Marley Quotes
Bob Marley: [historical footage]My father is a white and my mother black. Now them call me half-caste or whatever. Well, me don't deh pon nobody's side. Me don't deh pon the black man's side nor the white man's side. But, upon God's side, the man who create me, who cause me to come from black and white.
Movie: Marley
Ghana Tour Guide: [First lines]This is the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, West Africa. Where enslaved Africans were shipped to the Caribbean, to North America, and other places in the world. From this castle, on the average, 10,000 enslaved Africans were shipped year by year. Altogether about 60 million Africans were enslaved. Whoever went through the door had no chance of coming back. That is why the door got the name the Door of No Return.
Movie: Marley
Interviewer: [historical footage]How did it all start? Has music always been a part of your life, from when you were a little boy?
Bob Marley: Yeah. Growing up in a musical family, grandfather, mother, uncle, sister, picky, everything.
Interviewer: What part of Jamaica?
Bob Marley: St. Ann's, you know, it's in the country, a little place in the hills, you know.
Bob Marley: Yeah. Growing up in a musical family, grandfather, mother, uncle, sister, picky, everything.
Interviewer: What part of Jamaica?
Bob Marley: St. Ann's, you know, it's in the country, a little place in the hills, you know.
Movie: Marley
Cedella Marley Booker, Mother: Bob liked to ride a donkey and, you know, go to the fields with Mary's Grandfather and things like that; because, he's a country boy, you know.
Movie: Marley
Bob Marley: [historical footage]Well in Trench Town now you find all talent in Jamaica come from Trench Town. And it's a place where they used to take the slaves there, you know. So, it carry a heavy vibration.
Movie: Marley
Jimmy Cliff: I noticed his use of words - in songs. 'Judge Not' was a revolutionary song, defending his rights, as a individual. It occurred to me, wow, this guy's really a good poet.
Movie: Marley
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: He realizes that a group would be maybe the appropriate thing, other than the individual solo artist. We used to listen to groups like Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, The Drifters, The Platters. So, there was a recruitment process taking place. Myself and Robert started to put a group together. And then, here comes this tall, dark, I dare will say, handsome dude named Peter. And he has this guitar knowledge. And from Robbie, you hear Robbie say, Play guitar? You see, Russ. So, he give him the guitar right away. So, it's four strings still; but, Peter tune the four string - and its just like that.
Movie: Marley
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: We used to call ourselves, Juveniles. Brothers of the ghetto, where we used to go to rehearse, say, you come from a wailing environment where people always bawling... you should be named The Wailers.
Movie: Marley
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: Simmer Down went straight into the number one position. And The Wailers - were launched.
Movie: Marley
Bob Andy, Studio 1: Whereas much as there was this obvious love and admiration for each other and about each other, there was always a deep underlying tension that none would be a 'Yes' man to the other. I think the music was the glue that held them together.
Movie: Marley
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: And then, Coxsone, Studio 1, Duke Reid, Trojan and Prince Buster decide to form an organization called: The Big Tree. Then, The Wailers pulled the axe. [singing]
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: If you are a Big Tree, We are the small axe, Sharpened to cut you down, Well sharp, To cut you down...
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: If you are a Big Tree, We are the small axe, Sharpened to cut you down, Well sharp, To cut you down...
Movie: Marley
Lee 'Scratch' Perry: I and I love Bob so much it's a shame. Him is a part of me. That's why him come to like me. And me is a part of him.
Interviewer: Why do people like his music so much though?
Lee 'Scratch' Perry: Because of the story him tell and how him tell it. Pitiful. Tell it that you have to believe it. He was a very blessed soul and a very blessed spirit. But was out of control, don't know what side to go on, what to do, what. And was looking for somebody to guide him. He say he want to work with me. I say, You sure? Him say, Yes. Well, if you want to work with me you have to do what me say. The vision I have is Jah. Jah Rastafari. Ska music was to dance. Drink beer and dance. It wasn't spiritual music.
Interviewer: Why do people like his music so much though?
Lee 'Scratch' Perry: Because of the story him tell and how him tell it. Pitiful. Tell it that you have to believe it. He was a very blessed soul and a very blessed spirit. But was out of control, don't know what side to go on, what to do, what. And was looking for somebody to guide him. He say he want to work with me. I say, You sure? Him say, Yes. Well, if you want to work with me you have to do what me say. The vision I have is Jah. Jah Rastafari. Ska music was to dance. Drink beer and dance. It wasn't spiritual music.
Movie: Marley
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: It is mentioned out in the Bible, that there shall be a music, that all people of all global concerns shall play and dance and sing this music. Its in the Revelation. What other music could that be? Reggae.
Movie: Marley
Carlton 'Santa' Davis: What really changed it to reggae was the riff, actual with the guitar. It was just basically a rhythm change, in terms of what the guitar, the guitar used to play like: chuck, chuck, chuck. And then it started playing: chuck-up, chuck-up, chuck-up, chuck-up... Sometimes some of these things happen out of just, maybe, an accident. Somebody was doing something and the Producer went, Hey, I like that!
Movie: Marley
Bob Andy, Studio 1: Brought a piece of equipment from the United States. And it was in the studio for a long time and no one knew what to do with it. They decided to hook it up. And when it was hooked up we read that it was a tape delay. So, when you make one strum, it comes back at you at the same time. Chi-chi. And the other studios use: chi, chi. And thought it was the guitar making more sounds. So, reggae, in my mind, actually developed out of an illusion.
Movie: Marley
Neville 'Bunny' Livingston: The beats are bom, bom, bom, bom. With reggae, you got three beats out of four beats and you imagine the next beat. Feel the next beat. That's reggae. Feel. Heartbeat. Feel... Chi-bom-chi, Chi-bom-chi, Chi-bom-chi, Chi-bom-chi, Yeah! Heartbeat. Real deal.
Movie: Marley
Aston 'Family Man' Barrett: The basic parts for the music were drum and and the bass. Because, you know, drums are the first instruments in music. So, the drum is the off-beat and the bass it is the backbone.
Movie: Marley
Aston 'Family Man' Barrett: Reggae is a concept of all different types of music. It has funk. It has rhythm and blues. It has soul. And it very jazzy when its reggae.
Movie: Marley
Ziggy Marley: For us, as his children, he wasn't like a lovie dovie Daddy. You know, a Daddy who would, you know, Oh, be careful, son. [laughs]
Ziggy Marley: He was a rough man. He was rough, you know, rough. Rough. Rough.
Ziggy Marley: He was a rough man. He was rough, you know, rough. Rough. Rough.
Movie: Marley
Bob Marley: [historical footage]You see, I personally know my heart can be as hard as a stone and yet soft as water.
Movie: Marley
Cedella Marley, Daughter: We were always like active. You know, we were on the beach. We're running. We're racing each other. It was always about racing - to see who could beat him.
Movie: Marley
Cedella Marley, Daughter: Nobody wanted their children around - us. [laughs]
Cedella Marley, Daughter: Nasty. Drug heads. All your parents do is smoke weed and play music and therefore my kid cannot play with you. So, it wasn't a positive thing. I would have friends who like, basically, if they wanted to sleep over, they would have to tell their parents they're sleeping somewhere else. He said, You don't need friends. You have your brothers and your sisters and that's all you need. Don't ever think you need friends.
Cedella Marley, Daughter: Nasty. Drug heads. All your parents do is smoke weed and play music and therefore my kid cannot play with you. So, it wasn't a positive thing. I would have friends who like, basically, if they wanted to sleep over, they would have to tell their parents they're sleeping somewhere else. He said, You don't need friends. You have your brothers and your sisters and that's all you need. Don't ever think you need friends.
Movie: Marley
Neville Garrick: In everything that Bob does - very competitive. So, you know, everything he give with 110.
Movie: Marley
Desi Smith: He just didn't play for the fun of it. It was part of the process, you know. Before he writes a song, he burn a spliff, then you go run so you can lively up yourself and then you get more inspired.
Movie: Marley
Bob Marley: [historical recording]You see, I can't deal with the Western ways of life. If I must live by law, it must be the laws of His Majesty. If it's not the laws of His Majesty, then I can make my own law.
Movie: Marley
Interviewer: How did you cope through all the years that you were married together and Bob was having these relationships with other women?
Rita Marley: I became his guardian angel. [laughs]
Rita Marley: By that time I was past the surface of being just a wife. Because of the importance of who I knew Bob is. I didn't see it as a fun trip. We were on a mission and it was like an evangelist campaign to bring people closer to Jah.
Rita Marley: I became his guardian angel. [laughs]
Rita Marley: By that time I was past the surface of being just a wife. Because of the importance of who I knew Bob is. I didn't see it as a fun trip. We were on a mission and it was like an evangelist campaign to bring people closer to Jah.
Movie: Marley
Bob Marley: [historical recording]When you have political violence, the youth fighting against the youth, for the politicians, then I really feel sick. See, I find none of them really do anything good for the people. It's divide and rule.
Movie: Marley
Bob Marley: [historical recording]Election? You know what I mean, whoever wins it's going to be the same problem.
Movie: Marley