No Woman, No Cry

First Line:

′Cause I remember when a we used to sit

Artist & Tune

Composed by:

Bob Marley

Reference

Genre:

reggae

Culture:

Jamaican

About the Song

This song was first recorded by Bob Marley & the Wailers in 1974 on their "Natty Dread" studio album. The best know version is a live recording released on their 1975 "Live!"

"The song is sublime in that he asks the women not to cry over the fates/killings of the protestors who died in Trenchtown (a neighborhood of Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica, often viewed as the birthplace of reggae). But to rejoice. The feet, the body is only a vessel for the soul. The soul is transcendent. He asks them to remember the good times when we imbibed for pleasure. And to remember, again, when we smoked for the courage to sit. No don't cry. Rejoice. For what the men gave you need to be proud. They sacrificed for the betterment of us all. They stood up not because they wanted glory. They stood/sat because they could not back up any further. So, no don't cry woman. Rejoice." from lyricinterpretations.com

Original Bob Marley lyrics:

No, woman, no cry (4x)

′Cause I remember when a we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Observing the hypocrites (yeah!)
Mingle with the good people we meet (yeah!)

Good friends we have
Good friends we have lost along the way (yeah!)
In this great future you can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I say

No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry. Eh, yeah!
A little darlin', don′t shed no tears
No, woman, no cry. Eh!

Said I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown (yeah!)
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
I say, log wood burnin′ through the nights (yeah!)

Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
I say, of which I'll share with you (yeah!)
My feet is my only carriage
And so I′ve got to push on through

But while I'm gone
Everything′s gonna be all right! (8x)

Wikipedia Entry

Alt Lyrics

Here are the lyrics sung by Fugees:

(spoken by Wyclef Jean):
A dedication to all the refugees worldwide
One time say, say, say

I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Brooklyn.
Observing the crookedness
As it mingled with the good people we meet.
Good friends we had, Good friends we've lost
Along the way.
In this great future you can't forget your past
So dry your tears I say & to my peeps who passed away

No woman, no cry
No woman no cry, say say say.
Hey little sister don't shed no tears
No woman no cry say say say.

I remember when we used to rock
In a project yard in Jersey,
And little Georgie would make the firelight
As stolen cars passed through the night
And then we'd hit the corner store
For Roots, paper & brew.
My drink's my only remedy
For pain of losing family, but while I'm gone Shorty,

Everything's gonna be alright (2x)
Fugees come to the dance tonight, everything's gonna be alright,
O everything's gonna be alright (2x)
The gun man's in the house tonight,
But everything's gonna be alright.

Oh ah oh ah (8x)

I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown.
Obsercing the hypocrites as they mingled
with the good people we meet
Good friends we had Oh good friends we've lost
Along the way hey.
In this great future, You can't forget your past
So dry your tears I say

And no woman no cry. No woman no cry say say say.
Hey, little sistser, don't shed no tears
No woman no cry and to my peeps who passed away