Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers were a reggae group made up of four of Bob… Read Full Bio ↴Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers were a reggae group made up of four of Bob Marley's children: Ziggy, Stephen, Sharon, and Cedella.

They formed the Melody Makers when they were teenagers in 1979, and recorded "Children Playing in the Streets" with their father. They went on to perform at their father's funeral in 1981.

The band's popularity was at its highest during 1988, prompting a major record deal with Virgin Records. Shortly thereafter, the group released "Conscious Party," their third album. On the album was the hit single "Tomorrow People," and the album went on to earn a well-deserved Grammy.

Theme Song
Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

They're two, they're four, they're six, they're eight,
shunting trucks and hauling freight.
Red and green and brown and blue,
they're the Really Useful Crew.
All with different roles to play,
round Tidmoth Sheds or far away.
Down the hills and round the bends,
Thomas and his friends.

Thomas, he's the cheeky one.
James is vain but lots of fun.
Percy pulls the mail on time.
Gordon thunders down the line.
Emily really knows her stuff.
Henry toots and huffs and puffs.
Edward wants to help and share.
Toby, well let's just say, he's square!
They're two, they're four, they're six, they're eight,
shunting trucks and hauling freight.
Red and green and brown and blue,
they're the Really Useful Crew.
All with different roles to play,
round Tidmoth Sheds or far away.
Down the hills and round the bends,
Thomas and his friends.
They're two, they're four, they're six, they're eight,
shunting trucks and hauling freight.
Red and green and brown and blue,
they're the Really Useful Crew.
All with different roles to play,
round Tidmoth Sheds or far away.

Down the hills and round the bends,
Thomas and his friends!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Theme Song" by Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers are an ode to the popular children's television show, "Thomas & Friends." The song introduces the various characters of the show, describing their attributes and roles. Each character is given a unique personality, with Thomas being "the cheeky one," James being "vain but lots of fun," and Percy being reliable in pulling the mail. The song celebrates the different colors and work roles of the "Really Useful Crew," underscoring the importance of teamwork and individual contributions.

Line by Line Meaning

They're two, they're four, they're six, they're eight,
The trains come in many sizes and numbers.

shunting trucks and hauling freight.
Their job is to move cargo and work in the yards.

Red and green and brown and blue,
The trains come in many colors.

they're the Really Useful Crew.
Despite their differences, they all have important tasks to perform.

All with different roles to play,
Each train has a unique job to do.

round Tidmoth Sheds or far away.
They work in the local yards or go on long trips to distant places.

Down the hills and round the bends,
They travel over all sorts of terrain.

Thomas and his friends.
These trains have unique personalities and relationships with each other.

Thomas, he's the cheeky one.
Thomas is mischievous.

James is vain but lots of fun.
James cares about his appearance but is still enjoyable to be around.

Percy pulls the mail on time.
Percy is responsible for delivering the mail promptly.

Gordon thunders down the line.
Gordon moves quickly and with force along the tracks.

Emily really knows her stuff.
Emily is knowledgeable and skilled.

Henry toots and huffs and puffs.
Henry makes a lot of noise as he works.

Edward wants to help and share.
Edward is a helpful train who likes to share his knowledge and experience.

Toby, well let's just say, he's square!
Toby's unique shape sets him apart from the other trains.