X

This inspirational Bob Marley interview will brighten your day

Read Bob discussing peace, love and Rasta.

Bob Marley had an aura around him that nobody can put to words.

He was a little, lean guy, but turned into a musical God when he did his characteristic Jamaican strut on stage as he played. The natty dread locks on his head and the towel he wore around his neck made him stand out.

In an 1978 interview with Jeff Cathrow, Bob Marley spoke his heart out about peace, reggae and Rasta.
(Transcript from reggaevibes.com)

When asked why did he figure Rastafari as God, he replied:

The Bible says he’s the King of Kings. There is only ONE King of Kings, and Lord of Lords that I know of. He’s in your consciousness! In your consciousness! That where I live- in your consciousness. We all have the same begging and end. His Majesty always the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

If I ask you- who invented capitalism? Yeah, the system that you’re living in- who invented it? Is the guy who invented it still alive? That guy dead years ago, but his system still alive. Even if you think His Majesty dead, the truth still live. His Majesty cannot die! That is the only consciousness I deal with.

He was asked how does he spread this ideology to the people. He paused for a moment and replied:

The Bible. Everybody has a Bible, regardless of which nation.You’ll see a Bible in Chinatown- you can’t read it b’cause it written in Chinese. But if you translate it and read it- it says the same thing as our guy would say.

What does Rastafari mean? What is his stance on the herb?

MARLEY replied: ‘Rasta’ mean ‘head’, ‘fari’ means ‘creator’–‘Rastafari’ means ‘head creator.’ Now in a natural sense, ‘head creator’ a God. He’s ‘head creator’–then he must be God. I believe in God. Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction. When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.

Most people revered him as a God, but did he see himself as God?

No, he said. We’re just children of the Most High. The whole thing is, in truth and reality, a man can’t really look upon his life and bring it in a individual sense.