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.

Justice
Ziggy Marley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Justice, people say, justice
Justice, brother say, justice

Judge me if I am weak

Judge my days and all life long
They let the baby cry, let the mama cry
And youths like I and I have to cry

For justice, one, one, one word prayer
Justice, who yea, justice, justice

Is like a good friend
Who long time we don't see
Why they taking liberty
Who, is like a good friend
Who long time we don't see
Why they taking liberty, with I and I and I

Justice, yea yea yea
Justice, now not later, justice
Justice, people say

(solo)

For I and I, justice, justice
Justice, where are you
Justice, look what they do

They make the innocent cry
The innocent cry
Look what they do to Garvey
They make the innocent die
They make the innocent die
How dem lie on Steve Biko

Justice, justice, the one word prayer
Justice, who yea, justice
The poor man cry, why do they do the wrong
Justice, they make me sing this song

Justice, who yea woa, mmmh, yea, yea
Justice, justice, desert me not
Justice, they are on my back

Justice, the more the tears
The more, the more we want, justice, justice

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of this song by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers are a passionate call for justice. The song begins with the repeated chanting of the word justice, highlighting its importance. The singer challenges those in power to judge him based on his character and not his weaknesses. He also questions why innocent people are being made to suffer and cries out for justice to be served. The song is a powerful reminder that justice is a fundamental human right and essential for a fair and equal society.

The lyrics of the song are simple yet effective, conveying a deep sense of emotion and urgency. The music is also an important part of the song, with a reggae beat and a guitar solo adding to the emotional impact. The use of repetition and call-and-response also adds to the powerful message of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Justice, people say, justice
The people desire justice and call for it to be served.

Justice, brother say, justice
The singer also desires justice and urges his brothers to do the same.

Judge me if I am weak
The singer challenges others to criticize him if they believe he is weak or unworthy.

Judge my days and all life long
Critique his entire existence - from the beginning of his life until the end.

They let the baby cry, let the mama cry
Society allows innocent people (like a baby and a mother) to suffer and cry without intervening.

And youths like I and I have to cry
Young people like the singer and his peers are also subject to unjust treatment and experience pain and tears.

For justice, one, one, one word prayer
The quest for justice is the singer's singular and unwavering focus.

Justice, who yea, justice, justice
The singer repeats his desire for justice, adding emphasis to the plea.

Is like a good friend Who long time we don't see Why they taking liberty Who, is like a good friend Who long time we don't see Why they taking liberty, with I and I and I
Justice is indispensable and should be as reliable as a good friend. However, it has been absent for some time and people are taking advantage of the absence of justice.

Justice, yea yea yea Justice, now not later, justice Justice, people say
People demand justice urgently and are tired of waiting for it to be served.

(solo)
An instrumental interlude is played.

For I and I, justice, justice Justice, where are you Justice, look what they do
The singer yearns for justice, asking where it is and calling attention to the atrocities that are committed in its absence.

They make the innocent cry The innocent cry Look what they do to Garvey They make the innocent die They make the innocent die How dem lie on Steve Biko
Innocent people are subjected to suffering and death, as exemplified by the unjust treatment of Garvey and Steve Biko.

Justice, justice, the one word prayer Justice, who yea, justice The poor man cry, why do they do the wrong Justice, they make me sing this song
Justice is the singer's one prayer and he notes that the poor cry out for justice. He sings out against injustice and desires for things to change.

Justice, who yea woa, mmmh, yea, yea Justice, justice, desert me not Justice, they are on my back Justice, the more the tears The more, the more we want, justice, justice
The singer pleads for justice not to abandon him and reiterates the burden he carries due to injustice. He desires justice even more, the more he sees tears and pain being inflicted without consequence.

Contributed by Vivian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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