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.
i'm not made of stone
Ziggy Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you wonder why I′m mad?
Why should you and I keep on fighting?
When we can share, what gives us life
Cry, ever drop is worth a pain
Can't have the crop without the rain
And the sun shine
Listen to what your soul has to say
Meditate, just once a day
Fly, travel to places you′ve never been
Absorb yourself in everything
Oh, yeah
It's so dark, in truth
I can't believe, it′s you? (No, I can′t)
And complicated minds
Can't see the simple view
(The world could be nice)
And if your god was you
Would he be like you?
So, oh, my blues
Please take of your shoes, yeah
Sad (sad), the thing I see make me so sad (sad)
And you wonder why I′m mad?
Why should you and I keep on fighting?
When we can share, what gives us life
Why?
Cry, ever drop is worth a pain
Can't have the crop without the rain
And the sun shine
Pray, listen to what your soul has to say
Meditate, now once a day, pray
Fly, travel to places you′ve never been
Absorb yourself in everything, yeah
And every day you find
A new way to learn the same things
(The one and all)
There's only one way out
But many ways go in
(So, watch your fall)
So, shall the day when you
After the summer′s come
And, oh, bad news
Please take of your shoes
Before you come though my door
Come through my door
Don't come through my window
My dream isn't far away (dream isn′t far away)
She′s coming home
I'm not made of stone
Sad, the thing I see make me so sad
And you wonder why I′m mad? (Mad)
Why, why should you and I keep on fighting?
When we can share, what gives us life
Why?
Cry, ever drop is worth a pain
Can't have the crop without the rain
And the sun shine
Listen to what your soul has to say
Meditate, now once a day
Fly, travel to places you′ve never been
Observe yourself in every being
The song "I'm Not Made of Stone" by Ziggy Marley talks about the empathy he feels towards the world as he sees the sad things happening around him. Marley questions why people fight with each other when they can share what gives them life. He urges people to cry if needed, for every drop of tear is worth the pain just like the crop needs rain to grow. He also emphasizes the importance of meditation and travel to places one has never been, encouraging people to absorb themselves in everything.
Marley also talks about the darkness in the world and the complicated minds that cannot see the simple view. He questions whether God, being like us, would behave the same way as humans do. He advises people to take off their shoes (their worries and fears) before coming through his door. He emphasizes that he is not made of stone and feels things deeply which is evident in his lyrics.
The lyrics of this song are thought-provoking and provide a deeper meaning about the world around us. The message emphasizes the need for empathy, understanding, and kindness, which is a relevant message even to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Sad, the thing I see make me so sad
I feel sad when I witness negative things happening in the world.
And you wonder why I′m mad?
Others may question why I act in a frustrated manner, but it is because of the sadness I experience.
Why should you and I keep on fighting?
Instead of fighting, we should come together and share the things that bring us joy.
When we can share, what gives us life
Sharing the things that bring us joy and fulfillment will allow us to live more fulfilling lives together.
Cry, ever drop is worth a pain
Every tear shed is a reminder of the hardships we face, but it is necessary for growth and change.
Can't have the crop without the rain and the sun shine
In order to grow and thrive, we need both good and bad experiences in our lives.
Listen to what your soul has to say
Take time to reflect and listen to your inner thoughts and desires.
Meditate, just once a day
Meditation can provide clarity and focus, even if only done for a short time each day.
Fly, travel to places you've never been
Exploring new places and cultures can broaden your perspective and bring new experiences into your life.
Absorb yourself in everything
Fully immerse yourself in every experience, good or bad, to gain the most from each one.
It's so dark, in truth
The world can often seem bleak and hopeless.
I can't believe, it's you? (No, I can't)
It may be hard to believe that some people are responsible for the negativity and injustice in the world.
And complicated minds can't see the simple view
Those who overthink and complicate things often miss the simple solution or perspective.
The world could be nice
If everyone worked together and shared positivity, the world could be a better place.
And if your god was you, would he be like you?
If you were the one creating the rules and values for the world, would they align with your current values and beliefs?
So, oh, my blues, please take of your shoes, yeah
To ease my sadness and frustration, I ask those who bring negativity into my life to remove themselves from the situation.
And every day you find a new way to learn the same things
We often repeat the same mistakes and experiences, but there is always something new to learn from them.
There's only one way out, but many ways go in
There is only one path to true enlightenment and understanding, but we have many different ways of getting there.
So, watch your fall
Be mindful of your actions and the consequences they may have.
Shall the day when you, after the summer's come
One day in the future, after you have had many experiences and learned many lessons, you will understand.
And, oh, bad news, please take of your shoes
Negative situations and people should remove themselves from my life.
Before you come through my door
I only want to welcome positivity and love into my life.
My dream isn't far away
My hopes and aspirations are within reach, and I am actively working towards reaching them.
She's coming home
My dream and goals will soon become a reality.
I'm not made of stone
Despite my frustrations and sadness, I am still a feeling and emotional person.
Writer(s): David Nesta Marley
Contributed by Penelope N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kelly Patterson
My new mantra!
Nimrod Fernando
"listen just what the soul got to say, meditate just once a day"😊 nice
Nelson Almeida
Following Ziggy since his first album he's like a fine wine with time it just gets better and better Bob sings threw him. He's an incredible songwriter and musician.
Keep it up Ziggy JAH BLESS
TheRoot OfLife
Once you get to understand words of this song, it becomes your favourite!
Ziggy, I really appreciate your works brother!
We are not made of stone!
Ras Jengo from Tanzania
Daniel Deza
Sad, the things I see make me so sad
And you wonder why I'm mad
Why should you and I keep on fighting
When we can share what gives us life?
Cry, every drop is worth the pain
Can't have the crop without the rain
And the sunshine
Listen to what your soul has to say
Meditate just once a day
Fly, travel to places you've never been
Absorb yourself in everything, oh yeah
It's so dark, in truth, I can't believe it's you (no, I can't)
And complicated minds can't see the simple view (the world could be nice)
And if your god was you, would he be like you?
So, oh, my blues, please take off your shoes, yeah
Sad, the things I see make me so sad
And you wonder why I'm mad
Why should you and I keep on fighting
When we can share what gives us life? (Why?)
Cry, every drop is worth the pain
Can't have the crop without the rain
And the sunshine
Pray, listen to what your soul has to say
Meditate, now, once a day (pray)
Fly, travel to places you've never been
Absorb yourself in everything
Yeah
And every day you find a new way to learn the same things (the one and all)
There's only one way out, but many ways to go in (so watch your fall)
So shall the day when you, after the summer's come
And, oh, bad news, please take off your shoes
Before you come through my door
Come through my door, don't come through my window
My dream isn't far away, she's coming home
I'm not made of stone
Sad, the things I see make me so sad
And you wonder why I'm mad (mad)
Why, why should you and I keep on fighting
When we can share what gives us life? (Why?)
Cry, every drop is worth the pain
Can't have the crop without the rain
And the sunshine
Listen to what your soul has to say
Meditate, now, once a day
Fly, travel to places you've never been
Observe yourself in every being
Zuza Nowak
I love this song
Louis Meehan
Respect from England!
Lisa Bullock
l ve NEVER HEARD A BAD ZIGGY SONG XOXOXOXO
Mr vicor
Ziggy