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.
Start It Up
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Front the evolution
Love's the contribution
Sing
(Start it up)
Heal the wounded warriors
Raise us to victorious
Be the one who leads us
Right from wrong will be just
All we need is your trust
(Start it up) Start it up, yeah
Yeah
Like a lion in the morning sun
You can live like a champion
Save the world we live in
Burn down the walls of our skin
We will rise from the ashes again
Yeah, yeah
(Start it up)
Bring a revolution
Front the evolution
Love's the contribution
Sing
(Start it up)
Heal the wounded warriors
Raise us to victorious
(Start it up)
Be the one who leads us
Right from wrong will be just
All we need is your trust
(Start it up)
Hey start it up, listen now
When the politician take all our rights
And they shake us all down with their might
When government can shoot
Down on defenseless youth
You can see people's marches unite
(Start it up)
Bring a revolution
Front the evolution
Love's the contribution
Sing
(Start it up)
Heal the wounded warriors
Raise us to victorious
(Start it up)
Be the one who leads us
Right from wrong will be just
All we need is your trust
(Start it up) Oh... Oh
It don't take a blind man to see where the world is headed
It won't take a wise man to know that our Earth is threatened
There is no future to see, if we don't come together
Love is the chance that we take and the answer forever
Yeah, sing it with me now
Start it up, start it up, start it up, start it up
Love's your contribution
Give it
Like a lion in the morning sun
You can live like a champion
Now, Save the world we live in
Burn down the walls of our skin
We can rise from the ashes again
(Start it up)
Bring a revolution
Front the evolution
Love's the contribution
Sing
(Start it up)
Heal the wounded warriors
Raise us to victorious
(Start it up)
Be the one who leads us
Right from wrong will be just
All we need is your trust (alright)
(Start it up)
Bring a revolution
Love's the contribution
Somebody start it up
Who's gonna start it up?
Who's gonna start it up?
What we gonna do now?
(Start it up)
Ziggy Marley's "Start It Up" is a powerful call to bring about a revolution, as well as a reminder of the role of love and trust in achieving this goal. The song implores listeners to be the leaders who can bring about change and encourages them to lead with love and justice. The lyrics also recognize the current state of the world and the need for action, particularly when it comes to issues like government oppression and youth violence.
The opening lines of the song "Bring a revolution, front the evolution, love's the contribution, sing" set the tone for the rest of the song - it's about creating change and doing so with love. Later, the lyrics emphasize the need for leadership that leads with justice, urging us to "be the one who leads us, right from wrong will be just, all we need is your trust." In addition to these calls to action and leadership, the song provides a vision of a future that's worth fighting for, where we "can live like a champion" and "rise from the ashes again."
Overall, "Start It Up" is a powerful anthem of hope and change, emphasizing the importance of leadership, action, and love in creating a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
Bring a revolution
Bring about a change in the current system
Front the evolution
Lead the change and progress
Love's the contribution
Love is the driving force behind this movement
Sing
Spread the message through music and song
(Start it up)
Reinforce the call to action
Heal the wounded warriors
Help those who have been hurt, physically or emotionally
Raise us to victorious
Empower and uplift those who have been suppressed
Be the one who leads us
Take charge and lead the way
Right from wrong will be just
Ensure that justice is served
All we need is your trust
We need everyone's support and belief for this to work
Like a lion in the morning sun
Be powerful and confident
You can live like a champion
Have a winning attitude and outlook on life
Save the world we live in
Preserve and protect our environment
Burn down the walls of our skin
Overcome racism and other forms of discrimination
We will rise from the ashes again
We will recover and come back stronger
When the politician take all our rights
When those in power strip away our freedoms
And they shake us all down with their might
And oppress us with their strength
When government can shoot
When authorities use violence
Down on defenseless youth
Against those who cannot fight back
You can see people's marches unite
Witness people uniting and protesting against injustice
It don't take a blind man to see where the world is headed
The current problems in our world are evident to all
It won't take a wise man to know that our Earth is threatened
One does not need to be wise to realize the dangers our planet is facing
There is no future to see, if we don't come together
We need to work together or our future is bleak
Love is the chance that we take and the answer forever
Love is the key to solving problems and ensuring a peaceful future
Start it up, start it up, start it up, start it up
Repeat the call to action
Love's your contribution
Your contribution should be out of love and compassion
Give it
Give your all to the cause
Somebody start it up
We need someone to take the initiative
Who's gonna start it up?
Who will step up and make a change?
What we gonna do now?
What is our next step?
(Start it up)
Call to action to begin the movement
Writer(s): DIMITRI CERNY, NIKHIL KORULA, BRIAN VIBBERTS, DAVID MARLEY
Contributed by Charlotte S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ricki Paddon
Such a positive, uplifting tune.. Love it!
Kayla
I really love this song!!! Can't stop playing it! 😃😃😃😃
Nikhil Korula
Such a killer recording and song!! Ziggy just reminded the world he still is the BEST around! :)
Cheechin_ All_Day
Ziggy still making great tracks!! Love ittt
Nikhil Korula
Congrats to Ziggy Marley for winning the Grammy for BEST REGGAE ALBUM!! This is still my favorite song!! :)
Stereocitizen
My new favorite song!!! Sooo good!!!
Kekel Diniz
som pesado 🎶❤😍
BodhiLionofLove
Thank you Brother for another Luvley Peace of Art! I appreciate being able to listen to this before I have the funds to go buy it. Thanks for sharing, Peace N Luv!
S4tyr
Way better than the mainstream pop culture crap nowadays
Ramazzotti
Positive vibes . 💖💛💚 god bless you Ziggy Marley !