What music comes to mind when you think of the Caribbean Sea, white sand on the beach, drinking coconut water straight out of the coconut, and the feeling that life is beautiful? That’s right, reggae, the music that absorbed the Jamaican sunshine. And once you mention reggae, the first name associated with it is, of course, Bob Marley.
A native of Jamaica, Bob Marley was one of the pioneers of reggae and is definitely the most recognizable name in the genre. But besides being an exceptionally talented musician who dedicated his career to promoting Jamaican culture in the world, Marley was also an outspoken activist and openly supported democratic social reforms. His songs often reflected his views on various issues.
Many Bob Marley quotes about life are very spiritual, calling for peace, harmony, and acceptance. And of course, like many prominent songwriters, he wrote a lot about the universal power of love. A lot of Bob Marley love quotes, as well as his quotes about women, come from his songs, but he also made sure to share his beliefs directly with his audience in interviews and public appearances.
One very famous Bob Marley quote is “Love the life you live, live the life you love.” Even though there are no direct records of him saying this, his song Place of Peace does contain similar lyrics. No matter how or where exactly he shared this thought, it is a great piece of advice we can all use to live our best lives.
#1
“When the root is strong, the fruit is sweet.”
#2
“Don’t trust people whose feelings change with time. Trust people whose feelings remain the same, even when the time changes.”
#3
“Love the life you live. Live the life you love.”
#4
“The biggest coward of a man is to awaken the love of a woman without the intention of loving her.”
#5
“Love would never leave us alone.”
#6
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”
#7
“Light up the darkness.”
#8
“Things will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
#9
“The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow.”
#10
“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters?”
#11
“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!”
#12
“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”
#13
“Every time I plant a seed, he says kill it before it grows, he says kill it before they grow.”
#14
“They told me that to make her fall in love I had to make her laugh. But every time she laughs I’m the one who falls in love.”
#15
“The problem is people are being hated, when they are real and are being loved when they are fake.”
#16
“Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights.”
#17
“Don’t let them change you… or even re-arrange you.”
#18
“You will never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”
#19
“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
#20
“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can.”
#21
“One love, one heart, one destiny.”
#22
“Don’t gain the world & lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold.”
#23
“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.”
#24
“Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.”
#25
“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?”
#26
“Overcome the devils with a thing called love.”
#27
“One love, one heart… let’s get together and feel all right.”
#28
“Your worst enemy could be your best friend & your best friend your worst enemy.”
#29
“Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections.”
#30
“Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living.”
#31
“The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.”
#32
“She may not be the most popular or prettiest but if you love her and she makes you smile… what else matters?”
#33
“Tell the children the truth.”
#34
“Until the end of the world, all whys will be answered, but now, you can only ask!”
#35
“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around.”
#36
“When you go up bring me up and when you go down don’t let me down.”
#37
“Reggae is my heart, reggae is my soul.”
#38
“The truth an offense, but not a sin.”
#39
“The power of philosophy floats through my head… light like a feather, heavy as lead.”
#40
“One lifetime is not enough to live.”
#41
“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.”
#42
“When love is real nobody can end it.”
#43
“Love is a key, that someone has to open your heart.”
#44
“My home is in my head.”
#45
“You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”
#46
“If something can corrupt you, you’re corrupted already.”
#47
“Truth is the light.”
#48
“The words of the songs, not the person, is what attracts people.”
#49
“Alcohol make you drunk, man. It don’t make you meditate, it just make you drunk.”
#50
“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”
#51
“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. Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for.”
#52
“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 into reality. Wake up and live!”
#53
“The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow.”
#54
“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.”
#55
“The winds that sometimes take something we love, are the same that bring us something we learn to love. Therefore we should not cry about something that was taken from us, but, yes, love what we have been given. Because what is really ours is never gone forever.”
#56
“Wake up and live.”
#57
“Judge not unless you judge yourself.”
#58
“The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?”
#59
“Though the road’s been rocky it sure feels good to me.”
#60
“When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.”
#61
“My feet is my only carriage.”
#62
“My music will go on forever. Maybe it’s a fool to say that, but when I know facts I can say facts. My music will go on forever.”
#63
“It’s your own conscience. That is gonna remind you, that it’s your heart and nobody else’s. That is gonna judge.”
#64
“You can’t find the right roads when the streets are paved.”
#65
“I only have one ambition. 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.”
#66
“In this bright future you can’t forget your past.”
#67
“There will never be no love at all.”
#68
“Life and Jah are one and the same. Jah is the gift of existence. I am in some way eternal, I will never be duplicated. The singularity of every man and woman is Jah’s gift. What we struggle to make of it is our sole gift to Jah. The process of what that struggle becomes, in time, the truth.”
#69
“Don’t forget your history nor your destiny.”
#70
“Judge not before you judge yourself. Judge not if you’re not ready for judgment.”
#71
“Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”
#72
“I went deep inside myself. I had time to explore my beliefs and because of that I’m stronger.”
#73
“In high seas or in low seas, I’m gonna be your friend… I’m gonna be your friend. In high tide or in low tide, I’ll be by your side… I’ll be by your side.”
#74
“I wish we were all hippies and did yoga, lived in cottages, accepted everyone for who they are and listened to wonderful music.”
#75
“Well, what we know
Is not what they tell us
We’re not ignorant, I mean it,
And they just cannot touch us
Through the powers of the Most-High
We keep on surfacin’
Thru the powers of the Most-High
We keep on survivin’.”
#76
“We don’t have education, we have inspiration; if I was educated I would be a damn fool.”
#77
“They will always tell you that you can’t do what you want to do, but you can do what you want to do. You just have to believe in yourself. The system is to bring you down, but you can rise up.”
#78
“Yeah I see myself as a revolutionary, wouldn’t want any help and imma take no bribe from no one and fight it single-handed with music.”
#79
“The beauty of love. The love of beauty. The greener you are, the wiser you will be.”
#80
“Have no fear for atomic energy ’cause none of them can stop the time.”
#81
“Never expect God to do for you what you don’t do to others.”
#82
“When the words not enough to describe how much you love.”
#83
“Only a foolish dog barks at a flying bird.”
#84
“Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!”
#85
“No, woman, no cry.”
#86
“How many rivers do we have to cross, before we can talk to the boss?”
#87
“You find, that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you.”
#88
“They say life is a stream, that will find its’ course.”
#89
“It is better to live on the housetop than live in a house full of confusion.”
#90
“Let righteousness cover the earth, like the water covers the sea.”
#91
“Never expect God to do for you what you don’t do for others.”
#92
“What important is man should live in righteousness, in natural love for mankind.”
#93
“Hey mister music, sure sounds good to me I can’t refuse it what to be got to be.”
#94
“Your life is worth much more than gold.”
#95
“The devil ain’t got no power over me.”
#96
“Me dip on God’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.”
#97
“You not supposed to feel down over whatever happens to you. I mean, you’re supposed to use whatever happens to you as some type of upper, not a downer.”
#98
“Keep calm and chive on.”
#99
“In the abundance of water, a fool is thirsty.”
#100
“If puss and dog can get together, why can’t we love one another?”
#101
“Everything is political. I will never be a politician or even think political. I just deal with life and nature. That is the greatest thing to me.”
#102
“The heat of the battle is as sweet as the victory.”
#103
“I don’t believe in death, neither in flesh nor in spirit.”
#104
“You say you love rain, but you use an umbrella to walk under it. You say you love the 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.”
#105
“Live for yourself and you will live in vain. Live for others, and you will live again.”
#106
“Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.”
#107
“Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen.”
#108
“Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.”
#109
“Some will hate you pretend they love you now then behind they try to eliminate you.”
#110
“When the race gets hard to run. It means you just can’t take the peace.”
#111
“Man is a universe within himself.”
#112
“My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die.”
#113
“Money can’t buy you life.”
#114
“My future is righteousness.”
#115
“Tell me what you think it means.”
#116
“I’ve been here before and will come again, but I’m not going this trip through.”
#117
“Most people think a great God will come from the skies, take away everything, and make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth.”
#118
“Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.”
#119
“So if you are the big tree, we are the small axe. Ready to cut you down, to cut you down.”
#120
“Only once in your life.”
#121
“The fittest of the fittest shall survive!”
#122
“Sayin’ give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right. Sayin’, let’s get together and feel all right… there ain’t no hiding place from the Father of Creation.”
#123
“And no matter what game they play, we got something they can never take away.”
#124
“They gave me star treatment, because I was making a lot of money. But I was just as good when I was poor.”
#125
“Hate never sleeps, so neither can love!”
#126
“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more.”
#127
“When one door is closed, don’t you know that many more are open.”
#128
“You just can’t live that negative way. You know what I mean. Make way for the positive day. Cause it’s a new day…”
#129
“The most beautiful curve on a woman’s body is her smile.”
#130
“Trees should be trees.”
#131
“Until the end of the world, all whys will be answered, but now, you can only ask!”
#132
“Everything has become so synthetic that a lot of people, all they want is to grasp onto hope.”
#133
“Prejudice is a chain, it can hold you. If you prejudice, you can’t move, you keep prejudice for years. Never get nowhere with that.”
#134
“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.”
#135
“And what has been hidden from the wise and the prudent been revealed in the mouth of the toddlers.”
#136
“We JAH people can make it work.”
#137
“Man can’t do without God. Just like you’re thirsty, you have to drink water. You just can’t go without God.”
#138
“The harder the battle the sweet of Jah victory.”
#139
“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.”
#140
“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.”
#141
“I don’t know how to live good. I only know how to suffer.”
#142
“A hungry mob is an angry mob.”
#143
“You have to be someone.”
#144
“Herb is the unification of mankind.”
#145
“If you get down and you quarrel every day, you’re saying praises to the devil, I say.”
#146
“Bob Marley isn’t my name. I don’t even know my name yet.”
#147
“The stone that the builder refused shall be the head corner stone.”
#148
“Lively up yourself.”
#149
“I wish money didn’t make us who we are. I just wish we could redo society.”
#150
“I don’t have any.”
#151
“One love.”
#152
“Won’t you help to sing these songs of freedom?”
#153
“You open your heart knowing, that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible.”
#154
“I have a BMW. But only because BMW stands for and The Wailers, and not because I need an expensive car.”
#155
“Rastafari is not a culture, it’s a reality.”
#156
“Two thousand years of history Black History could not be wiped away so easily.”
#157
“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.”
#158
“I don’t stand for black man’s side, I don’t stand for white man’s side, I stand for God’s side.”
#159
“You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”
#160
“Still, I’ll be laughing like a clown.”
#161
“It takes many a year, mon, and maybe some bloodshed must be, but righteousness someday prevails.”
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