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.
Weekend's Long
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't check no luggage just carry on
Why should you laugh instead of cry
Why should you live instead of die
I'll be your reason
It's ok go on and give me a try
I'll be your reason yeah
Don't be afraid for what is to come
It's been too long since that bell was rung
Ooh yeah i'll be the reason yea
Why you should even have a little faith
Why you should grow and cultivate
I'll be your reason yeah
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Don't check no luggage just carry on all night long
Leave the sorrows indoctrinated
Cause now you've been emancipated
Say come on it couldn't be a sin
Maybe your god could see the heart of things
And i'll be your reason
Sometimes you need some time to play
You think you lost but you just found your way
Ooh yeah i'll be your reason come on now
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Don't check no luggage just carry on all night long
Leave your sorrows indoctrinated
Cause now you've been emancipated
What you believe in isn't what you thought
Oh my love i wouldn't break your heart
I'll be your reason
Pick you up at four four five
Keeping hope and dream alive
Ooh yes i'll be your reason yeah
Are you ready for the time of your life hey we gonna live it up
And everything's gonna be more than alright you know we never giving up
Are you ready for the time of your life hey we gonna live it up
And everything's gonna be more than alright you know we never giving up
I found a place where the weekend's long,
Don't check no luggage just carry on
Leave the sorrows indoctrinated, cause now we are emancipated
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Don't check your luggage just carry on all night long
Leave the sorrows indoctrinated cause now you are emancipated
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Don't check no luggage just carry on
Leave the sorrows indoctrinated
Cause now you've been emancipated
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Don't check no luggage just carry on
Leave the sorrows indoctrinated
Cause now you've been emancipated
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Don't check no luggage just carry on
The lyrics to "Weekend's Long" by Ziggy Marley express a desire to find a place where one can let go of their sorrows and live life to the fullest. The chorus repeats the line "I found a place where the weekend's long, don't check no luggage just carry on," which suggests that the singer has found a place where they can escape from their problems and live in the moment. The lyrics also touch on the themes of faith and hope, with lines like "Why you should even have a little faith, why you should grow and cultivate" and "Keeping hope and dream alive."
The verses of the song offer encouragement to the listener, urging them to live instead of just existing ("Why should you live instead of die?") and assuring them that there is a reason to keep going ("I'll be your reason"). The second verse even suggests that the singer can serve as a reason for someone else to keep going. Overall, the song celebrates the joy of living and encourages listeners to embrace life fully, even if just for a weekend.
Line by Line Meaning
I found a place where the weekend's long
Ziggy Marley has found a place where the feeling of weekend (which represents the fun times, freedom and relaxation) never ends
Don't check no luggage just carry on
He doesn't want anything to bring you down or hinder you from enjoying the moment, so don’t let anything weigh you down
Why should you laugh instead of cry
Encouraging the listener to choose happiness instead of sadness
Why should you live instead of die
Encouraging the listener to choose to live instead of giving up or giving into despair
I'll be your reason
Ziggy Marley presents himself as someone who can give the listener a reason to keep going, to find happiness and purpose in life
It's ok go on and give me a try
He is asking the listener to trust him and let him be the reason to help them through tough times
Walk with your head way up above the sky
He wants the listener to walk with confidence and feel like they can achieve anything
Don't be afraid for what is to come
Encouraging the listener to face the future without fear or anxiety
It's been too long since that bell was rung
It's been too long since the listener had something to be excited about or celebrate
Why you should even have a little faith
Encouraging the listener to have faith and believe in something
Why you should grow and cultivate
Encouraging the listener to focus on growing and improving themselves
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Reiterating that Ziggy has found a place where happiness and freedom are endless
Leave the sorrows indoctrinated
Encouraging the listener to leave behind their worries, fears and sorrows
Cause now you've been emancipated
The listener has been freed from whatever was holding them back or bringing them down
Say come on it couldn't be a sin
It's okay to enjoy life and have fun without feeling guilty
Maybe your god could see the heart of things
Possibly implying that God appreciates joy and happiness and wants us to enjoy life
Sometimes you need some time to play
Sometimes you need to let loose and have some fun
You think you lost but you just found your way
It's possible to feel lost, but there's always a way to find yourself again
What you believe in isn't what you thought
Sometimes our beliefs may change or evolve over time
Oh my love i wouldn't break your heart
Ziggy Marley doesn't want to hurt the listener or deceive them, he just wants to help them find happiness
Pick you up at four four five
Ziggy Marley is willing to be there for the listener when they need someone
Keeping hope and dream alive
Encouraging the listener to keep their dreams and hopes alive
Are you ready for the time of your life hey we gonna live it up
Asking the listener if they're ready to have an amazing time and enjoy life to the fullest
And everything's gonna be more than alright you know we never giving up
Everything will work out, and we should never give up hope
I found a place where the weekend's long found a place
Reiterating that there's a place where the feeling of weekend never ends
Leave your sorrows indoctrinated cause now you've been emancipated
Encouraging the listener to leave behind their worries and fears, now that they've been freed
Are you ready for the time of your life hey we gonna live it up
Asking the listener again if they're ready to have a great time
And everything's gonna be more than alright you know we never giving up
Reiterating that everything will work out and it's important to never give up hope
Writer(s): DAVID MARLEY
Contributed by Jackson O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Scattered Subjects
I love this song. I really needed a lift up today too. Thanks Ziggy!!
Leonardo Kern
"Certamente teu Pai está honrado de ti" Siga encantando todo mundo com suas canções" good Vibe!
Dora Masi
Man I've got this on repeat ☝️😀
Alejandro Robles
hermosa canción para empezar los fines de semana 👍
Fernanda Maiorano
Esta canción te enamora y te libera! 😍
Jairo Souza
Obrigado Ziggy por nos contemplar com mais uma bela música. Repetindo em 3, 2, 1...
Jose Antonio Santos
Contagiante esse som do Ziggy massa estou curtindo em Trancoso Bahia
Andrea Cesarek
I love this song so much! Thank you Ziggy for all the inspiration and beautiful music. You are my favorite!!!! Can't wait to see you in Detroit in September!!!!
Carls13xD
Me encanta :3! Genial canción Ziggy <3
Crusader!
I've been getting back into your work, and all of it is great. keep going at it, Ziggy :)