Wo, man, deh you are!
When the race gets hard to run,
It means you just can't take the pace.
When it's time to have your fun,
You find the tears run on down through your face,
Then you stop and think a little:
Are you the victim of the system?
Anyday now they gon' let you down;
Remember, Natty will be there
To see you through.

(I) And ain't it good to know (know) now:
Jah will be waiting there.
(I) Ain't it doggone good to know (know) , you all;
Jah will be waiting there.
Wait in Summer, wait in Spring,
Wait in Autumn, Winter thing,
(Tribe) goes up, all the tribe goes down:
Bring my children from the end of d'earth

Many a time I sit and wonder why
This race so - so very hard to run,
Then I say to my soul: take courage,
Battle to be won,
Like a ship that's tossed and driven,
Battered by the angry sea, yea-eah!
Say the tide of time was raging;
Don't let the fury fall on me, no, no!

(I) 'Cause I know (know) -know:
Jah will be waiting there;
(I) Ain't it good to know (know) now:
Jah will be waiting there. Wo-oo-o-oo-o! Ooh, yeah!
Lost and found, who speak I give;
Lost and found, who speak I give;
Speak I give, lost and found.
Lost and found, who speak I give;
Lost and found, who speak I give.


Lyrics submitted by wailers_564

I Know Lyrics as written by Bob Marley

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing

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I Know song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning

    This is my favorite song from the posthumous Confrontation album from 1983. I think it's better than "Buffafo Soldier". Once again, he tell us about Jah, and when everything looks bad, you can always turn to him, because it will be better later. Jah will be waiting there (In heaven). It sort of reminds of "I know a place", not only the title of the song, but also the lyrics.

    Comparation:

    "When the hole world let you down" / "are you the victim of the system"

    "I know a place!" / "Jah will be waiting there!"

    SimonTheGreaton June 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Honestly I like the music melodies in this song

    mikadoon October 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    best tunes

    mikadoon October 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Jah will be waiting for us here on earth ;) Heaven's a state of mind. Jah will be waiting there in the kingdom to come while we wait for babylon to fall. Correction :) Bless

    chillpillon November 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Aside from the "howling" voice style that is close on both songs, I don't agree with Simon that this song is similar to "I Know a Place": "When the hole world let you down" / "are you the victim of the system"

    "I Know a Place" is a happier, lighter tune, rhythmics included. I'd say that in "I Know", a part that defines well the general mood is "there's a place in the sun, where there is love for everyone". And in "I Know", maybe the part "Any day now they gonna let you down, remember Natty will be there". It's like the first focuses on being under the light, and the second one, in a more earthly process.

    To me, when Bob says: "are you a victim of the system" (emphasis are mine), he is being ironical. You are not. Other people are. And in the next sentence: "Any day now they gonna let you down", that's when you will become a victim of the system, and that's when Jah will be waiting to see us through. But that's just the way I hear it, of course.

    I like Chillpill comment that Jah will be waiting for us here on Earth. That's also how I always heard this song. But the sentence "Bring my children from the end of earth" always puzzled me. He might be talking about the judgement day. Or he might be asking spiritual support for the "battles to be won".

    This song is from the posthumous album Confrontation. On Wikipedia, they say many songs from this album were re-mixed, or copied and pasted from different versions, but we don't get any specific info on this song. I would very much like to know in which period was this song recorded, and if there were posthumous modifications...

    ivan109290on April 06, 2017   Link

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