Bob Marley quotes
1945 – 1981 · Jamaica, 20th century · singer‑songwriter and guitarist, bandleader
About Bob Marley
Born Robert Nesta Marley in Nine Mile, Saint Ann (6 February 1945), he moved to Kingston, formed the Wailers and helped transform ska and rocksteady into roots reggae. Rising to international prominence in the 1970s, he died in Miami on 11 May 1981. His music engaged Rastafari, Pan‑African and anti‑colonial themes.
Works: The Wailing Wailers; Catch a Fire; Exodus; Uprising
Quotes
“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.”
Source: Redemption Song, Uprising (1980) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The line appears in Bob Marley’s song “Redemption Song” (Uprising, 1980); its core wording closely paraphrases Marcus Garvey's 1937 speech.
- What remains uncertain
- The commonly recorded lyric is singular ('yourself'); the plural form is a frequent variant. Marley adapted Garvey's formulation, but the exact route of influence is not fully documented.
This line compresses personal and political freedom into a single demand: sung by Bob Marley in “Redemption Song” (1980), it urges inner liberation as the necessary complement to ending physical oppression. The phrase echoes Marcus Garvey, blending Rastafarian spirituality with Pan‑African protest.