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.
Keep On Dreaming
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As heavy as lead
I sit there thinking with no thoughts in my head
I could not be comforted, by the living or the dead
[Chorus]
So I keep on dreaming to communicate
And I keep on dreaming if that's what it take
Keep on dreaming, cause that's what it take
I see you in my visions, and it seems you're right here
I wish I didn't have to wake up, but here comes the light of day
It's been too long now, since you went away
Won't you come back, so we can play
[Chorus]
I knew it wasn't over, it was only the start
Cause I see the light that shines in the dark
The questions have answers, my love isn't lost
Fate put us together, so nothing can tear us apart
[Chorus]
In Ziggy Marley's song "Keep On Dreaming," he speaks about the aftermath of a breakup or loss of a loved one. When the person he loved left him, he didn't cry, but his heart was heavy as lead. He sat there thinking with no thoughts in his head and found that he could not be comforted by anyone, not even the living or the dead. The chorus of the song encourages the listener to keep on dreaming as a means of communication and to keep on dreaming because it's never too late.
The second verse of the song describes Ziggy's continued connection with his lost love. He sees her in his visions, and it seems like she's right there with him. He wishes he didn't have to wake up, but he knows the light of day is coming. It's been too long since she went away, and he yearns for her to come back so they can play once again. In the third verse, Ziggy acknowledges that it's not over but just the beginning. He sees the light that shines in the dark and knows the answers to the questions he has. He believes that fate brought them together, and nothing can tear them apart.
Overall, Ziggy Marley's "Keep On Dreaming" is a song about hope, perseverance, and love beyond the physical realm. It encourages the listener to keep dreaming and believing that there's more to life than just what they can see.
Line by Line Meaning
When you left me, I didn't cry, but my heart was heavy
Even though I didn't cry when you left, my heart was still very weighed down and burdened
As heavy as lead
My heart was so burdened that it felt like it was made of heavy metal
I sit there thinking with no thoughts in my head
My mind was blank and I couldn't think of anything at all
I could not be comforted, by the living or the dead
No one could offer any comfort to me, whether they were alive or dead
So I keep on dreaming to communicate
I continue to dream because that's the only way I can communicate with you
And I keep on dreaming if that's what it take
Even if dreaming is the only way to reach you, I'll keep doing it
Keep on dreaming, it's never too late
Keep dreaming because it's never too late to reach for your dreams
Keep on dreaming, cause that's what it take
Dreaming is what it takes to achieve our goals, so never stop dreaming
I see you in my visions, and it seems you're right here
I see you in my dreams, and it feels like you're really here with me
I wish I didn't have to wake up, but here comes the light of day
I wish I could stay in my dream forever, but the morning light is starting to shine through
It's been too long now, since you went away
It feels like it's been forever since you left
Won't you come back, so we can play
I wish you would come back so we could spend more time together and have fun
I knew it wasn't over, it was only the start
I knew that the end of our relationship wasn't the end of our story, but just the beginning
Cause I see the light that shines in the dark
I can see a glimmer of hope even in the darkest of times
The questions have answers, my love isn't lost
All the questions I had are being answered, and I haven't lost my love for you
Fate put us together, so nothing can tear us apart
I believe that destiny brought us together, and nothing can break our bond
Keep on dreaming, it's never too late
Keep dreaming because it's never too late to reach for your dreams
Keep on dreaming, cause that's what it take
Dreaming is what it takes to achieve our goals, so never stop dreaming
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID NESTA MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Buster Beagle
Yesterday my best friend of ten years ( a poodle bichon) died unexpectedly in my arms. I’m in soooooo much pain.
Thanks for this song zig. When you played at the intersection in grand rapids Michigan about 10 years ago my sister and I and a couple other friends were the ones outside your buss screaming how much we loved you. It’s OK you didn’t come out to see us we still love Ziggy
Dann C
“Keep on dreamin, cause that’s what it takes...”. Love this, Zig...thank you 💖
The Uberman
This song always helps me during tough times.
Chris Holland
Been looking for this song!!! I love this damn song so much!!! Even has some purple rain vibes on it, Island and Beach house style.
mooiNijmegen (Oscar van Son)
great music
Lourival pires Silva
Só Jesus Cristo e o senhor
Shirley casuse
👍👍👍👍👍🌹🌹
Chris Holland
Eating a big bowl of Rainbow Sherbet while hearing this song. Just keep on dreamin'.🎶🎶🎶 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🎶🎶🎶
Broh Dakala
nice one ZIG