# The Ghost of Rastamen Past

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ghost-of-rastamen-past/46178>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 18, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ghost-of-rastamen-past/46178 "2000-12-18T17:40:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ghost-of-rastamen-past/46178/1 "2000-12-18T17:40:20Z")

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So I’m wrapping Christmasn presents, got some Bob Marley on the stereo. Hey, it somehow fit - Marley’s dead to begin with, dead as a doornail. Anyway, the CD gets to his jolly old Christmas song about love and togetherness, “No Woman, No Cry”. Then it dawns on me that I have no idea what he meant.

The song starts “I remember when we used to sit / In the government yard in Trenchtown / There old George here would keep the fire lit” etc. Somehow I used to think the “government yard” had to be a prison, but that doesn’t seem to fit. So does anyone know what that is? Is there a city park in Kingston inhabited by people too poor for a shack in Trenchtown? If not, what else could it be, mon?

Off to cook some oatmeal porridge, of which I’ll share with you, if you can answer.

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ghost-of-rastamen-past/46178/2 "2000-12-18T17:44:30Z")

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Bob Marley ain’t dead, he’s just too fucking high to remember what planet he’s from

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**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2000, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ghost-of-rastamen-past/46178/3 "2000-12-18T23:26:42Z")

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According to the Dead People Server, [http://www.dpsinfo.com](http://www.dpsinfo.com) , Bob Marley is indeed dead, and has been since 1981.

I have no idea what the song means, however.

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**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2000, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ghost-of-rastamen-past/46178/4 "2000-12-19T02:03:41Z")

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Govenment Yard = Housing Project

No porridge, thankyouverymuch.