Jah Message to Preach

Marley:
Hard Times? Ooo-eee! Ooo-ee! High Times! Dis supposed to 'ave de bes' high in de worl'. High Times, only de bes'.

High Times: Some Thai weed?
Marley: [Pause]

High Times: Do you think herb will be legalized?
Marley: I don' know if dis government will, but I know Christ's government will.

High Times :
What about the Jamaican government? Mr. Manley, the Prime Minister?
Marley :
Him? Legalize herb? Boy, I jus' don' know. It's kinda legalized already. Me don't t'ink is really him, y'know. The realization of de truth. I don't know if Michael Manley will be de one, or who, but y'know, everyt'ing will reveal right out to de flat truth.

High Times:
Now when you go back to Jamaica as a big star, are you able to talk to different people and get some things done that you'd like to happen?
Marley:
Down dere? See, Jamaica jus' run outa politics today...ya can't have anything happening. But ya have people who do t'ings for ya, like ya brethren, y'know. But when ya talk about de people in power, ya haffa be a politics-man. Me don't deal wit' no politics-me deal wit' de truth.

High Times:
Your audience here is mostly white. What do you think about that?
Marley:
Well, I hear dat we not gettin' through to black people. Well, me tell de R&B guy now, he must play dis record because I wan' get to de people. We're not talkin' about no make me no superstar. Don' ever make me no star. Me no wan' be no star. But in de meantime, every knee shall bow and every tounge confess. Dat mean, de guy dat make de record, play for de people. Don' put me in no bracket, y'know what I mean? So dat is wit' de D.J. Him mus' realized dis is reggae music. I mean, it's music.

High Times: Do you consider yourself an outlaw?
Marley: Outlaw? No, no outlaw. Right in time.

High Times:
You talk about dancing a lot in your songs. Do you see dancing as a form of communion with Jah?
Marley :
When ya dance, ya just are Jah. Ya mus' dance.

High Times: When was the first time you got high on herb?
Marley: As a yout'. Was in de Sixties.

High Times:
What was the best weed you ever smoked?
Marley:
One time I was in Jamaica, was doin' a show, an' a man come up to me, and he give me a spliff. Now, das de bes' herb I ever smoke. Yeah, man! Neva get an extra herb like dat again! No, no, no. Just like one tree in de earth, y'know?

High Times: Just one tree?
Marley: Jus' one tree. Sometimes ya just find a tree. It lamb's bread.

High Times:
What's lamb's bread?
Marley:
De ability what de herb 'ave ya call lamb's bread. Some a dem ya call Bethlehem's bread. Dat is when ya really get good herb, y'know what I mean?

High Times:
Well, the Jamaican that's coming into the States now is not as good as it was.
Marley:
Ya don' get no good herb because too much sell in Jamaica. And ya find alla people who plant herb fertilize it, so nobody really take care of de herb like first time. Ya use fertilizer, it come quick. Dem fertilize it an' cut it before time.

High Times: Do you guys find it hard to get good herb?
Marley: Me fin' it hard to get in England.

High Times:
In England they always mix it with tobacco. It's really foul.
Marley:
Yeah, man. It's time to let de people get good herbs an' smoke. Government's a joke. All dey wan' is ya smoke cigarettes and cigar. Some cigar wickeder den herb. Yeah, man, ya can't smoke cigar. Smoke herb. Some big cigar me see man wit', God bless! Me tell him must smoke herb. Ya see, de people come together because is not de buildin', is not de buildin' me wanna see, me wanna see a nice level piece of green grass. Don' wanna haffa go in no elevator, gwan upstairs and talk wit' some people in a square place. Me wanna go out in a earth, man. Righteousness cover de earth like water cover de sea. Where I gwan is, me don' have time to be in building all de while, when de miracles happening all de while outside. For some time miracles happen outta de sky. Is good for ya to see it, y'know. Among some green trees, yes man! I mena, ya 'ave green trees in America.

High Times:
Have you ever tried acid?
Marley:
Me hear 'bout people who do it. No, me meet people who do it, an' dem tell me. And when dem tell me, I travel to de same place. I mean, when a guy explain it an' ya listen, ya can go all de way up to de same place as him.

High Times: Who told you about it?
Marley: Well, one mustn't call people names, y'know. What keepeth its mouth, keepeth its life.

High Times:
Do you think herb takes you to the same place?
Marley:
I feel like ya 'ave thousands of different types of herb. If when ya plant it, if ya meditation not high, it don't come like de right type of herb.

High Times: It's very hard to find the right type of herb.
Marley: Yeah, man.

High Times: One of the reasons we're into this is to try to find it.
Bob Marley: Well, ya see, dat herb, ya can't find dat herb.

High Times:
Where is it?
Marley:
Y'know what happen to dat herb? I tell ya where dat herb go now. Just like ya 'ave some apple trees, an' dis year something happen to dat apple tree dere, an' dis year dat tree taste better den dat tree. Ya find dat a seed planted de right day, de right minute, den dere's tree, ya find it, nobody plant it. A seed show, an' it grow, an' ya start nurse it, an' it become the best tree. Well, ya can get plenty a dat-de best herb dere. Jus' one tree, sometime a guy have. Ya might pass bye an' get a spliff. Ya say, 'Where ya get dis?' Him say, 'Dis come from St. Ann.' So ya go down to St. Ann's an' ya don't find it again.

High Times:
Your new album cover and the promotional sacks are burlap. Why?
Marley:
We call dis a crocus bag. It has roots material, sackcloth. Ya associate wit' de poor man. If ya see a man walkin' down de street wit' dis, y'know 'es really poor, 'es a sufferer.

High Times:
Like sackcloth and ashes?
Marley:
Yeah, but ya see, de t'ing is, de first shall be de las' and de las first. Is jus' like de Rastaman. Like Christ. Why did de whole worl' crucify? Him find, say in dis time de Rastaman is de only truth. So even de crocus bag stand out!

High Times: So this is how you educate Americans?
Marley: Yeah, man!

High Times: Who in Jamaica wants the American DEA down there?
Bob Marley: What is DEA?

High Times:
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the top narcs in the U.S. They're the ones that donate the helicopters and defoliants and things to countries like Jamaica. They try to squash the grass-smuggling trade. They send field agents to Mexico, Colombia, and Jamaica. We've been told that there are quite a few agents down there going around with the Jamaican police. Do you have any opinion as to why they're doing it, or who in Jamaica wants them down there?
Marley:
Jamaica and America 'ave a deal. Ya mean, why would Jamaica invite a t'ing like dat? I tell ya, man, is in Jamaica interest. Same system, same people who control America. I don' know if is President Ford or whoever de president is. But what I know-de same force what control de system look de same in my eye. I t'ink de same force control Jamaica dat control all dem type a t'ings, y'know. I t'ink dem devil. For de devil 'ave a fight against de rights, y'know.

High Times:
Manley is a socialist. Isn't he changing things?
Marley:
Manley supposed to be a socialist. See, I don't have nuttin' ta say 'bout Manley, Manley personal self, man to man. But me no unnerstan', me no educated to know about big words like democratic socialism. Do it, let me see it, don't tell me 'bout it. Live de life.

High Times:
What about Seaga, the capitalist who's running against Manley?
Marley:
Ya 'ave two powers in Jamaica. One name Labor Party, an' one named PNP [People's National Party, Manley's ruling party]. An' every year now dis one [the PNP] win. Well now, I like to give de guy a chance, de one who win. I find it look like before him can get papers together, is votin' time again! So somebody set de trap fa dem, for before him can really check out Jamaica, an' find out how much Jamaica owe America or Jamaica owe Canada. I mean, what is de backside doin'?

High Times:
Didn't Manley use a reggae song for his campaign?
Marley:
Yeah, 'Better Must Come.' One t'ing is, ya can't blame Michael Manley, ya can't blame dem guys. Da t'ing is, de system set dat dey maintain de power.

High Times:
Who sets the system?
Marley:
De system been set! Manley come, comes ta someone. Dat someone, dere was someone before dat, someone comin' from where it was comin' from in England. It comin' down from England now. I don't know how financial dem set up, how much money Jamaica borrow from England, or what kinda plan Jamaica an' England 'ave, but I know Jamaica owe money to certain people. And if de politician run for politics an jus' wanna run for politics and don't unnerstand de runnings a all de t'ings a' gonna face him, den he gonna run away from de system, an' if ya run from de system, de people kill you! Y'unnerstan'?

Dat is when ya dare to go up 'gainst God, fight 'gainst God. If ya come to do somet'ing, ya do it. But if ya come to do something an' ya don't do it, ya fighting 'gainst God. An' all de people ya trick all de while. So where's de system settin' from? I don't know de business deal dem have, but dey can't just look upon Jamaica an' say, 'All rights Jamaica, we give ya some a dis an' some a dat. All right Jamaica, we're withdrawin' from ya,' or whatever. Because either you swing wit' capitalism, or ya go wit de other 'ism'-socialism. Tell 'em 'bout some more 'isms'. Se, ya govern by dis 'ism' or dat 'ism'. We gotta trim it in right dere; no middle way. Even if ya go upon dis 'ism,' him don' wanna lose friendship wit' America. Let me tell ya something-de same situation dat put de people in gonna catch 'em. Devil trick devil. I find now people want Africa. But if America help Africa, I don' even want dat neither. But what de people want is Africa.

High Times:
They want to go back?
Marley:
Forward. Yeah, man. I mean, we love Jamaica, an' we love de earth. But dere's a part a de eart' where it need plenty help-Africa.

High Times:
Would you be willing to get a big boat and take people back and forth?
Marley:
No, dat is not de t'ing. Dat is not de t'ing. Y'see, when Marcus Garvey come, he have de Blackstar Liner. Dat is not de problem. De problem is, ya gotta get de people's heads togetha. Why ya go to Africa? No sinner shall enter dere. Dat's why Africa become a place dat ya don' want to be like 'ere. Me don' wanna talk 'bout Africa too much, but I love to talk 'bout Africa. Yeah, because Africa is my land. Just like de Englishmen 'ave England an' de Indians 'ave India. Africa! [Bob points to himself.] It should be a t'ing where everybody help me go home, because dem supposed to be my brother. 'But until dat day when de African continent will know peace...' I don' unnerstan' why when people talk about Africa dey wanna push Africa to one side. Now we know dat as de children of God, not as de children of America or as de children of Jamaica, but as de children of God, we know dat Africa need help. Poverty, y'know, it's not dat. De type a help Africa need is unity. Any time ya say Africa, is unity. If ya can't cite Africa, ya still in Babylon. Don' care who-anytime ya cite Africa, ya in unity. Until dat day, no have no peace Rasta! Yeah. But y'know when people talk 'bout Africa, dey talk like ya can't go dere, is a jungle, y'know what I mean? Yeah.

High Times: Have you been to Africa?
Bob Marley: I'm going dere, yeah.

High Times:
Soon?
Marley:
Yeah, man. Africa teach all over de earth. Civilization, everywhere, every corner of de earth is African civilization. Now, a man hafta know himself. Ya can't tell me he's American or he's Jamaican or whatever he is. We know Noah had three sons. De las' destruction t'ing, three sons him have: Ham, Shem and Japhet. De three brothers, three colors. Dat mean, I don't know if I can tell a white man him come, say, live in Africa. My duty is to talk to de people who want to hear, who listen. If dey ask me a question, dey want to learn an' I 'ave somet'ing I can tell, den Jah will give me de inspiration to answer it. De whole earth start in Africa, de whole creation. But yet de people today come say, 'Boy, de people dem starve in Africa.' Money control whole lotta t'ings. But y'know, dem t'ings jus' reveal demselves out to de youth. Because if I don' unnerstand, my son will because de truth is always dere. Den ya realize dere's somet'ing going on about de place. Go up in a White House, go check it out an' find out de president don' even know. Go check it again. Maybe it end up inna other room. Maybe some big Catholic guy control. Ya don' know where it end up, y'know.

High Times: Huh?
Marley:
Ya don't know. [He laughs.] It might end up here, y'unnerstan? Yeah? So, ya have to be careful-de whole t'ing is truth.

High Times: What was that?
Bob Marley: Be careful, y'know?

High Times: Be careful? Yeah.
Bob Marley: Whole t'ing is truth.

High Times: Amen.

03.29 PM
DEPOK, 03/07/10

Sumber :

White, Timothie. Catch a Fire : The Life of Bob Marley. NY : Holt Paperbacks. 2005
Prahlad, Anand SW. Reggae Wisdom : Proverbs in Jamaican Music. Jackson : University Press of Mississippi. 2001
High Time Magazine Ed. September 1976.
http://www.marleysite.com

Mumia :
The significance of the herb, aka, the flower?
Marley :
Herb? herb is the healing of the nation, seen? Once you smoke herb, you all must think alike. Now if you thinking alike, dat mean we 'pon the same track. If we 'pon the same track, that mean we gonna unite. Some say 'don't smoke herb.' Dey don't want us to unite, right, so they say, 'don't smoke herb.' (laughter)...It's true! So you know, herb is the healing of the nation and people must get herb for dem use. Dem wanna smoke it, let 'em smoke it. Dem wanna boil it in tea, let 'em boil it in tea. If dem waan steam it, steam it, if dem gwanna eat a little, eat a little, but dem must det it! True true. Yea, mon, that is why I say, um, you have a lotta liquor store, and because dem know man must smoke, you have plenty cigarette, but dem no waan ya smoke herb, y'know? Because, as ya know, the alcohol kill ya, and herb build ya! Yea, herb make ya live. People I know smoke herb live the longest! Jah know! True, true! Herb smoker live the longest pon earth, mon -- true true! I know a man when I a likkle youth who smoke herb and I grown and see, him kyaan change, him is the same mon from ever since! (laughter)...Him a deal with Rasta, ya know? One named Robert. Never change. See him years, never change...It's Rasta ya know?

Mumia :
Brother, what's the significance of the song, Exodus?
Marley :
Exodus means coming together...the movement of Afrika, of Black people. Exodus from Babylon, we're in Babylon, and then a physical exodus to Home. But what we really a say is dat, we waan Black people to unite, with one another, Seen? Now, the only way we can unite is to deal wit truth...the truth is that King Solomon and King David is the root and if we gonna deal with roots, we hafta deal from King Solomon and King David time, Lion of Tribe of Judah, ya know? So, this is what I and I say: time for unity! Cause we's a people, we have something...and we have to deal with it, seen?

Mumia :
What kind of feeling do you get when you come through a city like Philadelphia, with almost a million Black people?
Marley :
When I come into this city here, in Philadelphia...sometime, I wonder if I am on time, ya understand? 'Cause the think is to be on time. When I come here I want, I really desire, fe really get thru to the people I don't wanna come here for joke! When I leave I wanna see people dreadlock, or say I'm Rasta, and get the thing rebellious, dat, we can't live, you know, we can't continue going thru this same thing, over, over and over again, when the problem is, our people must be united. And then all problem solve, and then every problem solve. 'Cause if the Black man check it him have the knowledge, wisdom and understanding enuff to do it. Seen? While the next one get the gift of technology, and the next one get the gift of dis and dat, Black man get the rootical gift him maintain the God business, dat purpose why earth was created. I and I have to maintain dat...

Mumia :
One of the songs that you do, brother...that touches me, and I'm sure it touches most Afrikans globally, is the song that comes from the words of His Imperial Majesty, speaking to the United Nations War, right? Touches me, man, touches us.
Marley :
That the truth, you know? You see, what His Majesty say is the truth...now when we listen, when His Majesty say that, we look out 'pon the earth, and we know dat, when alla these people who say dem is leaders, for people 'pon the earth, agree to what His Majesty say, then 'til today, you have no more war, and no more problem. Because, what HIM say is true. Until the philosophy that hold one people higher than the other one is no more, then if it continue, ya gwanna have war! When it done, problem over, seen?

Mumia :
Until Rhodesia is free, South Afrika is free, Philadelphia is free, you know what I mean...Kingston is free...Wherever we are, that's the message...
Marley :
That's it! Because Christ government shall rule the earth, ya know? And Christ is Rastafari! Over a period of time, people think, and hafta get over thinking that Christ was White. But Christ a Black mon! Just like the Bible tell ya, say Christ Black, Solomon, say him Black, Moses, tell ya, say him Black, Jerimiah, say him Black, Haile Selassie Black. So Christ no white. Christ Black, you know? So that's how our people get tricked, dem show us a White Christ, people say, what we wanna deal with the Bible for, me know Christ no White. But the Bible say, Christ Black. If the Afrikan think Christ White, that's dangerous. It's a waste of time. Everytime you know we say "Rastafari Our God," you move one cornerstone outa Rome, and Rome must cripple. Really! Because Rome is the enemy, you know? Rome is the enemy of the people. Dem is the Anti-Christ, and dem walk around and tell people dem a deal with Christ. But naturally, dem is Anti-Christ, for Christ is Haile Selassie -- and just like how I know, the Pope coulda know too! Cause plenty people know. What, I'm a gonna hide it? The Pope know, everyone know, all dem people know, say Haile Selassie I God, you know? But dem hide it cause, dem die, and next guy come take dem space, and the people suffer the same, you know, so it's the people really have to make the decision and don't care for who dem say is the leader to make it God. Leader nobody. No leader not there, you know?

Mumia :
This city, Philadelphia, has the highest Black unemployment rate than anywhere in America...Now this is the same city that the Pope came to a couple of days ago. You were talking about the anti-Christ, right? Doing his work, right?
Marley :
Yeah. You see, I don't like the Pope, I don't like none of them? Seen? That is the truth. Because, him gwan come tru here, really, and tell ya: "Yes, live in peace. Live in this, live in that." Live in that under him society! You know? You must agree to live in peace as long as Pope there. No. No Pope. No Pope, and we live in peace! You see, if there were no Pope, we'd a live in peace. Because him come wit the anti-Christ ting, and tell the people dem all kinds of foolishness, seen? But me really deal wit' them. Pope Paul bless Mussolini for attack Ethiopia. Ethiopia carries the oldest history of Christianity. So wha' Rome jus' come the odder day, Rome is nothin'. You know? Rome is nothin! That's why we a say, you know, when the Pope dead...the best ting that ever happen to we is two Pople dead the other day. (laughter) True, true. That's one of the sweetest ting ever happen, you know. Rastaman in Jamaica pray every for more Pope dead, you know. Yeah! Dem is a people who PRAY for the Pope them dead. So you see one time one pope get a heart attack, you can just imagine the joy in Jamaica. So we get a likke joy down here. We happy! But this one, you know, is a dangerous one. You know? Because him a fool a lot of people. Dangerous.

Mumia :
What's your hope, brother, for the future of Black people in America, and Black people in the world.
Marley :
Way I see, you seen, it looks simple but it's true. RASTA FOR THE PEOPLE! Rastafari! For the people, seen? Capitalism and communism are finished. It Rasta now! The Blackman way of life. That's what we a say now dread. We a say: give the Black man fe him way of life now. Mek him show you how government run and how people care for people. Who you think have the Love. Who sing the tune inna the church. Black people a sing them, you know. Whose the spiritual people pon earth. The Black people. Dem a deal wit God. And God no let dem down. God always dere. And God say dem fe unite! Because when you unite, that is the power of God, you know. God love Love, which is unity. So when you unite, you get the whole power of God. That's what him want. Until Black people unite...if the Black people don't unite, the world, no one, no one can live good.

Cause the white man not living good, you know. The China man naa live good, either. Why? Because the Blackman is not united. Because the Blackman, him are the cornerstone pon earth! When time him shaky, the whole earth shaky. You see? When him solid, everything solid. And it a long while since we have been solid. You know. It's been a long long time. So you find out how much war, fight and dem tings, go on. You know where dem fight? In Africa! Our motherland. So anybody can see that war will start over here in America, man. REAL war. European pass over here and boom dis raas claat. True true. You mus' remember, dem have all of dem atomic business. So, you know. We not afraid for it, but Africa is the best. Africa for Africans, at home and abroad. African can be developed man. Africa have sea, river, everything. And clean. You have more land, more everything. You have good good everything. The best climate. The best land. You have the best everything! That's why today, His Majesty God more than yesterday, you know. Because we see that His Majesty never sell out to Russia, nor sell out to America. HIM uphold Black dignity, seen? So tell dem you can proudly say RASTAFARI, and naaw deal wit no traitor. That the sweet part 'bout it.