Bob Marley And The Wailers – Duppy Conqueror Live At Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, CA (1973) - Reloaded from Mundo Ricardo

The Wailers

'Duppy Conqueror'

Yes, me friend
We de a street again
Yes, me friend, me good friend
Them say we free again

The bars could not hold me
Force could not control me, now
They try to keep me down
But Jah put I around
Yes, I've been accused, many a times
And wrongly abused now
But through the powers of the Most High
They've got to turn me loose

Don't try to cold me up on this bridge, now
I've got to reach Mount Zion
The highest region
If you a bull-bucker
Let me tell you this
I'm a duppy conqueror, conqueror

Yes, me friend, me good friend
We de a street again
Yes, me friend, me good friend
Them say we free again

Don't try to cold me up on this bridge, now
I've got to reach Mount Zion
The highest region
So if you a bull-bucker
Let me tell you this
I'm a duppy conqueror, conqueror

Yes, me friend
Them say we're free again
Yes, me friend, me good friend
Them set de a street again

Don't try to show off
Fi make you friend dem laugh, what a la-la!
For i will cut you off
And i will take the last straw
even tho...
I'm crying, yes me friend
We deh a street again
Yes me friend, me friend, me friend
Dem set me free again
The bars could not hold me
Force could not control me now

For the real intrigued, meaning line by line...

Overall Meaning

Bob Marley's song Duppy Conqueror speaks to the essence of triumph, having been falsely accused and charged, imprisoned, and subsequently released, he tells the story of strength, perseverance, and resilience. The lyrics reveal how he overcomes the odds against him using the higher powers of the Most High as his guiding force. Despite having been accused and wrongfully abused, Bob Marley is undeterred and ready to take on the world once again, defying anyone who dares stand in his way. Marley speaks to the idea of overcoming the barriers that have been engineered to hold one down and relentlessly fighting until they are free.

In the song, Bob Marley uses his Jamaican dialect called patois, to convey his story and the message of the song. The song employs a lot of imagery that is typical of Bob Marley's music, mainly symbols of Rastafarianism, a religion that Marley converted to. The song also employs a lot of wordplay and puns typical of Jamaican patois. Bob Marley also uses this song to encourage and motivate his listeners to keep pushing, fighting for their freedom or liberation, despite any barriers they may face along the way.

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Line by Line Meaning

Yes, me friend, me friend
The singer is rejoicing that he has been set free and has his friends back with him.

Dem set me free again
The singer has been released from captivity once again.

Me deh 'pon street again
The singer is back on the street, enjoying his freedom.

The bars could not hold me
Although imprisoned, the artist's willpower was stronger than the physical barriers of the jail cell.

Force could not control me now
The authorities attempted to overpower the artist with physical force, but they failed.

They try to keep me down
The authorities attempted to keep the singer imprisoned and oppressed.

But God put me around. Yeah!
The singer attributes his liberation to divine intervention.
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Yes, I've been accused
The artist has been falsely accused of wrongdoing.

Wrongly abused now
The artist has been mistreated and oppressed unfairly.

But through the powers of the Most High
The artist's strength and liberation came from a higher power.

They've got to turn me loose
Regardless of the authorities' attempts to keep him imprisoned, the singer will eventually be liberated.

Don't try to cold me up on this bridge, now
The artist warns others not to impede his journey to the spiritual realm.

I've got to reach Mount Zion
The singer is determined to reach the ultimate spiritual destination.

The highest region
The singer's ultimate goal is to reach the highest point of spiritual enlightenment.
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If you a bull-bucka
The singer is addressing those who try to bring him down or block his path.

Let me tell you that
The artist is warning those who attempt to impede him that he is unbreakable.

I'm a duppy conqueror, conqueror
The artist is a warrior who has triumphed over the spirits of the dead.

We deh a street again
The singer is back out on the street with his friends.

Don't try to show off
The singer cautions others not to try to impress or mock him.
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Fi make you friend dem laugh, what a la-la!
The artist warns others not to make fun of him and his situation.

For i will cut you off
The artist will cut ties with anyone who tries to bring him down.

And i will take the last straw
The artist will not tolerate any further disrespect or mistreatment.

I'm crying, yes me friend
The singer is emotionally overwhelmed by the support of his LOYAL friends.