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.
You're My Yoko
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're my Yoko Ono
You're my beauty queen
You're my fashion scene
Baby be my muse
I'm the one to choose
Take me on that ride
You give me good vibration
Oh you're sweet inspiration
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
You're my love machine
End the wars and find the peace
Making love wrapped in the sheets
While those preachers they preach
The art of life we lead
So the freedom that we feel
Together we will stay
When will the world see things our way
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
The Boys will be sad
Remembering the good times that we had
The girls will be mad
(Ziggy we don't have what we used to have)
When it's time to groove
Can't be waiting on tomorrow, Oh no
So let the music play
(Hey we'll find ourselves in the melody)
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
Ya my Yoko,
Ya my Yoko Ono
In this song, Ziggy Marley sings about a special person in his life, whom he compares to Yoko Ono, the Japanese artist, musician and activist who was married to John Lennon. He sings about how this person is his beauty queen and fashion scene, and how she inspires him creatively, making her his muse. Furthermore, the lyrics suggest that this person brings peace to his life and makes love with him, while the rest of the world is in turmoil. He sings about how they live their lives with freedom and together, despite the disapproval of those around them. The chorus repeats the line "Ya my Yoko" as a kind of affirmation of their bond.
The song seems to be a tribute to Yoko Ono, whom Ziggy Marley seems to deeply admire for her art and her relationship with John Lennon. He seems to suggest that he has found a similar connection with someone special in his life, and that just like Yoko and John's relationship was negatively viewed by some, so is his. However, he chooses to embrace their bond and celebrate it through the music.
Line by Line Meaning
You're my Yoko,
You are my creative muse, like Yoko Ono was to John Lennon
You're my Yoko Ono
You inspire me to create and think outside the box, like Yoko Ono did for John Lennon
You're my beauty queen
You are my beautiful and beloved partner
You're my fashion scene
You have a unique and stylish way of expressing yourself that I admire
Baby be my muse
Please continue to inspire me and my work
I'm the one to choose
I have chosen you as my creative partner
Take me on that ride
Come on this journey with me
Wave the milky way goodbye
We are leaving the ordinary world behind and exploring something new together
You give me good vibration
You make me feel positive and energized
Oh you're sweet inspiration
You provide me with creative and emotional inspiration
Ya my Yoko,
You will always be my creative inspiration
Ya my Yoko Ono
You are unique and irreplaceable, like Yoko Ono was to John Lennon
You're my love machine
You are my beloved soulmate
End the wars and find the peace
Together, we strive for world peace and an end to violence
Making love wrapped in the sheets
We share intimate moments together
While those preachers they preach
Despite the teachings and opinions of others, we follow our own beliefs and values
The art of life we lead
Our life together is a beautiful and creative work of art
So the freedom that we feel
Our love and creativity gives us a sense of freedom
Together we will stay
We commit to staying together and supporting each other
When will the world see things our way
We hope that others will eventually understand and appreciate our love and art
The Boys will be sad
Those who do not understand our relationship may be unhappy about it
Remembering the good times that we had
They will recall the happy times we spent together
The girls will be mad
Some may be jealous of the unique bond we share
(Ziggy we don't have what we used to have)
Others may not understand how our relationship has changed us
When it's time to groove
When we are ready to have fun and enjoy ourselves
Can't be waiting on tomorrow, Oh no
We can't put off our happiness and enjoyment for the future
So let the music play
Let yourself be carried away by the music and enjoy the moment
(Hey we'll find ourselves in the melody)
We will lose ourselves in the music and create new memories together
Ya my Yoko,
You are my constant source of creativity and inspiration
Ya my Yoko Ono
You are unique and special, like Yoko Ono was to John Lennon
Ya my Yoko,
I will always cherish and love you
Ya my Yoko Ono
You are my soulmate and creative partner
Lyrics Β© Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID NESTA MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josue Aguilar
I love this song i listed to it every day Thank you for music πΆπππΉβ¨π π
EyesLikeBlues
Ziggy never disappoints. I want to see him live so bad! :)
Michael Clements
OMG one of the best live shows I have ever seen!
migamilan
Go see him whenever you get a chance. His shows are full of beautiful manifestations. I saw the spirit of the lion last year and going to see him again this Saturday in Orlando FL!!!!
Hammstah Hammstah
Bredda Ziggy, what a fun, energizing, creative, musically original song! One love!
SilviaSonohra
AMAZING!!!!!
(from italy)
Bartek Miszczyk
GREAT!
* RastaMusic
ROOTS ROCKIES!
Ursula Bornhauser
love it..................nuff one love
Rosey L
Imagine if he replys to one of these comments ^_^