Bob Marley was tired. Honestly, by 1978, the man had every right to be. He’d survived an assassination attempt in Jamaica, lived through a self-imposed exile in London, and was being pulled in a dozen different directions by politicians, gangsters, and record executives. People wanted him to be a revolutionary. Others wanted him to be a pop star.
Then came Kaya.
Critics at the time—the kind who liked their reggae with a side of Molotov cocktails—hated it. They called it "soft." They said Marley had sold out because he was singing about love and "easy skanking" instead of burning down Babylon. But they weren't listening to the end of the record. If you let the needle run to the final track, you hit a song called Time Will Tell.
It’s not a party song. It’s a warning.
The Quiet Power of Time Will Tell
Most people think of Bob Marley as the "One Love" guy, the face on the beach towel. But Time Will Tell shows the side of Bob that was a mystic. It’s the closing track on Kaya, and it functions like a cold bucket of water after a long, hazy afternoon.
The song is built on a folk-roots lilt. It's sparse. No heavy brass sections, no flashy guitar solos—just a haunting, repetitive rhythm and lyrics that feel like they were pulled straight from an ancient scroll.
When Bob sings, "Jah would never give the power to a baldhead," he isn't talking about hair loss. In Rasta culture, a "baldhead" is someone who works for the system—the "Babylon" structure of oppression. He’s basically saying that while these people might think they’re in charge right now, their power is a facade. It’s temporary.
"Think you're in heaven but you're living in hell."
That’s a heavy line. It’s a direct shot at people who are comfortable in a corrupt system. You might have the money, the house, and the status, but if it’s built on someone else’s suffering, you’re in a spiritual cage. Bob knew it. He lived it.
Why Time Will Tell Was a "Fuck You" to the Critics
To understand why this song matters, you have to look at the context of 1978. Jamaica was basically in a civil war between the JLP and the PNP. Marley had been shot in his own home just two years prior. When he released Kaya, people expected Exodus 2.0. Instead, they got songs about rain and ganja.
But Time Will Tell was his way of saying: "I don't need to shout to be revolutionary."
The song implies a cosmic justice. You don't always have to fight the system with a fist; sometimes you just wait for the system to eat itself. Time is the ultimate judge. That philosophy is deeply rooted in the Nyabinghi tradition—the oldest "mansion" of Rastafari. It’s about spiritual resistance.
Key Lyrical Moments
- "Run come crucify the dread": This is a direct reference to how the media and the government treated him. They wanted to pin him down, label him, and ultimately destroy his influence.
- "Time alone, oh, time will tell": It’s the ultimate "we’ll see." It removes the ego from the struggle. Marley isn't saying he will win; he’s saying the truth will win.
The 1992 Documentary and the Legacy
In 1992, a documentary also titled Time Will Tell was released. It’s a bit of a weird film, directed by Declan Lowney. It’s not your typical "born in a shack, became a star" biopic. Instead, it uses Marley’s own interviews to tell the story.
It’s fragmented. Kinda messy. But it works because it mirrors the song’s energy. The film ends with "Get Up, Stand Up," but the title—Time Will Tell—sets the tone for the whole thing. It frames Marley not just as a musician, but as a prophet whose words would only appreciate in value as the decades passed.
And they have.
Looking at the world in 2026, the song feels more relevant than ever. We live in an era of instant gratification and "cancel culture" where everyone wants justice now. Marley’s track argues for the long game. It suggests that the truth is a slow-moving river, but it eventually carves through the rock.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often lump this song in with his "chill" tracks because the tempo is slow. That’s a mistake.
If you listen to the backing vocals by the I-Threes (Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt), there’s a mournful, almost ghostly quality to them. It sounds like a funeral for the current world order.
It’s also important to note that Kaya and Exodus were recorded during the same sessions in London. This wasn't a "new, soft Bob." It was just the other side of the same coin. While Exodus was the call to action, Kaya (and specifically Time Will Tell) was the internal spiritual preparation for that action.
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Actionable Insights for the Modern Listener
If you’re looking to actually "get" what Bob was doing with this track, don't just put it on a "Reggae BBQ" playlist.
- Listen to the album in order. The transition from the distorted, frantic ending of "Running Away" into the calm, prophetic "Time Will Tell" is intentional. It’s the sound of someone finding their center in the middle of a storm.
- Read the lyrics like poetry. Forget the melody for a second. Read the words. It’s a critique of power dynamics that applies to modern corporate structures just as much as it did to 70s Jamaican politics.
- Watch the live versions. There’s a specific intensity in Bob’s eyes when he performs this. He wasn't "easy skanking" here. He was delivering a message.
Basically, the song is a reminder that you don't always need to win the argument today. The truth doesn't need a PR firm. It just needs time.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the "hell" of modern life, maybe take a page out of Bob's book. Stop trying to control the narrative. Let the baldheads have their moment in the sun. Just remember: time alone, oh, time will tell.
To really dive into this era of Marley's life, track down the 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Kaya. It includes the "Smile Jamaica" B-side, which gives even more weight to the defiant spirit Bob was carrying during these sessions. After that, go back and listen to "Running Away" immediately followed by "Time Will Tell"—it’s the best one-two punch in reggae history for understanding the psychology of a man under fire.