70 Bob Marley Quotes for a Life Filled With Music & Love

Read these Bob Marley quotes to help you start living your life with contentment, peace, and joy.

Bob Marley might just be one of the most famous musicians and figures in popular culture.

He was a singer and songwriter known for combining reggae, ska, and rocksteady in his works. But, what really made him famous was his way of incorporating his spirituality into his music.

Everyone who listened to his works knows how he delivered inspirational messages through his songs.

His lyrics contain his advocacy of spreading love, compassion, hope, and justice, leaving a massive impact on his fans and listeners.

Indeed, his genuine heart and soulful music continue to change the world. So, let these quotes leave you in awe and wonder of the legendary Bob Marley.

Start reading here.

Best Bob Marley Quotes

1. “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”

2. “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.”

3. “They will always tell you that you can’t do what you want to do, but you can do what you want to do. You just have to believe in yourself. The system is to bring you down, but you can rise up.”

4. “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.”

5. “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul. Wisdom is better than silver or gold.”

6. “Beginnings are usually scary, and endings are usually sad, but it’s everything in between that makes it all worth living.”

7. “The most beautiful things are not perfect. They are special.”

8. “Don’t worry about a thing. Every little thing is gonna be alright.”

9. “Things will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

10. “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”

Bob Marley Quotes on Life

11. “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!”

12. “Better to die fighting for freedom than be a prisoner all the days of your life.”

13. “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.”

14. “Live for yourself, and you will live in vain. Live for others, and you will live again.”

15. “Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?”

16. “Love, friendship, laughter, some of the best things in life really are free.”

17. “Your life is worth much more than gold.”

18. “Today, people struggle to find what’s real. Everything has become so synthetic that a lot of people, all they want is to grasp onto hope.”

19. “Judge not before you judge yourself. Judge not if you’re not ready for judgment. The road of life is rocky, and you may stumble too, so while you talk about me, someone else is judging you.”

20. “Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I’m not perfect, and I don’t live to be, but before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean!”

21. “What is important is that man should live in righteousness, in natural love for mankind.”

Bob Marley Quotes About Love

22. “Love would never leave us alone.”

23. “You say you love rain, but you use an umbrella to walk under it. You say you love the 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.”

24. “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.”

25. “To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in my life is to risk nothing.”

26. “If you can love the wrong person that much, imagine how much you can love the right one.”

27. “Conquer the devils with a little thing called love.”

28. “When love is real, nobody can end it. Love is a key that someone has to open your heart.”

29. “If puss and dog can get together, why can’t we love one another?”

Bob Marley Quotes That’ll Teach You About Relationships

30. “If she’s amazing, she won’t be easy. If she’s easy, she won’t be amazing. If she’s worth it, you won’t give up. If you give up, you’re not worthy. Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”

31. “Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love is hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”

32. “She may not be the most popular or prettiest, but if you love her and she makes you smile, what else matters?”

33. “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. 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 soulmate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting, and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.”

34. “Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul, and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more.”

35. “The biggest coward of a man is to awaken the love of a woman without the intention of loving her.”

36. “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 Quotes for Everyone Who Wants to Better Themselves

37. “Every man got a right to decide his own destiny.”

38. “When one door is closed, don’t you know that many more are open.”

39. “If you don’t start somewhere, you’re gonna go nowhere.”

40. “It’s your own conscience that is going to remind you that it’s your heart and nobody else’s that is going to judge.”

41. “The good times of today are the sad thoughts of tomorrow.”

42. “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.”

43. “Money is numbers, and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.”

Short Bob Marley Quotes That Are Full of Meaning

44. “Man is a universe within himself.”

45. “Never expect God to do for you what you don’t do to others.”

46. “Don’t give up the fight. Stand up for your rights.”

47. “Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen.”

48. “When the root is strong, the fruit is sweet.”

49. “Don’t forget your history, nor your destiny.”

50. “One love, one heart, one destiny.”

51. “In the abundance of water, a fool is thirsty.”

52. “In this bright future, you can’t forget your past.”

53. “You can’t find the right roads when the streets are paved.”

54. “Truth is the light, so you never give up the fight.”

55. “The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.”

Bob Marley Quotes to Get a Glimpse of His Career and Music

56. “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”

57. “My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die.”

58. “Though the road’s been rocky, it sure feels good to me.”

59. “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.”

60. “My music will go on forever. Maybe it’s a fool to say that, but when me know facts, me can say facts. My music will go on forever.”

Profound Bob Marley Quotes That’ll Give You Insights Into Friendship

61. “True friends are like stars. You can only recognize them when it’s dark around you.”

62. “Your worst enemy could be your best friend and your best friend your worst enemy.”

63. “Some people are poor, all they have is money.”

Wise Bob Marley Quotes to Remember Everyday

64. “Just because you are happy, it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections.”

65. “You’re on a positive road. You have some type of direction where you’re going, so you have to just keep on going.”

66. “Me is a common-sense man. That mean when me explain things, me explain it in a very simple way. That mean if I explain it to a baby, the baby will understand too, you know.”

67. “Prejudice is a chain. It can hold you. If you are prejudiced, you can’t move. You keep prejudice for years. Never get nowhere with that.”

68. “And what has been hidden from the wise and the prudent been revealed in the mouth of the toddlers.”

69. “The problem is people are being hated when they are real and are being loved when they are fake.”

70. “If you’re White and you’re wrong, then you’re wrong. If you’re Black, and you’re wrong, you’re wrong. People are people. Black, blue, pink, green, God makes no rules about color. Only society makes rules where my people suffer, and that is why we must have redemption and redemption now.”

Did These Bob Marley Quotes Change Your Perspective About the World?

As we grow old and experience the world’s harsh reality, some of us often change into people who constantly struggle to find meaning in life. Our days are reduced to monotonous and unfulfilling work that affects our health and mindset. Or worse, we lose hope, interest, and excitement for our future.

These moments in our lives are why Bob Marley became important and famous. Through his music, we recognize that love is everywhere, and there will always be hope. With artists like him, we rediscover the meaning of life and how good it is to exist in the world.

Hopefully, these quotes were able to help you reconnect with life and your soul. Like Bob Marley, remember that the world will always be good, hopeful, and meaningful. Feel free to reread our collection to find inspiration from him!

Which Bob Marley quote is your favorite? Which of his songs and lyrics hit your heart and soul? Comment below.

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Karen Danao

Hi, I’m Karen, a content curator and writer for Quote Ambition; I’m also a marketing and advertising professional. Beyond the keyboard and the screen, I’m someone who’s out to enjoy every bit that life has to offer!

Poetry, philosophy, history, and movies are all topics I love writing about! However, my true passion is in traveling, photography, and finding common ground to which everyone from different cultures can relate.

With the many places I’ve been to, I found that love, inspiration, and happiness are some things that bring people together. No matter how different we are on the outside, I’m a true believer that our emotions don’t lie; if you dig deep into our psyche, we’re all the same inside.

This belief was further amplified when I joined Quote Ambition. Through the quotes I’ve read, collected, organized, and written about, I found that humans are resilient, creative, and compassionate.

We take from each others’ hearts and courage, and it’s through our individual experiences that we learn how to rise above our challenges and pain. In so many ways, Quote Ambition is a platform that allows people from all over the world to gain the inspiration they need anytime, anywhere!

You can find me on MuckRack and LinkedIn.