I’ve compiled some of the most memorable Lucky Dube quotes.
Lucky Philip Dube was born on August 3, 1964, and died on October 18, 2007. He was a South African reggae artist and Rastafarian who was widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of all time.
Lucky Dube is South Africa’s best-selling reggae musician, having released 22 albums in Zulu, English, and Afrikaans over a 25-year period.
As a boy, Dube worked as a gardener, but as he grew older and realized he wasn’t earning enough to sustain his family, he began to attend school. With the help of some friends, he formed “The Skyway Band.”
He discovered the Rastafari movement while in high school. Dube joined his cousin’s band, The Love Brothers, at the age of 18, performing Zulu pop music known as mbaqanga while supporting himself by working as a security guard at the Midrand auto auctions for Hole and Cooke.
Despite the fact that Dube was still in school, the band recorded their first album during his school holidays in Johannesburg. Lucky Dube and the Supersoul was the title of the album. Soon after, the second album was released, and this time Dube wrote some of the lyrics in addition to singing.
Lucky Dube’s second reggae album, “Think About The Children,” was certified platinum in 1985, establishing him as a popular reggae musician in South Africa as well as drawing recognition outside his homeland.
Lucky Dube was murdered by armed robbers in Rosettenville, a Johannesburg suburb, on October 18, 2007. He was driving his Chrysler 300C, which was being targeted by the robbers. According to police sources, he was shot dead by carjackers who did not recognize him and mistook him for a Nigerian. Five men were arrested in connection with the murder; three were convicted, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison on March 31, 2009.
18 Lucky Dube Quotes
- “Music has that power because music is not like politicians. Music is always there. Politicians come in every four or five years, lie to the people, get what they want at that time, and disappear, but music is there every time. It can change the world.”
2. “The holy book tells us the truth will set us free but in this world, I know different, this is a terrible truth. If you stand for the truth you will always stand alone.”
3. “I asked the policeman and said how much must I pay for my freedom? He said to me, son they won’t build no schools anymore. They won’t build no hospitals. All they’ll build will be prison, prison.”
4. “Reggae is not just one message. It is a lot of messages to different people in different situations – reggae is relevant to their situation.”
5. “Cause those that tell the truth are always on the run…Oh God.”
6. “Look at me you see black. I look at you, I see white. Now is the time to kick that away and join me in my song.”
7. “They were created in the image of God and who are you to separate them? Bible says, he made man in his image but it didn’t say black or white.”
8. “I saw that in South Africa, you could not do reggae, as the then apartheid government didn’t like it. It was scary – even listening to Peter Tosh or Bob Marley as you could disappear if the government caught you listening to it.”
9. “All he dreams about is the freedom of the nation when every man will be equal in the sites of the law.”
10. “I chose music. It got me in trouble with my mother. She wanted a doctor or a lawyer in the family. When she heard that I wanted to do music as a career, that wasn’t her idea of a future for me.”
11. “Somebody told me about it when I was still a little boy. He said to me, crime does not pay he said to me, education is the key.”
12. “A beautiful woman is another man’s plaything. Oh lord, I’m hurting now.”
13. “Hey you government never try to separate the people. Hey you politician, never try to separate the people.”
14. “The judges gave your mother a letter that is keeping me away from you. Don’t worry, you are never far from me.”
15. “They run away to another country cos they thought things would be better for them up there in the month of December they got married in Chicago and it was all the same everywhere they went heads will turn.”
16. “The policeman said to me, son they won’t build no schools anymore. All they’ll build will be prison.”
17. “Do you believe in the truth? Do you believe in righteousness? Do you believe in innocent till proven guilty?”
18. ” 2. “Better to be alone and happy than being with someone and be unhappy all your life.”
My favorite Lucky Dube quotes are, “The holy book tells us the truth will set us free but in this world, I know different, this is a terrible truth. If you stand for the truth you will always stand alone.” and “Reggae is not just one message. It is a lot of messages to different people in different situations – reggae is relevant to their situation.”