The Big Fish Always Fall

I love listening to Robert Nesta Marley. Not just because I’m a dual Jamaican citizen through marriage. Not just because vibing with his works makes me feel deep. At first, his music and lyrics were simply calming. But one day, those words started to gain more weight—more relevance.

And then, one day, lyrics like those in Guiltiness struck a passion within me. Unlike my very Jamaican husband, I actually enjoyed One Love’s portrayal of Marley’s life. If his family was proud of the results, why shouldn’t I be? Then again, I was appalled at how Tupac Shakur’s movies were fumbled, so… I digress.

There’s a scene in One Love where Bob is working out song lyrics, and his beloved Rita Marley mocks him for his “woe to the downpressors” stance. “Sounds like you’re vexed!” she teases, speaking to his struggle of not making trauma the identity of his music.

That phrase—”woe to the downpressors”—dropped into my mind the other day, as randomly as could be. And I decided to follow those words down the rabbit hole of my thoughts.

Coming off the very Black empowerment Super Bowl performance of my absolute favorite—King Kendrick Lamar Duckworth—I kept thinking about how art has always carried a prophetic weight. Bob Marley’s lyrics and life were just as telling as his musical legacy. The same goes for Tupac Shakur, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Katt Williams, and honestly? I’d even add Shonda Rhimes. Because baby, the way Scandal was a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Even when these artists aren’t devout to scripture, they still tend to see the world through prophetic lenses.

History, scripture, and art have always carried the same warnings: oppression may reign for a time, but divine justice—poetic justice even—is inevitable.

The big fish will eventually be eaten by even bigger fish of societal, cultural, and populace consent. In other words, modern-day pharaohs who prosper while the oppressed suffer will always be overthrown in the most divine ways.

History repeats itself. Right now, we’re remixing pre-WWII dictatorial antics, and yet, just as sure as those patterns re-emerge, so will their inevitable end. Those who harm others to elevate themselves will always be brought to destruction. Pride before a fall—a redemption arc written into the fabric of existence.

But when I talk about biblical warnings, I can’t establish a standard without anchoring this in scripture:

The Bible doesn’t just provide insight into God’s will, intentions, and purposes. It also provides historical context—proof that His justice unfolds throughout time.

Beyond biblical history, the pattern continues:

Modern-day pharaohs have never heeded the warnings of their predecessors. But scripture tells us plainly:

Or, as Bill Murray put it in Ghostbusters:

For every cause, there is an effect. For every good deed, a good result. For every bad deed, a consequence. This is inevitable.

The artists I mentioned? They seem prophetic. But really, they’re just paying attention—to what has been, what is, and what inevitably will be.

To be seen as prophetic is to do one of two things:

There are plenty of biblical examples. But in modern times? True prophecy is hard to identify, because personal biases, ideologies, and motives cloud the message.

One thing I believe for sure? The Book of Revelation speaks of an ending not yet set in stone—it is shaped by human action, choice, and surrender. Will we turn back to our God Almighty or will we be destroyed? Time will tell.

History is prophecy through both biblical and academic contexts. And art? Art mirrors those same prophetic warnings.

Who knows—maybe some artists really are receiving divine downloads on how to interpret these patterns.

Bob Marley sings in Guiltiness:

The oppressors may fly high, but they always lose the wind beneath their wings. If you believe there’s a Higher Power (I honestly can’t see how you don’t, but we can debate that later), then you know—there is always a strategy, always a plan at work.

Right now, our nation is living out history’s old patterns in real time. But if we believe we will come out on the right side of history, then we must use those patterns to prepare for the battles ahead.

“These are the big fish who always try to eat down the small fish. But what happens when the tides turn?”

Because they will turn. Ask any fisherman, sailor, or oceanographer—they’ll tell you this is true.

The question is: What side of history will we be on?

We’ve been warned for decades.

Are we listening?