each other love and respect
Now let′s change our reality
'Cause heaven can't take it no more
No more
No more
Heaven can′t take it no more
Heaven can′t take it no more
(Zion train is coming our way) heaven can't take it
Heaven can′t take it no more
(Soul train is coming our way) heaven can't take it
′Cause heaven can't take it no more
(Zion train is coming our way) heaven can′t take it
No, heaven can't take it no more
(Soul train is coming our way) heaven can't take it
Say, heaven can′t take it no more
(Zion train is) a mother with her wolves
(Zion train is) a child without a home
(Soul train is coming our way) the refugees of war
A mother with her wolves
A child without a home
The refugees of war
Ziggy Marley's song "Heaven Can't Take It" is a commentary on the violent state of the world. The repeated refrain of "Heaven can't take it no more" highlights the urgency of the message. Marley sings about the various reasons people engage in violence: money, power, religion, and even peace. Regardless of the reason, the result is always the same- senseless loss of life. Marley challenges listeners to look at themselves and the impact they have on the world around them. He implores people to stand up for those who have been affected by violence: the children, the motherless, and fatherless.
The song's purpose is to raise awareness of the cycle of violence and encourage people to take responsibility for the world they live in. Marley laments that even heaven can't take the violence anymore, suggesting that more needs to be done to address the issue. The repeated refrain of "No more" is a call to action, asking listeners to take an active role in creating a more peaceful world. In the end, Marley reminds us that refugees of war, children without homes, and mothers with wolves are all victims of the violence that plagues the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven can't take it no more
Heaven is unable to bear the situation anymore
Heaven can't take it no more
The situation has become unbearable for heaven
Heaven can't take it no more
The situation has become too intense for heaven to handle
Heaven can't take it no more
The plight of humanity has become too much for heaven to handle
No more
The situation needs to change
No more
Action needs to be taken
No more
The status quo is unacceptable
They're killing for money
People are taking lives for the sake of financial gain
They're killing for power
People are taking lives to hold onto power
They're killing for religion
People are taking lives in the name of religion
They're killing for colour
People are taking lives because of skin color
Some say they're killing for peace
People are taking lives in the name of peace, which contradicts the concept and puts the world in endless wars
But the wars won't cease
No matter what the reason for killing is, the fighting won't stop
When everyone one is wrong
In war, everyone becomes wrong because people's minds become clouded with anger, and streets become filled with senseless killing
No matter what kind of bomb, yeah
The devastation brought by war is horrible, no matter what type of explosive is used
You see, the grief is all the same
No matter the reason for the loss, the sorrow and pain of death are universal
And the pain is like a chain
The pain of war is unending and ties us together, impossible to break away from
When rage is what remains
When the madness of war dies down, only rage will be left
Then who are you to blame?
We can't blame only one side for the horrors of war as both parties have contributed to the chaos
Let's stand up for the children
We should protect the innocent victims of war - the children who have lost homes and families.
The motherless and fatherless
Children who have lost both mother and father during the war
The world is just a mirror
The way we treat others reflects back upon us.
Take a look upon yourselves
We need to examine our actions and the resulting circumstances.
Now let's lift up all humanity
We should uplift all people.
There's been too much tragedy
There has been too much loss and pain
We can give each other love and respect
By showing love and respect for each other, we can achieve peace.
Now let's change our reality
It’s time to change the current state of the world by changing our own patterns and behaviours
Zion train is coming our way
Zion train refers to positive change that's approaching
Heaven can't take it
Heaven is unable to tolerate the atrocities any further
Soul train is coming our way
Soul train is the collective harmony amongst the cultures that the world has to offer
A mother with her wolves
Women who need to protect their own children by their own hands
A child without a home
The small innocent beings that have to spend their lives roaming around without shelter
The refugees of war
People who are displaced due to the wars in their home country
Writer(s): David Nesta Marley
Contributed by Adam D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tina marie crocker
So very beautiful yet sad. This blessed song runs deep through the soul. Ziggy, bless you for remaining pure and spreading such beautifully inspiring conscious music. Bless
Tonica Herbal Wellness
Beautiful Ziggy! Thank you for the ongoing inspiration! Shalom!
Spirit Incognita
it's so nice to hear your song which is so accurate ,when i know there are so many of us who agree with you about the way the world is unfolding at this time, and the changes that we need to help usher in.
thesunreport
The beauty and the sadness...this is a great piece of work to me.
Alirio Tavares
Powerful message!!!!
mirror allan
Love it
Eric Kwame Adae, Ph.D., APR
Listen to those strings. It goes right to my soul.
Jairo Souza
Grande música.
StrongForce
Together we shall defeat negativity
Jai Hudson
Incredible layered track! The progression of this track..