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 β 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.
Kozmik
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That would not like to see
Our dreams become a reality
There's a war going on, a war you cannot see
Right versus wrong, it's a war that is so real
I wake up in the morning and the sun I didn't see
But I feel the vibes, forces around me
I can feel it, hey can you feel it
It's kozmik man, kozmik, kozmik
Kozmik live in me
Many people having problems, from where it came
Innocent fallen victim, although they can't explain
Intellect takes advantage of the simple man
Intellect takes advantage of the simple man
Intellect takes advantage of the simple man
Many people having problems, from where it came
Innocent fallen victims to thought they can't explain
Intellect takes advantage of the simple man
Intellect takes advantage of the, hey
Can you feel it, what a
Oh I can feel it now
Hey, can you dance, can you dance, can you dance
Can you dance, dance, dance, it live in me yea
Eagle the star a pyramid, all seeing on a dollar bill
What does it mean, where did it come from
Why is it there, hey, I repeat myself
Eagle the star a pyramid
What is the all-seeing eye doing on a dollar bill, nnh
What's going on, what's going on, what's going on
What's going on, well I tell you what, I can feel it
Can you feel it, it's a kozmik thing
I can feel it, hey yea, can you feel it
Lawd, lawd, lawd, lawd, lawd, lawd live in me
I know they're many forces
That would not like to see our dreams become reality
There's a war going on, a war you cannot see
Right versus wrong, it's a war, it is so real
I wake up in the morning, the sun I didn't see
But I feel the vibes, forces around me
Can you feel it, hey, hey, hey
I can feel it, oh,
oh, can you feel it?
It's kozmik, it's kozmik, it's kozmik
Live in me, live in me
The people having problems from where it came
Innocent fallen victims to a thought they can't explain
Intellect takes advantage of the simple man
Intellect takes advantage of the simple man
Christian read you bible, Muslim read your koran
Pray to Jah and no other man, yea whoe whoe yea
What I say can you, can you, can you feel it
Can you feel it, it's kozmik, well, I can feel it
Cold bumps on my skin, nnh, I can feel it
Feel it, live in me
It live in me, it live in me
It live in me yeah, hey it live in me, how how
It live in me yeah it live in me, how how
It live in me yeah it live in me, how how
It's kozmik, it's kozmik, it's kozmik live in me
Kozmik, kozmik, kozmik, it live in me
It's kozmik, it's kozmik, it's kozmik, it live in me
It's kozmik, it's kozmik, it's kozmik what can it be
It's kozmik, it's kozmik feeling, it's kozmik feeling
Whooe, it live in me, it live in me
The song "Kozmik" by Ziggy Marley talks about the existence of a war going on that is not necessarily visible to the naked eye. The persona suggests that there are many forces that would not like to see our dreams become a reality, and the war is between right and wrong. The persona wakes up in the morning and does not see the sun but feels forces around him. He questions the presence of the eagle, the star, and the pyramid, all-seeing on the dollar bill, and the meaning behind it. The phrase "it's kozmik" is repeated throughout the song, suggesting the existence of a cosmic force that manifests in different ways.
The persona speaks about problems people have without knowing where they stem from and innocent people falling victim to thought they cannot explain. He highlights the abuse of power by the intellect to take advantage of the simple man. The persona calls upon people from different religions to pray to Jah and no other man. He ends the song by repeating the phrase "it live in me," suggesting that the cosmic force is within him, and it is a feeling he experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I know there are many forces
That would not like to see
Our dreams become a reality
The singer acknowledges that there are external factors that might try to prevent their dreams from coming true.
There's a war going on, a war you cannot see
Right versus wrong, it's a war that is so real
The battle between good and evil exists and is more complex than it appears at first sight.
I wake up in the morning and the sun I didn't see
But I feel the vibes, forces around me
The singer implies that they sense the presence of supernatural or unknown influences around them.
Can you feel it, it's kozmik
I can feel it, hey can you feel it
It's kozmik man, kozmik, kozmik
Kozmik live in me
The singer is referring to a cosmic energy that they can sense and feels it's a part of themselves.
Many people having problems, from where it came
Innocent fallen victim, although they can't explain
Intellect takes advantage of the simple man
The singer talks about how society can be unfair and how people who don't understand certain concepts could be taken advantage of.
Eagle the star a pyramid, all seeing on a dollar bill
What does it mean, where did it come from
Why is it there, hey, I repeat myself
The lyrics discuss the mystery of the symbols on the dollar bill and their significance.
Can you feel it, it's a kozmik thing
I can feel it, hey yea, can you feel it
Lawd, lawd, lawd, lawd, lawd, lawd live in me
The singer repeats their belief in a cosmic force that they feel as a part of themselves.
Christian read you bible, Muslim read your koran
Pray to Jah and no other man, yea whoe whoe yea
The singer advocates for people to follow their respective religions and pray to a higher power.
Cold bumps on my skin, nnh, I can feel it
Feel it, live in me
It live in me, it live in me
The singer feels this cosmic energy so strongly that it produces a physical reaction.
It's kozmik, it's kozmik, it's kozmik live in me
Kozmik, kozmik, kozmik, it live in me
It's kozmik, it's kozmik, it's kozmik, it live in me
It's kozmik, it's kozmik, it's kozmik what can it be
The singer repeats how they are a part of this cosmic energy and wonders what it all means.
It's kozmik, it's kozmik feeling, it's kozmik feeling
Whooe, it live in me, it live in me
The singer reiterates that they cannot fully explain what this cosmic energy is but feel it deeply within themselves.
Lyrics Β© Regard Music, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID NESTA MARLEY, CEDELLA MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@valeriedenton9274
I saw The Melody Makers on IG performing Kozmic and so many memories began flooding my mind. I remember listening to this song as a child. I've always loved and listened to them. I always found them intriguing and filled with depth and substance!!
@coolpoete
Probably my favorite ZM&MM album. Such great memories!!
@patriciamavis1274
Cedella & Sharon have powerful & beautiful radiant soulful voices.
@blackcosmos
1 of my absolute favorite ZM&MM track. The entire 'Jahmekya' album is brilliant n is perhaps their Best album to date...
@do7hemath937
1 Bright Day should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame and studied at every high school & college.
@PeekaPeep
Yup, between that one and 1999's 'Spirit Of Music' I keep having trouble choosing which of those two ZM&MM albums I absolutely love the most out of their music catalog (lol)!
@BS-uh6rj
Feel it...the kosmic...
Give thanks and praises to the natural mystic β€οΈππJAH RASTAFARI
@jonbragg8613
Like father and son
Visionary.....
@alajitombongjawaradrammeh7643
Read your bible read you qoran and pray to jah!!! Blessings π€²πΏ
@JohnMacLeanPhotography
I remember driving around Redondo Beach and LA in β91 pumping the Jahmekya CD and this track was and is amazing. This is my first time seeing the video though. Great audio and visual! Thanks for the memories.