Robert “Bob” Nesta Marley, the world’s most recognizable reggae singer, would have turned 72 Monday had his life not been cut short by cancer. Despite an abbreviated career, the man who was also known as “Tuff Gong” left an indelible mark on the world with his music and lyrics, which many times offered profound social commentary that has remained relevant for decades.
Even though Marley died nearly 40 years ago on May 11, 1981, his songs have created a legacy that is seemingly unrivaled by any other singer or musician when it comes to making political statements. He was only 36 when he succumbed to acral melanoma, a rare skin cancer that quickly spread to his lungs and brain.
The Nine Mile, Jamaica, native had at least 12 children who were mothered by nine different women, and that large family has since taken control of the singer’s estate that commands millions of dollars in revenue annually. Even in death, his net worth has been estimated at around $130 million. However, that figure could be much higher now considering his family’s efforts to brand and create products the Marley name.
Many of Marley’s songs have titles that sound like they could have been spawned out of today’s political and social climates, including such classics as: “Get Up, Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “So Much Trouble in the World,” “Redemption Song” and “Burnin’ & Lootin’.”
Marley’s advocacy of marijuana and his Rastafarian religion helped produce dozens of song lyrics that have stood the test of time.
“We got to fight the system, because God never made no difference between black, white, blue, pink or green. People is people, y’know. That’s the message we try to spread.”
“My father was a white and my mother was black. Them call me half-caste or whatever. Me don’t dip on nobody’s side. Me don’t dip on the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me dip on God’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.”
“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.”
“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.”
“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 you hands are clean!”
“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
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