May I have your attention please?
Will the fake Bob Marley please stand up?
I repeat.
Will the fake Bob Marley please stand up?
We’re gonna have a problem here…..
I am a wedding photographer who was born in South Africa, now based in New Zealand, who just happens to know quite a bit about Bob Marley and his life. I’ve read many books about Bob. Watched pretty much every single Bob documentary. I grew up in South Africa and have been listening to Bob Marley since the days of vinyl. As a kid, I was obsessed with his music. I can tell you every official album that was released and the track listings/song names for them too. Songs from Bob’s first creations with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer (including Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers). I can sing along to pretty much every song and I know most of the lyrics off by heart (yes weird I know, but it’s always been an obsession of mine). I’m familiar with every single lyric of every single Bob song released (and not just the singles and radio hits, but all of the songs on the albums). I still have physical copies of CDs and Vinyls, collected over the years. Yes, a definite Bob fan here.
But before I start sounding more and more like Donald Trump, allow me to explain why I’m telling you all of this:
Quite simply, because I feel that I know enough to confidently say that Bob Marley never said a lot of the stuff that seems to be floating around on the internet, and getting shared (a lot) on social media. Inspiring, heartfelt, amazing words, all apparently from the heart and mouth of the one and only Robert (Bob) Nesta Marley. Countless posts and reposts, shared 10’s of 1000’s of times on Facebook and Instagram - and many other platforms. An abundance of likes, shares, reposts and comments - all from real people. Yes, that convincing post you shared because you wanted that one friend/family member/person that you were angry with to know exactly how you really felt…Yep, those words were probably not from Bob either.
During wedding ceremonies, I’ll often hear the very popular “He’s not perfect, you aren’t either….by Bob Marley” reading. So much so, that it has inspired me to write this blog post about some of the things that Bob Marley DIDN’T say. Please don’t get me wrong here, go ahead and read out that poem by all means because it’s lovely and everything, but just maybe leave off the “by Bob Marley” part from now on - because nobody seems to be able to cite a source to prove that these words actually ever came from Bob’s mouth.
Let’s take a look at the quote:
But wait, there is more:
NOTE - The names of people/pages/websites who have posted these online have been removed, so not to offend anybody.
There is absolutely no reference or source to prove that Bob was ever asked by a reporter, an interviewer or anyone at all - if there was a perfect woman!
Here’s another one:
Seen these words before? They’re lovely aren’t they! But none of these seem to be words from Bob Marley. They simply just don’t sound like the type of things he would have said either. There is zero proof that he ever said these words. Watch any interview online with Bob, this wasn’t the way he spoke. This is seriously some “When you order Bob Marley from Wish” kinda stuff.
I know what you might be thinking. “But how do you know that Bob didn’t say those things?”
The only logical answer I can give to that question, is that Bob quite simply didn’t talk that way. His accent was very strong, he was and spoke like a Rastafarian. The quote above sounds like it’s coming directly from the mouth of {insert name of eloquently English spoken individual & camera aware popstar here}. It’s just not the way that Bob spoke, and Snopes kinda agrees with me about this one too, because in their article they have confirmed this by saying “UNPROVEN…without any evidence to substantiate whether he actually made the comment. None of the posts stemmed from reputable media sources, such as published biographies or scholarly articles.” As per the Snopes article, they searched a database of major news outlets using the phrases “Bob Marley” and “perfect woman”, and this was the closest result they could find:
You would think that a post so popular (with such profound words apparently said by Bob) would have some sort of reference online from a reputable & trustworthy source? But nope, nothing!
Looks like it’s not just myself and Snopes that agree. An article from Houston Press seems to think the same thing.
Here’s something interesting to consider - Bob had around 10 different kids, from multiple different women, all while remaining married to the first woman (Rita) - so I’m pretty sure relationship advice like this wasn’t exactly on the top of his lyrical agenda. Even if it was, I’m not sure he was the type of dude to take relationship advice from about who the perfect woman is. I mean, the dude straight up said “me entitled to all the queens” after being asked if he thinks he is entitled to more than just 1 queen. Bob sure was a lover man who loved women, and he wrote some beautiful love songs for sure, but I don’t believe that he spoke the words in the images above.
Also, If you read some of the things that Bob actually did say, and if you are familiar with the lyrics in his songs, you would probably pick up the differences quite quickly between a real and fake Bob Marley quote. It’s not the same person talking. I bet that if you had to ask Ziggy, Stephen, Damian, Rita, or any of Bob’s other kids, or partners/mothers to his children, or even The I-Threes - they would all say “No way, this is not Bob talkin'” (I bet you said that in a Rastafarian accent too?)
“Ok fine. Then why put ….by Bob Marley if it’s not actually by Bob Marley? Who would do that, and why?”
Good question, and one I have asked myself many times, and I do have a theory on why, which I’ll get to soon.
“But, like, if there are so many of these quotes circulating around the internet then surely some of them must be accurate?”
Hmm. Nope! Not necessarily. Remember that good old rumour that went around about Marilyn Manson removing one of his ribs (for obvious reasons)? Yea, I know you know, it even made Wikipedia. That rumour circulated globally around schools and homes (extremely successfully I might add) back in the days when the internet wasn’t even a thing yet. That’s how much power fake news and made up stories can have. Imagine what’s possible with the internet! Stuff like this. Stuff like fake Bob Marley quotes. Stuff like the Kentucky Fried Rat. Stuff like the McDonalds Chicken Head.
Seriously….how?
“Ok, but why why why? Why create these poems and lovely inspiring feel good quotes, and then falsely attach them to a well known famous artist who is now dead?”
I don’t know - maybe they just typed up some nice words and wanted to include a photo of someone cool next to the words? Who knows!?
But here is my theory:
To get attention. To be appreciated. For recognition. To be seen and heard. To get more likes and follows. What better way to grab people’s attention and gain their following, than to attach Bob Marley’s name to a bunch of inspiring words and sentences.
I honestly think that some people wanted their memes/sayings/pages/accounts to be recognised so badly, that they felt the need to attach a well known, respected and loved person to it. By slapping on a picture of Bob, and adding the words “by Bob Marley” people will be encouraged to like it and share it. Why? Well, because Bob said it! Right? And who doesn’t love a beautiful and inspiring quote from a beautiful and inspiring artist and man?
“Why Bob Marley though?” … Because everybody loves Bob Marley. That’s why.
“Why do people believe it though?” … Because they’re really comforting and inspiring words, that often do ring true for many who are reading them. Everybody knows that Bob was all about peace, love and harmony, so it’s more than easy to believe that these words might have been spoken by him.
“But Google says it’s true, so it must be true!”
#bobmarleyquotes ? More like #fakebobmarleyquotes
Wrong.
Google isn’t always right. Google simply gets it’s information from blogs and other articles that have been created on the internet. Algorithms and computer coding make this happen. If it’s there, it’s going to get picked up by Google. This is why we need websites like Snopes, because they actually do dig much deeper to find the truth.
Again, you would think that a post so popular would have a valid reference or source linking back to Bob, but nope! Nowhere to be found, because it doesn’t exist.
I’m sure that for most people out there reading this blog post, it’s just water off a duck’s back. But for many serious Bob fan’s, it’s a tad annoying to see it so much.
I am of course, happy to be wrong! So if anybody has any true source like a recorded or documented interview or something, any info whatsoever, anything at all (other than a shared social media post from your favourite uncle or aunty, of course), to prove that Bob said any of the words above, then please do share. I will gladly eat my words (and my hat) but I’m 99.99999% sure that I’m not wrong about this.
Oh, and if you’re the author of these lovely words, we’d love to know who you really are. It’s not that the words are bad or uninspiring, it’s just that Bob never said them. Whoever did write these words actually deserves some recognition for them I think. (Bob would have been proud of you too btw, yaa maaaaan)
If you’re somebody who has read out one of these poems before, or shared them online or even contributed to the plethora of encouraging likes/loves, shares and comments on them, then don’t worry. It’s not your fault! It was easy to believe, I know.
Things that Bob DID really say:
“Herb is a plant, I mean..herb so good for everyting. Why- why dese people who want to do so much good for everyone-- who call demselves governments and dis and dat, why dem say you must not use da herb??” As recorded in filmed interview (1979) with Dylan Taite in Aotearoa, New Zealand
“Possession make you rich? I don't have dat type of richness. My richness is Life, forever” As recorded in filmed interview for the Australian TV show 60 Minutes
Until the colour of a man's skin, is of no more significance, than the colour of his eyes - me say war” lyrics by Bob Marley, from the song War, off the Rastaman Vibration album (1976)
If you’re interested in hearing more talking by Bob, the Talkin’ Blues live album is a good listen. It’ll give you an insight into how he spoke.
For anyone interested, here is a comprehensive list of Bob’s songs with lyrics too. More interesting interviews with Bob can be watched here, here and here.
“If you’s baddy, then you bad, if you’s goody then you good”
I’ll leave it up to you to decide for yourself if you think that style of talking and writing from Bob is the same style as the words from the fake quote images above.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with some good advice for the future:
Bob Marley, photographed by Dennis Morris - www.dennismorris.com