David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born October 17, 1968 in Saint Ann Parish, ghet… Read Full Bio ↴David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born October 17, 1968 in Saint Ann Parish, ghetto of Trenchtown, Jamaica), composer, singer and guitarist, is a multiple Grammy-winning (reggae) Jamaican musician. He is known for songs like "Tomorrow People", "Love Is My Religion" and "A Lifetime", He is the oldest son in the marriage between the singer Rita Anderson (Marley) and late legendary reggae Bob Marley. David's father Bob nicknamed him "Ziggy". A ziggy is a big marijuana spliff on Jamaiaca.

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.

Higher Vibration
Ziggy Marley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

These city walls
Are like a prison
Why we gotta keep on living
With our backs against the wall

We are creatures of love
Victims of hate
We gotta keep on living

With our backs against the wall

No No No
Start living on a higher vibration
Now we take it to the heights of creation

Perfection of divinity
Is everyone's duty
Don't waste your time
Living for the vanities
We are creatures of faith
Victims of destiny
Which we create

Now we living on a higher vibration
'Cause we take it to the heights of creation

You know what I'm talking 'bout
don't tell me no
Baby I could scream and shout
But I won't
It's a human experience
On another sphere
Well, it's a human existence
On another wavelength

Listen to me now
Now We living on a higher vibration
Then we take it to the heights of creation

Let me take you little higher
And then you take me little higher

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers' song "Higher Vibration" speaks about the troubles and limitations of living in a city. It describes city walls as a prison, forcing its inhabitants to live with their backs against the wall. However, the song emphasizes that despite the challenges, humans are creatures of love and faith, and it is their duty to strive for perfection of divinity. The lyrics encourage the listeners to start living on a higher vibration, where they can reach the heights of creation.

The song also highlights the importance of not living for vanities or material possessions but instead focusing on the things that matter in life. The lyrics remind us that as humans, we are victims of destiny, which we have the power to create. It speaks of a human experience on another sphere and human existence on another wavelength, suggesting that there is more to life than what meets the eye.

Overall, "Higher Vibration" is a song of hope and empowerment, urging the listener to take control of their lives and strive for a higher purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

These city walls Are like a prison Why we gotta keep on living With our backs against the wall
Living in these cities is like being in prison, constantly feeling trapped and suffocated. Why do we have to continue living in this oppressive manner with no room for freedom or growth?

We are creatures of love Victims of hate We gotta keep on living With our backs against the wall
As humans, we are naturally inclined towards love and positivity, but we are constantly bombarded by hate and negativity. Despite this, we must continue to persevere and push forward even when it feels like we are trapped and limited in our opportunities.

No No No Start living on a higher vibration Now we take it to the heights of creation
We must reject negative energy and instead strive towards a higher vibrational frequency of positivity and joy. Only then can we truly tap into our creative potential and achieve greatness.

Perfection of divinity Is everyone's duty Don't waste your time Living for the vanities We are creatures of faith Victims of destiny Which we create
It is our responsibility as human beings to strive towards a state of divine perfection, rather than getting caught up in superficial and materialistic pursuits. Our actions and beliefs create our own destiny, and it is up to us to align them with positivity and faith.

You know what I'm talking 'bout don't tell me no Baby I could scream and shout But I won't It's a human experience On another sphere Well, it's a human existence On another wavelength
I know you can relate to what I'm saying, don't try to deny it. Even though this may seem like an otherworldly experience or concept, it is still a part of the human experience, just on a different level.

Listen to me now Now We living on a higher vibration Then we take it to the heights of creation Let me take you little higher And then you take me little higher
Listen closely - we are currently in the process of attaining a higher state of being, and from there we can achieve incredible things. Let's help each other reach greater heights so we can continue to grow and evolve together.

Lyrics © ISHTI MUSIC INC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID MARLEY, ZIGGY MARLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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