Damian Marley, January 26, 2018
Statistics as of Feb. 24, 2022 at 7:40 PM ET = 38,456,255
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases Damian Marley's 2018 song "Speak Life".
Information about Damian Marley is included in this post along with the official YouTube video and the lyrics of that song.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, inspirational, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Damian Marley for his musical legacy and thanks to all those who are associated with this song and this video. Also, thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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INFORMATION ABOUT DAMIAN MARLEY
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damian_Marley
"Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley (born 21 July 1978) is a Jamaican DJ, singer and rapper. A renowned lyricist, Damian is the youngest son of reggae singer Bob Marley.[1] He was two years old when his father died; he is the only child born to Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976. His nickname "Junior Gong" is derived from his father's nickname of "Tuff Gong". Damian has been performing since the age of 13. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards.[2]
Career
Early releases (1992–2004)
At the age of 13, he formed a musical group by the name of
the Shephards, which included the daughter of Freddie McGregor and son of Third
World's Cat Coore. The group opened the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash festival.[3] The
band fell apart in the early 1990s and Damian started his solo career.[4]
With the backing of his father's label, Tuff Gong, he
released his 1996 debut album Mr. Marley, which surprised many who were
unaccustomed to hearing a Marley deejaying rather than singing.[5] Marley
released his second studio album Halfway Tree. The name "Halfway
Tree" comes from his mother, Cindy Breakspeare, being from the rich part
of town, and his father, Bob Marley, coming from the poor part of town, thus
him being "a tree halfway in between the 'rich' world and 'poor'
world."[6] Additionally, Halfway Tree is a well-known landmark that marks
the cultural center of Half-Way-Tree, the clock tower that stands where the
historical eponymous cotton tree once stood is featured prominently behind
Marley on the cover of the album. The album was released on 11 September 2001
and received the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. It was co-produced by
Damian Marley and his brother Stephen Marley, who had also produced Damian's
debut album, Mr Marley.
Marley released his third studio album Welcome to Jamrock
which was released on 12 September 2005 in the United States and 13 September
2005 in the United Kingdom. The album sold 86,000 copies in its first week of
release,[7] and was eventually certified gold after selling 500,000 copies in
the United States.[8]
Damian's half-brother, Stephen Marley, was a producer and
co-writer of the hugely successful song of the same name. The lyrics to the
single "Welcome to Jamrock", which was performed over a riddim
produced by Sly and Robbie for Ini Kamoze some 20 years earlier,[9] centred
around poverty, politics and crime in Jamaica. While the single was
controversial at home over its perceived negative viewpoint of the island,[7]
many praised the content of the song.
[...]
Musical style
Marley has described his music as "dancehall and
reggae. I've noticed ... people trying to separate the two of them," he
continues. "It's Jamaican culture in general. I don't try to classify or
separate.
LYRICS - SPEAK LIFE
(Damian Marley)
I pray thee, I pray thee
Once again
I wonder to be surrounded by ones with such talent... ya know
[Verse]
Speak life
Live a humble and meek life
Ordinary day of the week life
Try to search and seek life
Way up (Wo-Oooah)
Keep your head up and stay up (Wo-Oooah)
Even when you sore and pain love (Wo-Oooah)
Never giving up til its game up (Wo-Oooah)
Keep your aim up
And focus
Don't concentrate on what's bogus
Never sell out for a bonus
Handle your biz like grown ups, Own up
It's amazing (Wo-Oooah)
The way Jah fire keeps blazing (Wo-Oooah)
That's why I constantly praise him (Wo-Oooah)
For some of them it's a phase thing (Wo-Oooah)
So they're gazing
On the street lights
Till dem catch up in street fights
Cause are pretending they're street wise
And put a end to a brief life
I feel Like
It's a mystery (Wo-Oooah)
How we keep repeating our history (Wo-Oooah)
Making the same mistakes as our ancestry (Wo-Oooah)
Seems like all of life lessons missed we (Wo-Oooah)
It's risky
So give praises
One day you may find your oasis
Rise up to the challenge you're faced with
Be upful and creative
You'll make it
It's basics (Wo-Oooah)
People been doing it for ages (Wo-Oooah)
Many other cultures and places (Wo-Oooah)
On a regular basis (Wo-Oooah)
There’s so many cases
Lets face it, man
Way too much time has been wasted, man
Building military bases
Fighting a war with no basis
Life is sacred (Wo-Oooah)
And every baby born naked (Wo-Oooah)
Some man ah gwaan like dem raise big (Wo-Oooah)
And don't care what they're making (Wo-Oooah-oh)
They can't take it
So speak life, man
All this darkness don't feel right, man
[Outro]
Wo-Oooah
Wo-Oooah-oh
Wo-Oooah
Wo-Oooah-ooh
-snip-
Genius Annotation by The_Aards, 2018
" “Speak Life” is a song about positivity, hope, love and the effect of ones words and actions on a larger community.
The Bible in Proverbs 18:21 says:
"The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who
love it will eat its fruit."
In a similar manner, Damian Marley talks about how one’s
conduct in everyday life can have a wide effect on everything else.
“Speak Life” carries social commentary on the state of
relations between both individuals and nations. He highlights the issues of
war, greed, faith and religion etc."
-snip-
The official video of this song was filmed in Ethiopia.
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