Get Up, Stand Up – English Lyrics

• By: Bob Marley & The Wailers
• Album: Burnin’

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley & The Wailers offers a unique window into Jamaican Patois and the powerful messages of the Rastafari movement. The song's direct and repetitive chorus makes it an accessible starting point for understanding key phrases related to empowerment and fighting for one's rights. Beyond the lyrics, the song's rhythm and soul embody the spirit of reggae and its role in social and political commentary, making it a culturally rich and inspiring piece to learn from.

[English]

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

Get up, stand up, don't give up the fight

Preacher man, don't tell me heaven is under the earth

I know you don't know what life is really worth

It's not all that glitters is gold and

Half the story has never been told

So now you see the light

You stand up for your rights

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

Most people think, Great God will come from the sky

Take away everything and make everybody feel high

But if you know what life is worth

You will look for yours on earth

And now you see the light

I want you to stand up for your right. yeah

Get up, stand up

Stand up for your right

Get up, stand up

Don't give up the fight

Get up, stand up

Stand up for your right

Get up, stand up

Don't give up the fight

We sick an' tired of your ism-skism game

To dyin' and go to heaven in a Jesus' name

We know when we understand

Almighty God is a living man

You fool some people sometimes,yeah

But you can't fool all the people all the time

So now we see the light

We gonna stand up for our right

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right

Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right, yeah

Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right

Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right

Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stand /stænd/ A1	verb - to be in or rise to an upright position, supported by one's feet.
right /raɪt/ A1	noun - a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way.
fight /faɪt/ A2	noun - a violent confrontation or struggle. verb - take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons.
heaven /ˈhevən/ A2	noun - a place regarded in various religions as the abode of God or the gods and of the righteous after death.
earth /ɜːrθ/ A1	noun - the planet on which we live; the world.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
worth /wɜːrθ/ B1	noun - the value of something expressed in monetary or other terms.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively.
god /ɡɒd/ A1	noun - a superhuman being or spirit worshipped as having power over nature or human affairs; a deity.
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - be aware of (something) through touching.
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ A2	adjective - in need of sleep or rest; weary.
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ A2	verb - perceive the intended meaning of (words, a language, or a speaker).
fool /fuːl/ B1	verb - to trick or deceive (someone). noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person.

Key Grammar Structures

• Get up, stand up, stand up for your right

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ This line uses the imperative mood, which is used to give a command or instruction. The verbs "get up" and "stand up" are in their base form and directly address the listener to take action.

• Preacher man, don't tell me heaven is under the earth

  ➔ Negative Imperative and Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ "Don't tell me" is a negative imperative. The implied subjunctive suggests the speaker disagrees with the preacher's assertion about heaven. It's a rejection of a specific belief.

• It's not all that glitters is gold

  ➔ Cleft sentence (variation)

  ➔ This is a variation of the proverb "All that glitters is not gold". The use of "It's not all that glitters" emphasizes the misleading nature of appearances.

• Half the story has never been told

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive Voice

  ➔ The sentence uses the present perfect passive voice to indicate that the action of telling the story has not happened at any point up to the present. It implies that a significant part of the truth remains hidden.

• Most people think, Great God will come from the sky

  ➔ Future Simple (will)

  ➔ The "will" form is used to express a prediction or belief about a future event. In this case, it refers to the common belief that God will come from the sky.

• But if you know what life is worth

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1)

  ➔ This is the beginning of a Type 1 conditional sentence, which expresses a real possibility. "If" + present simple, the main clause will usually be in the future simple.

• You will look for yours on earth

  ➔ Future Simple (will) - consequence of condition

  ➔ Following the 'if' clause, this part of the sentence expresses the result or consequence of fulfilling the condition. 'Will' indicates a definite future action as a result.

• We sick an' tired of your ism-skism game

  ➔ Idiomatic expression and use of "of"

  ➔ "Sick and tired of" is an idiomatic expression meaning to be disgusted or annoyed with something. The preposition "of" follows the adjective phrase and introduces the object of that feeling (the "ism-skism game").