There’s no doubt Legendary Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley’s tunes continue to capture our ears beyond his passing in 1981. His spirituality and beliefs also remain captured in our hearts as he continues to live on, becoming a global inspiration and mainstream icon.
Nesta Robert Marley—known to the world as Bob Marley—was born on February 6th, 1945. He began his career in a band called the Wailers in 1963. In the late 1960s, Marley became a Rastafarian and this heavily influenced his music. During the 1970s, Marley formed the band Bob Marley and the Wailers. The group produced several successful albums that reached the masses and introduced the world to reggae music.
On May 11th, 1981, Bob Marley died of cancer in Miami at the age of 36.
His image has become a symbol of freedom and the fight against oppression. Marley sent powerful messages through his lyrics and created spiritual experiences whenever he performed on stage.
Bob Marley continues to inspire and enlighten us with lyrics and words, through his music as well as in recorded interviews and concerts. We’ve assembled some of his most inspiring quotes that can help brighten your day, and could even change your life if it gets you into a better frame of mind on a daily basis.
1. Love would never leave us alone.
2. The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?
3. I no have education. I have inspiration. If I was educated I would be a damn fool.
4. Rastafari not a culture, it’s a reality.
5. The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.
6. You can fool some people some times but you cant fool all the people all the time.
7. When the race gets hard to run. It means you just can’t take the peace.
8. Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?
9. You have to be someone.
10. The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow.
11. When one door is closed, many more is open.
12. One love, one heart. Let’s get together and feel all right.
13. I don’t believe in death, neither in flesh nor in spirit.
14. You not supposed to feel down over whatever happen to you. I mean, you’re supposed to use whatever happen to you as some type of upper, not a downer.
15. You can’t find the right roads when the streets are paved.
16. Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.
17. Road of life is rocky and you may stumble too, so while you talk about me, someone else is judging you.
18. Me is a common sense man. That mean when me explain things, me explain it in a very simple way; that mean if I explain it to a baby, the baby will understand too, you know.
19. Don’t give up the fight, Stand up for your rights.
20. Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.
21. When one door is closed, don’t you know, another is open.
22. Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.
23. Love the life you live, live the life you love.
24. Man is a universe within himself.
25. Get up, stand up, Don’t give up the fight.
26. I’ve been here before and will come again, but I’m not going this trip through.
27. It’s your own conscience that is gonna remind you; that it’s your heart and nobody else’s that is gonna judge.
28. Live for yourself and you will live in vain; live for others, and you will live again.
29. It take many a year, mon, and maybe some bloodshed must be, but righteousness someday prevail.
30. Overcome the devils with a thing called love.
31. Don’t gain the world and lose your soul. Wisdom is better than silver and gold.”
32. Light up the darkness.
33. Have no fear for atomic energy, ’cause none of them can stop the time.
34. Though the road’s been rocky, it sure feels good to me.
35. If something can corrupt you, you’re corrupted already.
36. Everything is political. I will never be a politician or even think political. Me just deal with life and nature. That is the greatest thing to me.
37. You say you love rain, but you use an umbrella to walk under it. You say you love sun, but you seek shelter when it is shining. You say you love wind, but when it comes you close your windows. So that's why I'm scared when you say you love me.
38. Me only have one ambition, y’know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together – black, white, Chinese, everyone – that’s all.
39. The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.
40. I don’t know how to live good. I only know how to suffer.
41. Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen.
42. In this great future, you can’t forget your past.
43. She may not be the most popular or prettiest but if you love her and she makes you smile… what else matters?
44. The winds that sometimes take something we love, are the same that bring us something we learn to love.
45. Every time I plant a seed, He say kill it before it grow, he say kill it before they grow.
46. The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
47. You entertain people who are satisfied. Hungry people can’t be entertained – or people who are afraid. You can’t entertain a man who has no food.
48. A hungry mob is an angry mob.
49. Wake up and live!
50. Don’t trust people whose feelings change with time. Trust people whose feelings remain the same, even when the time changes.
51. Don’t bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality.
52. The biggest coward of a man is to awaken the love of a woman without the intention of loving her.
53. If you get down and quarrel everyday, you’re saying prayers to the devil, I say.
54. One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
55. Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.
56. The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
57. Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I’m not perfect — and I don’t live to be — but before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean!
58. And don’t expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there.
59. Truth is the light
60. As a man sow, shall he reap. and I know that talk is cheap. But the heat of the battle is as sweet as the victory.
61. Don’t complicate your mind.
62. Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.
63. You just can’t live in that negative way….. make way for the positive day.
64. There will never be no love at all.
65. Some will hate you pretend they love you now then behind they try to eliminate you.
66. My future is righteousness.
67. Babylon is everywhere. You have wrong and you have right. Wrong is what we call Babylon, wrong things. That is what Babylon is to me. I could have born in England, I could have born in America, it make no difference where me born, because there is Babylon everywhere.
68. Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality.
69. Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections.
70. If she’s amazing, she won’t be easy. If she’s easy, she won’t be amazing. If she’s worth it, you won’t give up. If you give up, you’re not worthy.
71. Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but its everything in between that makes it all worth living.
72. Judge not unless you judge yourself.
73. You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.
74. You find strength in knowing that you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end.
75. Judge not, before you judge yourself.