Three Little Birds

"Three Little Birds" is a song by Bob Marley. It was made in 1984. It was on the Legend album. It is a reggae song.^[2] It is the fourth song on side two of their 1977 album Exodus and was released as a single in 1980. The song reached the Top 20 in the UK, peaking at number 17.^[3] It is one of Marley's most popular songs and has been covered by numerous other artists. The song is often thought to be named "Don't Worry About a Thing" or "Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright", because they are strongly used in the chorus.

Marley's inspiration for the lyrics of "Three Little Birds" remains disputed. Some believe Marley was using birds as a metaphor for the way Jamaicans grew cannabis. Some believe the lyrics are partly inspired by birds that Marley was fond of that used to fly and sit next to his home.^[4] Tony Gilbert, a friend of Marley's when the song was written, said, "Bob got inspired by a lot of things around him. He observed life. I remember the three little birds. They were pretty birds, canaries, who would come by the windowsill at Hope Road."^[4] However, three female singers from the reggae group I Threes who did shows with Marley claim it is a reference to them.^[4] I Threes member Marcia Griffiths said, "After the song was written, Bob would always refer to us as the Three Little Birds. After a show, there would be an encore; sometimes people even wanted us to go back onstage four times. Bob would still want to go back and he would say, 'What is my Three Little Birds saying?'"^[4]

The song is written in the key of A major.^[5]

The opening verse of the song "Put Your Records On honors "Three Little Bird" by Bob Marley and the Wailers.^[6][7]