Wedding reading
He’s Not Perfect
Author unknown — widely misattributed to Bob Marley
“He’s Not Perfect” by Author unknown — widely misattributed to Bob Marley is a prose reading read at a wedding ceremony. It takes about 45 seconds read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is still in copyright, so the words are not reprinted here — the reader brings a printed copy.
Why the words are not printed here
Do not read Bob Marley’s name over it. It is in none of his songs, interviews or documented writing, and nobody has traced it back past quote-site reposts; the Marley credit was attached long after the fact. No one has established who did write it either, so there is no licensed copy to buy. If the couple want it, bring the wording they mean and introduce it as "author unknown".
Pieces still in copyright are listed by title and author only — we name them and tell you where to get them, but we do not reproduce the words. Public-domain text is printed in your script in full.
What it is about
Everyone has seen it with Bob Marley’s name on it. He did not write it — say so, or say nothing.
Read at a wedding ceremony. Themes: he is not perfect · choosing each other anyway · a young couple · misattributed to Bob Marley · author unknown · short.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “He’s Not Perfect” take to read aloud?
“He’s Not Perfect” takes about 45 seconds read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “He’s Not Perfect”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “He’s Not Perfect” runs about 45 seconds, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.
Can “He’s Not Perfect” be printed in a ceremony script?
Not by us. It is still in copyright, so we name it and point you at a copy rather than reprinting the words. Do not read Bob Marley’s name over it. It is in none of his songs, interviews or documented writing, and nobody has traced it back past quote-site reposts; the Marley credit was attached long after the fact. No one has established who did write it either, so there is no licensed copy to buy. If the couple want it, bring the wording they mean and introduce it as "author unknown".
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the vows, the ring exchange, the pronouncement — and the timing that holds them together. Answer some questions about the couple and get the whole ceremony, written out, with this reading in its place.
Other readings that suit the same service
- from a letter to Fanny Brawne, 13 October 181925 secondsJohn Keats
- On marriage, from The Devil's Dictionary — five definitionsa minute and a halfAmbrose Bierce
- Marry Your Best Frienda minute and a halfN’tima Preusser
- Love Is Friendship Caught Fire40 secondsAttributed to Ann Landers
- Oh, the Places You'll Go!a minute and a halfDr. Seuss
- On Marriage, from The Propheta minute and a halfKahlil Gibran