151 Bob Marley Quotes on Love, Life, Peace, and Happiness

Bob Marley, born in Jamaica in 1945, started his musical journey in Trench Town, forming a group called The Wailers with his friends.

Despite leaving school at 14 and suffering a serious work accident, Marley channeled his experiences into his songs, leading to local recognition.

After various name changes and member adjustments, the group achieved success with tracks like “Simmer Down”.

Marley’s music and personal philosophy were heavily influenced by his Rastafari faith.

He married Rita Anderson in 1966 and moved briefly to the U.S. before returning to Jamaica to continue his music career.

Following some members’ departure in 1975, the band was renamed Bob Marley & The Wailers, releasing popular albums like “Rastaman Vibrations”.

Related: Tupac Shakur Quotes and David Goggins Quotes.

Diagnosed with cancer in the late 70s, Marley continued to create music until his death in 1981, leaving a significant cultural legacy and earning posthumous recognitions including a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I have listed down below the best Bob Marley quotes.

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Best Bob Marley Quotes on Love and Life

1. “The biggest man you’re ever going to see was once a baby.” ~ (Bob Marley).

2. “Live for yourself and you will live in vain. Live for others and you will live again.” ~ (Bob Marley).

3. “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” ~ (Bob Marley).

4. “One love, one heart, one destiny.” ~ (Bob Marley).

5. “Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” ~ (Bob Marley).

6. “Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.” ~ (Bob Marley).

7. “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” ~ (Bob Marley).

8. “Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?” ~ (Bob Marley).

9. “Wake up and live.” ~ (Bob Marley).

10. “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” ~ (Bob Marley).

11. “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” ~ (Bob Marley).

12. “The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” ~ (Bob Marley).

13. “I see you finally got a number to match your IQ.” ~ (Bob Marley).

14. “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.” ~ (Bob Marley).

15. “Me can’t be prejudice. Me can’t me no think of life that way. Because, me figure if you prejudice, that mean you have a hate. If you have a hate inside of you, you can’t be righteous.” ~ (Bob Marley).

16. “The hotter the battle the sweeter the victory.” ~ (Bob Marley).

17. “The biggest coward of a man is to awaken the love of a woman without the intention of loving her.” ~ (Bob Marley).

18. “The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow.” ~ (Bob Marley).

19. “Overcome the devils with a thing called love. ” ~ (Bob Marley).

20. “Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” ~ (Bob Marley).

21. “Light up the darkness.” ~ (Bob Marley).

22. “If she’s amazing, she won’t be easy. If she’s easy, she won’t be amazing.” ~ (Bob Marley).

23. “The most beautiful things are not perfect, they are special.” ~ (Bob Marley).

24. “You say you love rain, but you use an umbrella to walk under it. You say you love 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.” ~ (Bob Marley).

25. “The most beautiful curve on a woman’s body is her smile.” ~ (Bob Marley).

26. “Money can’t buy life.” ~ (Bob Marley).

27. “You can fool some people some times but you cant fool all the people all the time.” ~ (Bob Marley).

28. “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.” ~ (Bob Marley).

Top Bob Marley Quotes

29. “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 to reality. Wake up and live!” ~ (Bob Marley).

30. “It’s the music. Your heart is in your ears.” ~ (Bob Marley).

31. “Don’t shed no tears, no woman, no cry.” ~ (Bob Marley).

32. “A foolish dog barks at a flying bird.” ~ (Bob Marley).

33. “Love would never leave us alone.” ~ (Bob Marley).

34. “Politics and church are the same. They keep the people in ignorance.” ~ (Bob Marley).

35. “I woke up this morning, smiled at the rising sun.” ~ (Bob Marley).

36. “Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.” ~ (Bob Marley).

37. “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?” ~ (Bob Marley).

38. “I don’t know how to live good. I only know how to suffer.” ~ (Bob Marley).

39. “Complaints are prayers to the devil.” ~ (Bob Marley).

40. “Don’t Let them fool you or even try to school you.” ~ (Bob Marley).

41. “Man can’t do without God. Just like you’re thirsty, you have to drink water. You just can’t go without God.” ~ (Bob Marley).

42. “In the abundance of water – the fool is thirsty.” ~ (Bob Marley).

43. “My life is only important if I can help plenty of people.” ~ (Bob Marley).

44. “Stop and think a little: Are you the victim of the system?” ~ (Bob Marley).

45. “Football is Freedom, a whole universe.” ~ (Bob Marley).

46. “Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.” ~ (Bob Marley).

47. “There’s a natural mystic blowing through the air. If you listen carefully now, you will hear.” ~ (Bob Marley).

48. “No chains around my feet, But I’m not free…” ~ (Bob Marley).

49. “I’ll give you my phone number. When you worry, call me. I’ll make you happy.” ~ (Bob Marley).

50. “Experimentation is the key to ‘lively up’ the art.” ~ (Bob Marley).

51. “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.” ~ (Bob Marley).

52. “Life and Jah are one in 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.” ~ (Bob Marley).

53. “I’m gonna be Iron, like a Lion in Zion.” ~ (Bob Marley).

54. “You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end.” ~ (Bob Marley).

55. “When one door is closed, don’t you know, another is open.” ~ (Bob Marley).

56. “The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever.” ~ (Bob Marley).

57. “Before pointing fingers make sure your hands are clean.” ~ (Bob Marley).

58. “The bars could not hold me. Force could not control me. They tried to keep me down, but Jah put I around. Yes, I’ve been accused. Wrongly abused. But through the powers of the Most High, they’ve got to turn me loose.” ~ (Bob Marley).

59. “The fittest of the fittest shall survive!” ~ (Bob Marley).

60. “Do you have a record contract? I have a recording agreement. What’s the difference? One is an agreement and one is a contract! I am a man who deals by ear.” ~ (Bob Marley).

61. “Jah show every mon him hand, and Jah has show I mine.” ~ (Bob Marley).

62. “Everyone in life is gonna hurt you, you just have to figure out which people are worth the pain.” ~ (Bob Marley).

63. “Bless my eyes this morning, Jah sun is on the rise once again.” ~ (Bob Marley).

64. “Don’t let them fool ya, or even try to school ya! Oh, no! We’ve got a mind of our own, so go to hell if what you’re thinking is not right!” ~ (Bob Marley).

65. “In this bright future you can’t forget your past.” ~ (Bob Marley).

66. “God sent me on earth. He sent me to do something, and nobody can stop me. If God wants to stop me, then I stop. Man never can.” ~ (Bob Marley).

67. “Jah sitteth in Mount Zion, and rules all creation!” ~ (Bob Marley).

68. “Every day the bucket a-go a well, one day the bottom a-go drop out.” ~ (Bob Marley).

69. “Your life is worth much more than gold.” ~ (Bob Marley).

70. “Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around.” ~ (Bob Marley).

71. “Me can’t tell you how me know Rastafari. It is pure vision.” ~ (Bob Marley).

72. “It take many a year, mon, and maybe some bloodshed must be, but righteousness someday prevail.” ~ (Bob Marley).

Popular Bob Marley Quotes

73. “You can’t run away from yourself.” ~ (Bob Marley).

74. “Everything in life got its purpose. Find its reason in every season.” ~ (Bob Marley).

75. “One bright morning when my work is over I will fly away home.” ~ (Bob Marley).

76. “It takes a revolution, to create a solution.” ~ (Bob Marley).

77. “The people that are making this world worse don’t take a day off, how can I?” ~ (Bob Marley).

78. “Sun is shining. Weather is sweet. Make you wanna move your dancing feet.” ~ (Bob Marley).

79. “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…” ~ (Bob Marley).

80. “Could you be loved and be loved?” ~ (Bob Marley).

81. “Rise and take your stance once again.” ~ (Bob Marley).

82. “He who feels it, knows it more.” ~ (Bob Marley).

83. “Whose the cap fit, let them where it.” ~ (Bob Marley).

84. “Though the road’s been rocky it sure feels good to me.” ~ (Bob Marley).

85. “Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned everything is war.” ~ (Bob Marley).

86. “Many more will have to suffer, many more will have to die, don’t ask me why !” ~ (Bob Marley).

87. “When You smoke herb it reveals you to yourself. All the wickedness you do is revealed by the herb – it’s your conscience and gives you an honest picture of yourself.” ~ (Bob Marley).

88. “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.” ~ (Bob Marley).

89. “It is better to win the peace and to lose the war.” ~ (Bob Marley).

90. “The road to life is rocky, and you may stumble too. So while you point your fingers, someone else is judging you.” ~ (Bob Marley).

91. “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.” ~ (Bob Marley).

92. “Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections.” ~ (Bob Marley).

93. “Judge not before you judge yourself. Judge not if you’re not ready for judgment.” ~ (Bob Marley).

94. “Don’t bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality.” ~ (Bob Marley).

95. “Alcohol make you drunk, man. It don’t make you meditate, it just make you drunk. Herb is more a consciousness.” ~ (Bob Marley).

96. “Trust the universe and respect your hair.” ~ (Bob Marley).

97. “Every need got an ego to feed.” ~ (Bob Marley).

98. “When the morning gathers the rainbow, want you to know I’m a rainbow too.” ~ (Bob Marley).

99. “If something can corrupt you, you’re corrupted already.” ~ (Bob Marley).

100. “Men and people will fight you down when you see the light. Let me tell you if you are not wrong then everything is all right.” ~ (Bob Marley).

101. “Why drink and drive if I can smoke and fly?” ~ (Bob Marley).

Famous Bob Marley Quotes

102. “True friends are like stars; you can only recognize them when it’s dark around you.” ~ (Bob Marley).

103. “Forget your troubles and dance! Forget your sorrows and dance! Forget your sickness and dance! Forget your weakness and dance!” ~ (Bob Marley).

104. “Love hard when there is love to be had.” ~ (Bob Marley).

105. “If you know your history, then you would know where you coming from, then you wouldn’t have to ask me, who the heck do I think I am.” ~ (Bob Marley).

106. “Nothing is wrong if it makes you happy.” ~ (Bob Marley).

107. “You can’t find the right roads when the streets are paved.” ~ (Bob Marley).

108. “Get up, stand up, Stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up, Don’t give up the fight.” ~ (Bob Marley).

109. “Be humble because until the sun with all its grandeur, let the moon shine.” ~ (Bob Marley).

110. “So if you are the big tree, we are the small axe. Ready to cut you down, to cut you down.” ~ (Bob Marley).

111. “Music is the only thing that doesn’t hurt when it hits you.” ~ (Bob Marley).

112. “God created people in technicolor. God has never made a difference between black, white, blue, green or pink.” ~ (Bob Marley).

113. “Don’t complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief, and jealousy.” ~ (Bob Marley).

114. “You not supposed to feel down over whatever happen to you. I mean, you’re supposed to use whatever happen to you as some type of upper, not a downer.” ~ (Bob Marley).

115. “My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die.” ~ (Bob Marley).

116. “I don’t stand for black man’s side, I don’t stand for white man’s side, I stand for God’s side.” ~ (Bob Marley).

117. “There will never be no love at all.” ~ (Bob Marley).

118. “The beauty of love. The love of beauty. The greener you are, the wiser you will be.” ~ (Bob Marley).

119. “My feet is my only carriage.” ~ (Bob Marley).

120. “My future is righteousness.” ~ (Bob Marley).

121. “Lively Up Yourself.” ~ (Bob Marley).

122. “Some Will Hate You Pretend They Love You Now Then Behind They Try To Eliminate You.” ~ (Bob Marley).

123. “The stone that the builder refused shall be the head corner stone.” ~ (Bob Marley).

124. “We don’t need no trouble! What we need is love!” ~ (Bob Marley).

125. “The lips of the righteous teach many, but fools die for want of wisdom.” ~ (Bob Marley).

126. “Sometimes you have to fight with music.” ~ (Bob Marley).

127. “Football is a part of I. When I play, the world wakes up around me.” ~ (Bob Marley).

128. “As a man sow, shall he reap. and I know that talk is cheap. But the heat of the battle is as sweet as the victory.” ~ (Bob Marley).

Inspiring Bob Marley Quotes

129. “Excuse me while I light my spliff, Good God I gotta take a lift, From reality I just cant drift, That’s why I’m staying with this riff.” ~ (Bob Marley).

130. “What does rasta mean? Righteousness.” ~ (Bob Marley).

131. “Bob Marley isn’t my name. I don’t even know my name yet.” ~ (Bob Marley).

132. “I believe in freedom for everyone, not just the black man.” ~ (Bob Marley).

133. “I don’t know what happiness is. I don’t know what sweet caress is. Still, I’m always laughing like a clown.” ~ (Bob Marley).

134. “Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner, there ain’t no hiding place from the Father of Creation.” ~ (Bob Marley).

135. “Today they say that we are free, only to be chained in poverty.” ~ (Bob Marley).

136. “If you don’t start somewhere, you’re gonna go nowhere.” ~ (Bob Marley).

137. “The sun shall not smite I by day, nor the moon by night, and everything that I do shall be upfull and right.” ~ (Bob Marley).

138. “Me never believe in marriage that much, marriage is a trap to control me; woman is a coward. Man strong.” ~ (Bob Marley).

139. “The more people smoke herb, the more Babylon fall.” ~ (Bob Marley).

140. “Make way for the positive day.” ~ (Bob Marley).

141. “If you wanna hear what the people are saying, you can hear what the Rastaman saying.” ~ (Bob Marley).

142. “In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby.” ~ (Bob Marley).

143. “We know where we’re going cause we know where we’re from.” ~ (Bob Marley).

144. “My favorite herb – lamb’s bread. Kali. I like Hawaiian. But for some reason, you communicate better with Jamaican herb. The best Jamaican herb, it have more energy, more everything to it.” ~ (Bob Marley).

145. “People want to listen to a message, word from Jah. This could be passed through me or anybody. I am not a leader. Messenger. The words of the songs, not the person, is what attracts people.” ~ (Bob Marley).

146. “We JAH people can make it work.” ~ (Bob Marley).

147. “None but ourselves can free our minds.” ~ (Bob Marley).

148. “The day you stop racing, is the day you win the race.” ~ (Bob Marley).

149. “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.” ~ (Bob Marley).

150. “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.” ~ (Bob Marley).

151. “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).

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Short Biography of Bob Marley

Bob Marley, born in Jamaica on February 6, 1945, was a groundbreaking reggae artist known for blending reggae, ska, and rocksteady in his music.

He gained international fame, elevating Jamaican music on the global stage and became an icon of Rastafarian culture.

Marley’s music often carried spiritual and political messages, advocating for social reforms, cannabis legalization, and Pan-Africanism.

Full Name	Robert Nesta Marley
Born	6 February 1945, Nine Mile, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica
Died	11 May 1981 (aged 36 years), Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida, United States
Other Names	Skip, Tuff Gong
Spouse	Rita Marley (m. 1966–1981)
Parent(s)	Norval Sinclair Marley (father), Cedella Booker (mother)
Children	11 (Including: Sharon, Cedella, David “Ziggy”, Stephen, Rohan, Julian, Ky-Mani, Damian)
Occupations	Singer, Musician, Songwriter
Genres	Reggae, SKA, Rocksteady, Folk
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar
Years active	1962–1980
Labels	Beverley’s, Studio One, JAD, Wail’n Soul’m, Upsetter, Tuff Gong, Island
Formerly of	The Wailers
Website	bobmarley.com

He survived a politically charged assassination attempt in 1976. Starting his career in 1963 with the group Teenagers, which later became the Wailers, they released several albums, including their debut “The Wailing Wailers” in 1965.

The group saw a significant evolution in their music, especially after Marley’s conversion to Rastafarianism and their signing with Island Records, leading to the pivotal album “The Best of The Wailers” in 1971.

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Quick Facts about Bob Marley

• Bob Marley, born on February 6, 1945, in Nine Mile, Jamaica, is a reggae music icon.
• He gained fame as the lead singer of “Bob Marley & The Wailers” formed in 1963.
• Marley’s mixed heritage included an English father and an Afro-Jamaican mother.
• His song “One Love” is celebrated as an anthem for unity and love.
• Marley’s global impact was pivotal in popularizing reggae music.
• The 1977 album “Exodus” is acclaimed as one of reggae’s greatest.
• Advocating for social justice, Marley’s music often highlighted poverty and oppression.
• In the late 1960s, Marley embraced the Rastafari faith, influencing his music and lifestyle.
• He was known for his use of marijuana as a Rastafari sacrament.
• Marley’s dreadlocks became a symbol of reggae culture.
• His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came posthumously in 1994.
• Marley’s timeless music continues to inspire globally.
• “Legend,” his best-selling album, has sold over 28 million copies.
• Marley fathered 11 children, several of whom are also musicians.
• The Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, Jamaica, celebrates his life and legacy.
• His emotive ballad “No Woman, No Cry” remains one of his most beloved songs.
• Marley’s guitar skills significantly shaped his music’s distinctive sound.
• Beyond music, Marley’s influence spans various aspects of popular culture.
• He narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 1976.
• “Buffalo Soldier” pays homage to African-American Civil War soldiers.
• A passionate football fan, Marley loved Brazilian team Santos FC.
• The University of the West Indies honored him with a posthumous doctorate.
• Marley’s music also promotes environmental consciousness.
• His 1978 album “Kaya” celebrates cannabis and its effects.
• Marley’s last concert took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1980.
• “Redemption Song” stands out as one of his lyrical masterpieces.
• His music’s inclusion in films and commercials underlines its enduring appeal.
• The album “Survival” calls for African unity and freedom.
• Marley’s fashion influence is evident in modern trends.
• “Stir It Up,” a hit by Marley, was initially written by Bunny Wailer.

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Top Questions about Bob Marley