176 Bob Marley Quotes: Best Lines on Love, Freedom & Life

This collection gathers 176 bob marley quotes with honest attributions. Lines come from his songs (marked with the song title as lyric excerpts), his interviews, and his reported last words. A few widely-circulating lines with no confirmable primary source are clearly marked as attributed — everything else is documented.

Bob Marley Quotes on Music and Art

From his first single in 1964 to the anthems that still fill stadiums, Bob Marley spoke about music as a mission — not entertainment, but a message.

1. Punky reggae party. — Bob Marley (“Punky Reggae Party” (1977), lyric excerpt)
2. My music will go on forever. Maybe it’s a fool say that, but when me know facts me can say facts. My music will go on forever. — Bob Marley (Interview)
3. My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
4. Play I some music, this a reggae music. — Bob Marley (“Roots, Rock, Reggae” (1976), lyric excerpt)
5. Please don’t you rock my boat, ’cause I don’t want my boat to be rockin’. — Bob Marley (“Satisfy My Soul” (1978), lyric excerpt)
6. Lively up yourself and don’t be no drag. — Bob Marley (“Lively Up Yourself” (1974), lyric excerpt)
7. You rock so, you rock so, like you never did before. — Bob Marley (“Lively Up Yourself” (1974), lyric excerpt)
8. We’re jamming, and I hope you like jamming too. — Bob Marley (“Jamming” (1977), lyric excerpt)
9. I wanna jam it with you. — Bob Marley (“Jamming” (1977), lyric excerpt)
10. No bullet can stop us now, we neither beg nor will we bow. — Bob Marley (“Jamming” (1977), lyric excerpt)
11. Kinky reggae, I said kinky reggae. — Bob Marley (“Kinky Reggae” (1973), lyric excerpt)
12. Stir it up, little darling, stir it up. — Bob Marley (“Stir It Up” (1973), lyric excerpt)
13. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve got you on my mind. — Bob Marley (“Stir It Up” (1973), lyric excerpt)
14. I’ll push the wood, then I blaze your fire. — Bob Marley (“Stir It Up” (1973), lyric excerpt)
15. Soul rebel. — Bob Marley (“Soul Rebel” (1970), lyric excerpt)
16. I’m a rebel, soul rebel. — Bob Marley (“Soul Rebel” (1970), lyric excerpt)
17. See them fighting for power, but they know not the hour. — Bob Marley (“Soul Rebel” (1970), lyric excerpt)
18. Duppy conqueror, conqueror. — Bob Marley (“Duppy Conqueror” (1970), lyric excerpt)
19. If you are the big tree, we are the small axe, ready to cut you down. — Bob Marley (“Small Axe” (1970), lyric excerpt)
20. Why boasteth thyself, oh evil men, playing smart and not being clever? — Bob Marley (“Small Axe” (1970), lyric excerpt)
21. Judge not, before you judge yourself. — Bob Marley (“Judge Not” (1961), lyric excerpt)
22. Judge not, and you’re not judged. — Bob Marley (“Judge Not” (1961), lyric excerpt)
23. Concrete jungle. — Bob Marley (“Concrete Jungle” (1973), lyric excerpt)
24. No sun will shine in my day today. — Bob Marley (“Concrete Jungle” (1973), lyric excerpt)
25. The high yellow moon is coming up. — Bob Marley (“Concrete Jungle” (1973), lyric excerpt)
26. Darkness has covered my light. — Bob Marley (“Concrete Jungle” (1973), lyric excerpt)
27. No chains around my feet, but I’m not free. — Bob Marley (“Concrete Jungle” (1973), lyric excerpt)
28. 400 years, 400 years. — Bob Marley (“400 Years” (1973), lyric excerpt)
29. Stop that train, I’m leaving. — Bob Marley (“Stop That Train” (1973), lyric excerpt)
30. All my good life I’ve been a lonely man. — Bob Marley (“Stop That Train” (1973), lyric excerpt)
31. We’re the midnight ravers. — Bob Marley (“Midnight Ravers” (1973), lyric excerpt)
32. Cold ground was my bed last night, and rock was my pillow too. — Bob Marley (“Talkin’ Blues” (1974), lyric excerpt)
33. Bend down low, let me tell you what I know now. — Bob Marley (“Bend Down Low” (1974), lyric excerpt)
34. Why can’t we roam this open country? Oh, why can’t we be what we want to be? — Bob Marley (“Rebel Music” (1974), lyric excerpt)
35. 3 o’clock roadblock, curfew’s in effect. — Bob Marley (“Rebel Music” (1974), lyric excerpt)
36. Revolution, oh revolution, I and I hope to see the day. — Bob Marley (“Revolution” (1974), lyric excerpt)
37. Ride natty, ride, go deh, dread, go deh. — Bob Marley (“Ride Natty Ride” (1979), lyric excerpt)
38. So Jah seh, not one of my seeds shall sit in the sidewalk and beg bread. — Bob Marley (“So Jah Seh” (1974), lyric excerpt)
39. Jah live, children, yeah, Jah live. — Bob Marley (“Jah Live” (1974), lyric excerpt)
40. Them crazy, them crazy, chase those crazy baldheads out of town. — Bob Marley (“Crazy Baldhead” (1976), lyric excerpt)

Bob Marley Quotes on Love and Unity

One love was more than a song title. These are his words on love between people and the unity of all mankind.

1. 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. — Bob Marley (Interview)
2. I don’t stand for the black man’s side, I don’t stand for the white man’s side. I stand for God’s side. — Bob Marley (Interview)
3. Love the life you live. Live the life you love. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
4. One love, one heart: let’s get together and feel all right. — Bob Marley (“One Love” (1977), lyric excerpt)
5. Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right. — Bob Marley (“One Love” (1977), lyric excerpt)
6. As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end. — Bob Marley (“One Love” (1977), lyric excerpt)
7. Is this love, is this love, is this love that I’m feeling? — Bob Marley (“Is This Love” (1978), lyric excerpt)
8. I wanna love you and treat you right; I wanna love you every day and every night. — Bob Marley (“Is This Love” (1978), lyric excerpt)
9. We’ll be together, with a roof right over our heads. — Bob Marley (“Is This Love” (1978), lyric excerpt)
10. No, woman, no cry. — Bob Marley (“No Woman, No Cry” (1974), lyric excerpt)
11. Said, said, said: I remember when we used to sit in the government yard in Trenchtown. — Bob Marley (“No Woman, No Cry” (1974), lyric excerpt)
12. Observing the hypocrites as they would mingle with the good people we meet. — Bob Marley (“No Woman, No Cry” (1974), lyric excerpt)
13. Good friends we have, oh, good friends we’ve lost along the way. — Bob Marley (“No Woman, No Cry” (1974), lyric excerpt)
14. In this bright future, you can’t forget your past. — Bob Marley (“No Woman, No Cry” (1974), lyric excerpt)
15. Could you be loved and be loved? — Bob Marley (“Could You Be Loved” (1980), lyric excerpt)
16. Don’t let them change ya, oh, or even rearrange ya. — Bob Marley (“Could You Be Loved” (1980), lyric excerpt)
17. Don’t let them fool ya, or even try to school ya. — Bob Marley (“Could You Be Loved” (1980), lyric excerpt)
18. The road of life is rocky, and you may stumble too. — Bob Marley (“Could You Be Loved” (1980), lyric excerpt)
19. Love would never leave us alone. — Bob Marley (“Could You Be Loved” (1980), lyric excerpt)
20. Turn your lights down low and pull your window curtains. — Bob Marley (“Turn Your Lights Down Low” (1977), lyric excerpt)
21. Oh, yeah, let love come shining in. — Bob Marley (“Turn Your Lights Down Low” (1977), lyric excerpt)
22. I don’t wanna wait in vain for your love. — Bob Marley (“Waiting in Vain” (1976), lyric excerpt)
23. It’s been three years since I’m knocking on your door. — Bob Marley (“Waiting in Vain” (1976), lyric excerpt)
24. Sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah. — Bob Marley (“Sun Is Shining” (1971), lyric excerpt)
25. Make me wanna move my dancing feet. — Bob Marley (“Sun Is Shining” (1971), lyric excerpt)
26. To the rescue, here I am. — Bob Marley (“Sun Is Shining” (1971), lyric excerpt)
27. 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. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
28. The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
29. Live for yourself and you will live in vain; live for others, and you will live again. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
30. Africa unite, ’cause we’re moving right out of Babylon. — Bob Marley (“Africa Unite” (1979), lyric excerpt)
31. How good and how pleasant it would be before God and man to see the unification of all Africans. — Bob Marley (“Africa Unite” (1979), lyric excerpt)
32. Pimper’s paradise, that’s what she was. — Bob Marley (“Pimper’s Paradise” (1980), lyric excerpt)
33. Every need got an ego to feed. — Bob Marley (“Pimper’s Paradise” (1980), lyric excerpt)
34. She love to party, have a good time. — Bob Marley (“Pimper’s Paradise” (1980), lyric excerpt)
35. We’re coming in from the cold. — Bob Marley (“Coming in From the Cold” (1980), lyric excerpt)
36. Forever loving Jah, forever loving Jah. — Bob Marley (“Forever Loving Jah” (1980), lyric excerpt)
37. In high seas or in low seas, I’m gonna be your friend. — Bob Marley (“High Tide or Low Tide” (1973), lyric excerpt)
38. Rise up this mornin’, smiled with the risin’ sun. — Bob Marley (“Three Little Birds” (1977), lyric excerpt)
39. Three little birds, sat on my doorstep, singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true. — Bob Marley (“Three Little Birds” (1977), lyric excerpt)
40. Don’t forget your history, know your destiny. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)

Bob Marley Quotes on Freedom and Justice

From “Get Up, Stand Up” to “Redemption Song,” Marley gave the struggle for freedom its soundtrack. These lines carry that fire.

1. Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights. — Bob Marley (“Get Up, Stand Up” (1973), lyric excerpt)
2. Don’t give up the fight. — Bob Marley (“Get Up, Stand Up” (1973), lyric excerpt)
3. Most people think great God will come from the sky, take away everything, and make everybody feel high. — Bob Marley (“Get Up, Stand Up” (1973), lyric excerpt)
4. We’re sick and tired of your ism-schism game. — Bob Marley (“Get Up, Stand Up” (1973), lyric excerpt)
5. Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
6. Old pirates, yes, they rob I. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
7. Sold I to the merchant ships. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
8. Minutes after they took I from the bottomless pit. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
9. But my hand was made strong by the hand of the Almighty. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
10. We forward in this generation triumphantly. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
11. Won’t you help to sing these songs of freedom? — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
12. ‘Cause all I ever have: redemption songs. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
13. Have no fear for atomic energy, ’cause none of them can stop the time. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
14. How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look? — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
15. Some say it’s just a part of it: we’ve got to fulfill the Book. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
16. Redemption songs. — Bob Marley (“Redemption Song” (1979), lyric excerpt)
17. Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally discredited, everywhere is war. — Bob Marley (“War” (1976), lyric excerpt)
18. Until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes. — Bob Marley (“War” (1976), lyric excerpt)
19. Until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, there is war. — Bob Marley (“War” (1976), lyric excerpt)
20. That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation, there is war. — Bob Marley (“War” (1976), lyric excerpt)
21. We Africans will fight, we find it necessary. — Bob Marley (“War” (1976), lyric excerpt)
22. And we know we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil. — Bob Marley (“War” (1976), lyric excerpt)
23. In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty. — Bob Marley (“Rat Race” (1976), lyric excerpt)
24. Rat race, rat race. — Bob Marley (“Rat Race” (1976), lyric excerpt)
25. When you think is peace and safety, a sudden destruction. — Bob Marley (“Rat Race” (1976), lyric excerpt)
26. Who the cap fit, let them wear it. — Bob Marley (“Who the Cap Fit” (1976), lyric excerpt)
27. Some will hate you, pretend they love you now, then behind they try to eliminate you. — Bob Marley (“Who the Cap Fit” (1976), lyric excerpt)
28. I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy. — Bob Marley (“I Shot the Sheriff” (1973), lyric excerpt)
29. All around in my home town, they’re trying to track me down. — Bob Marley (“I Shot the Sheriff” (1973), lyric excerpt)
30. Freedom came my way one day and I started out of town. — Bob Marley (“I Shot the Sheriff” (1973), lyric excerpt)
31. Them belly full, but we hungry. — Bob Marley (“Them Belly Full” (1974), lyric excerpt)
32. A hungry mob is an angry mob. — Bob Marley (“Them Belly Full” (1974), lyric excerpt)
33. A rain a-fall, but the dirt, it tough. — Bob Marley (“Them Belly Full” (1974), lyric excerpt)
34. Cost of living gets so high, rich and poor, they start to cry. — Bob Marley (“Them Belly Full” (1974), lyric excerpt)
35. Burnin’ and a-lootin’ tonight. — Bob Marley (“Burnin’ and Lootin'” (1973), lyric excerpt)
36. This morning I woke up in a curfew. — Bob Marley (“Burnin’ and Lootin'” (1973), lyric excerpt)
37. How many rivers do we have to cross before we can talk to the boss? — Bob Marley (“Burnin’ and Lootin'” (1973), lyric excerpt)
38. Babylon system is the vampire, falling empire. — Bob Marley (“Babylon System” (1979), lyric excerpt)
39. We’ve been trodding on the winepress much too long. — Bob Marley (“Babylon System” (1979), lyric excerpt)
40. Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)

Bob Marley Quotes on Life and Wisdom

In interviews and lyrics alike, Marley returned to the same questions: what is a good life, and what is it worth?

1. 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. — Bob Marley (Interview)
2. Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold. — Bob Marley (Interview)
3. Money can’t buy life. — Bob Marley (Reported last words)
4. Possession make you rich? I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is life. — Bob Marley (Interview)
5. Rasta don’t work for no CIA. — Bob Marley (Interview)
6. Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction. — Bob Marley (Interview)
7. When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself. — Bob Marley (Interview)
8. If something can corrupt you, you’re corrupted already. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
9. Don’t bury your thoughts; put your vision to reality. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
10. The winds that sometimes take something we love, are the same that bring us something we learn to love. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
11. Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
12. Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
13. The day you stop racing is the day you win the race. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
14. The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I? — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
15. Tell the children the truth. — Attributed to Bob Marley (Widely circulated, no primary source found)
16. Open your eyes and look within: are you satisfied with the life you’re living? — Bob Marley (“Exodus” (1977), lyric excerpt)
17. We know where we’re going; we know where we’re from. — Bob Marley (“Exodus” (1977), lyric excerpt)
18. We’re leaving Babylon, we’re going to our Father’s land. — Bob Marley (“Exodus” (1977), lyric excerpt)
19. Movement of Jah people. — Bob Marley (“Exodus” (1977), lyric excerpt)
20. Life is one big road with lots of signs. — Bob Marley (“Wake Up and Live” (1979), lyric excerpt)
21. One bright morning when my work is over, man will fly away home. — Bob Marley (“Wake Up and Live” (1979), lyric excerpt)
22. Preacherman, don’t tell me heaven is under the earth. — Bob Marley (“Wake Up and Live” (1979), lyric excerpt)
23. Wake up and live, y’all, wake up and live. — Bob Marley (“Wake Up and Live” (1979), lyric excerpt)
24. Live if you want to live. — Bob Marley (“Positive Vibration” (1976), lyric excerpt)
25. If you get down and you quarrel every day, you’re saying prayers to the devil, I say. — Bob Marley (“Positive Vibration” (1976), lyric excerpt)
26. They say the sun shines for all, but in some people’s world it never shines at all. — Bob Marley (“Crisis” (1978), lyric excerpt)
27. Woman hold her head and cry, ’cause her son had been shot down in the street and died. — Bob Marley (“Johnny Was” (1976), lyric excerpt)
28. Rise up fallen fighters, rise and take your stance again. — Bob Marley (“The Heathen” (1977), lyric excerpt)
29. As a man sow, shall he reap. — Bob Marley (“The Heathen” (1977), lyric excerpt)
30. The heathen back deh ‘pon the wall. — Bob Marley (“The Heathen” (1977), lyric excerpt)
31. So much things to say, right now, right now. — Bob Marley (“So Much Things to Say” (1977), lyric excerpt)
32. Zimbabwe, soon we’ll find out who is the real revolutionary. — Bob Marley (“Zimbabwe” (1979), lyric excerpt)
33. Every man got a right to decide his own destiny. — Bob Marley (“Zimbabwe” (1979), lyric excerpt)
34. We no know how we and dem a-go work it out. — Bob Marley (“We and Dem” (1979), lyric excerpt)
35. Jah would never give the power to a baldhead. — Bob Marley (“Time Will Tell” (1978), lyric excerpt)
36. Run come crucify the dread. — Bob Marley (“Time Will Tell” (1978), lyric excerpt)
37. Ambush in the night. — Bob Marley (“Ambush in the Night” (1979), lyric excerpt)
38. Dready got a job to do, and he’s got to fulfill that mission. — Bob Marley (“Ride Natty Ride” (1979), lyric excerpt)

Bob Marley Quotes on Peace and Positivity

Even singing about Babylon, Marley radiated hope. These are his most uplifting lines — the positive vibration.

1. Positive vibration, yeah, positive. — Bob Marley (“Positive Vibration” (1976), lyric excerpt)
2. I’m gonna be iron like a lion in Zion. — Bob Marley (“Iron Lion Zion” (1992), lyric excerpt)
3. Zion train is coming our way. — Bob Marley (“Zion Train” (1980), lyric excerpt)
4. Bless my eyes this morning, Jah sun is on the rise. — Bob Marley (“So Much Trouble in the World” (1979), lyric excerpt)
5. Running away. — Bob Marley (“Running Away” (1978), lyric excerpt)
6. Ya running and ya running and ya running away. — Bob Marley (“Running Away” (1978), lyric excerpt)
7. You must have done something wrong, said you must have done something wrong. — Bob Marley (“Running Away” (1978), lyric excerpt)
8. Buffalo soldier, dreadlock rasta. — Bob Marley (“Buffalo Soldier” (1983), lyric excerpt)
9. Stolen from Africa, brought to America. — Bob Marley (“Buffalo Soldier” (1983), lyric excerpt)
10. Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival. — Bob Marley (“Buffalo Soldier” (1983), lyric excerpt)
11. If you know your history, then you would know where you’re coming from. — Bob Marley (“Buffalo Soldier” (1983), lyric excerpt)
12. Give thanks and praises to the Most High. — Bob Marley (“Give Thanks and Praises” (1983), lyric excerpt)
13. Rastaman live up, bongoman don’t give up. — Bob Marley (“Rastaman Live Up” (1983), lyric excerpt)
14. Is there a place for the hopeless sinner, who has hurt all mankind just to save his own beliefs? — Bob Marley (“One Love” (1977), lyric excerpt)
15. Jah sitteth in Mount Zion and rules all creation. — Bob Marley (“Jamming” (1977), lyric excerpt)
16. I don’t believe in death, neither in flesh nor in spirit. — Bob Marley (Interview)
17. Chant down Babylon. — Bob Marley (“Chant Down Babylon” (1983), lyric excerpt)
18. Simmer down, simmer down, control your temper. — Bob Marley (“Simmer Down” (1964), lyric excerpt)

FAQs About Bob Marley Quotes

What is Bob Marley’s most famous quote?

His most quoted line is “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain,” followed by the “Redemption Song” call to emancipate yourselves from mental slavery and the “Three Little Birds” reassurance that every little thing gonna be all right — all included above with their sources.

Did Bob Marley really say “Love the life you live”?

The line “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” circulates widely under his name but no primary source has been confirmed, so in this collection it is clearly marked as attributed rather than presented as a definite quote.

What were Bob Marley’s last words?

His reported last words, spoken to his son Ziggy, were “Money can’t buy life.” They are included above as reported rather than verified.

Are Bob Marley song lyrics included here?

Yes — short excerpts under 20 words from songs like “One Love,” “Redemption Song,” “Is This Love” and “Three Little Birds,” each labeled with the song title and year.

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Learn more about his life and music: Bob Marley on Wikipedia.