bob marley no woman no cry?

Question

im a big fan of bob but i suddenly wondered what does he mean in this song? like is it no woman! no cry as in dont cry or is it meaning if there arent women in the world then there would be no crying?

Answer 1

He's saying 'Don't cry' to the woman in his song.

"Hey, little sister don't shed no tears."

Hope this helped =]

Answer 2

The first meaning is correct.

Who is "the woman" in the song?

There are many theories.

The song is credited to a "V. Ford" as songwriter, along with Bob Marley. This guy, a friend of Marley, was a poor man who lived in a slum in Jamaica. (The only reason Bob credited him is so he would get some money from royalty cheques.) Apparently when Ford was terminally ill, his wife was at his bedside crying and Ford said "no woman, no cry" to her, which inspired Marley to write the song.

Another view is that she is Rita, Bob's wife. Bob Marley had a strong premonition that he would die young, and wrote this song almost as a future comfort to her.

Answer 3

Telling his little sister not to cry probably because she is sad due to illness, hopelessness or something else. Bob Marley smoked weed rather than crying.

Answer 4

If you don't have a woman in your life you won't have a reason to cry (there won't be anyone to leave you, cheat on you etc).