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.
We Are the People
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yet we don't know, yet we don't know
There is a knowledge we all know
Yet we don't know, yet we don't know
We are one
There is a spirit we all know
Yet we don't know, yet we don't know
Yet we don't know, yet we don't know
We are one
Is it so hard to love one another
My brother
To see each other as we are
My sister
The earthy family
Forever
Wake up
Wake up now
Wake up
Wake up now
Wake up to the realization
That we are all of one nation
Everyone let's have some fun
Under the moon, the stars, the sun
'Cause We are one
We are one
There is a knowledge
We are one
There is a spirit
We are one
The lyrics to Ziggy Marley's "We Are One" speak to a universal consciousness that we as humans possess but have yet to fully recognize or tap into. The repeated line "There is a knowledge we all know, yet we don't know" implies a deeply ingrained sense of understanding that is just out of reach but is something we all possess on a subconscious level. This knowledge is connected to the notion of oneness, which Marley emphasizes through the chorus "We are one." He urges listeners to wake up to this realization and to love and embrace each other as brothers and sisters in one big earthly family.
The song encourages a sense of unity and commonality amongst all people, regardless of their backgrounds or differences. Marley speaks to the idea that although we appear different on the surface, ultimately, we are all connected by this knowledge and spirit of oneness. It's a call to action to recognize and embrace the interconnectedness of all life and to move past the superficial differences that often divide people.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a knowledge we all know
We all have a certain understanding or awareness about something
Yet we don't know, yet we don't know
However, we are not fully aware or informed about it
We are one
As human beings, we are united and connected to each other
There is a spirit we all know
We all have a sense of spirituality or higher power within us
Is it so hard to love one another
Why is it difficult to have love and compassion towards one another?
My brother
Addressed to a male listener, highlighting the sense of brotherhood between human beings
To see each other as we are
To acknowledge and accept each other without judgement or prejudice
My sister
Addressed to a female listener, highlighting the sense of sisterhood between human beings
The earthy family
Emphasizing the idea that all living beings on this earth are connected and share a common ancestry
Forever
For all eternity
Wake up
A call to action to become aware and conscious
Wake up now
An urgent call to action to become aware and conscious immediately
Wake up to the realization
Become aware and accept the truth of something
That we are all of one nation
We are all citizens of this world, sharing a common identity and belonging
Everyone let's have some fun
Let's enjoy life and make the most of our time together
Under the moon, the stars, the sun
In the natural world around us, we can find beauty and wonder
There is a knowledge
There is a certain understanding or awareness about something
There is a spirit
There is a sense of spirituality or higher power within us
We are one
As human beings, we are united and connected to each other
Lyrics © Regard Music, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID MARLEY, ZIGGY MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nir Netz
This is definitely one of the best songs of this year, the message behind this song is so powerful! REGGAE WILL NEVER DIE!!!
Kuno36
Beautiful song! We are one! Reggae forever!
S4tyr
So much soul and jammin' in this tune. Amazing.
Stamatis Stabos
nice song with strong message, We are the people!
Gavin Mounsey
thank you for this creation brother, it is making big ripples in human consciousness and waking up the sleepy ones, much love and respect from Canada <3
Mar Ant
This Is So Beautiful, Thank You Ziggy!
MichaelMike The Russian Bot
Good one , Ziggy. :)
Reminding me why I like Ziggy. If only the sociopaths in power, and those striving for power, could absorb this. ;)
Candy Lynn
I LOVE THIS SONG 😍😍😍😍😍
Peace N Love
oh Ziggy, you're a leader of this new generation of new humanity based in love, peace and brotherhood.... we are one people, one nation and one race.
miRasJamal
Another gem from brother David! This is like the 2016 "tomorrow people"! I was a child when that came out in the late 80s. Now in 2016 "we are the people"! Thanx ziggy!