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Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the leader of the group, was born in May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica. He was the youngest of seven children. He grew up singing gospel music in a church choir, but moved to Kingston in 1958 at the age of thirteen. In Kingston, Hibbert met Henry "Raleigh" Gordon and Nathaniel "Jerry" McCarthy, forming in 1962 a group whose early recordings were incorrectly attributed to "The Flames" and "The Vikings" by Island records in the UK.
The Maytals first had chart success recording for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One. With musical backing from Dodd's house band, the legendary Skatalites, the Maytals' close-harmony gospel singing ensured success, overshadowing Dodd's other up-and-coming vocal group, The Wailers. After staying at Studio One for about two years, the group moved on to do sessions for Prince Buster before recording with Byron Lee in 1965. With Lee, the Maytals won their first Festival Popular Song Competition with "Bam Bam". However, the group's musical career was interrupted in late 1966 when Hibbert was arrested and imprisoned. Toots states that he was not arrested for ganja but while bailing a friend. He also states that he made up the number 54-46 when writing 54-46 That's My Number about his time in jail.
Following Hibbert's release from jail towards the end of 1967, the Maytals began working with Chinese-Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, a collaboration a string of hits throughout the late sixties and early seventies - "Do the Reggay", a 1968 single widely credited with coining the word reggae, "Pressure Drop", "54-46" the 1969 Jamaica festival's popular song winner, "Sweet & Dandy" and "Monkey Man", the group's first international hit in 1970 . In 1972 they won their third Jamaica festival popular song with "Pomps & Pride". The group was also featured in one of reggae's greatest breakthrough events - The Harder They Come, the 1972 film and soundtrack starring Jimmy Cliff, named as one of Vanity Fair's Top 10 Best Soundtracks of all time.
Following Kong's death in 1971, the group continued to record with Kong's former sound engineer, Warwick Lyn; the group released three best-selling albums produced by Lyn and Chris Blackwell of Island Records, and enjoyed international hits with Funky Kingston in 1973 and Reggae Got Soul in 1975. Following the release of "Reggae Got Soul", Toots & The Maytals were invited to tour as the warm-up act for The Who during their North American Tour. The tour went poorly and Toots & The Maytals never went on the success of Bob Marley or Peter Tosh in the US.
Toots and the Maytals' compositions would be given a second airing in 1978-80 during the reggae-punk and ska revival period in the UK, when The Specials included "Monkey Man" on their 1979 debut album and The Clash produced their version of "Pressure Drop". They were also included in the Bob Marley and the Wailers song, *Punky Reggae Party". "The Wailers will be there, The Damned, The Jam, The Clash, The Maytals will be there, Dr. Feelgood too".
Having toured throughout the world for many years, Toots and the Maytals disbanded in the early 1980s, but reformed in the early 90s to continue touring and recording successfully. Sublime recorded cover versions of some Maytals songs in the 1990s as well.
The group recently won the 2005 Grammy award for best reggae album True Love, an album consisting of re-recorded versions of their classics alongside popular and legendary musicians such as Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, as well as popular artists today such as No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Roots, and Shaggy.
In 2006, they recorded a reggae/ska version of Radiohead's Let Down for the tribute album, Radiodread, by the Easy Star All-Stars. The album is a complete song for song makeover of the English rock band's album OK Computer into reggae, dub and ska. Let Down has been frequently cited by reviewers as one of the successes of the album.
A follow up to 2004's Love was being recorded in 2005 and released in 2007, and featured re-workings of classics such as "Johnny Cool Man" as well as new material. Light Your Light was nominated for the Grammy in the category Best Reggae Album.
Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away September 11, 2020 at age 77.
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The Maytals Lyrics
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Listen what I say (listen what I say)
I said hear me now (I said, yeah)
Listen what I say (listen what I say)
I said, "Stick it up, mister"
Hear what I say, sir
Get your hands in the air, sir
Do what I say, sir, ah
Just what I mean sir
Get your hands in the air, sir
Then you will get no hurt, no
I said, yeah (I said, yeah)
Listen what I say (listen what I say)
I said hear me now (I said, yeah)
Listen what I say (listen what I say)
Second thing they say, I must join the office
Third thing they say, "Son, give me your number now"
He say, "What's your number?", I don't answer
He say, "What's your number, man?", I don't answer
He say, "What's your number now?"
He say "What's your number now?"
I said, "Fifty-four, forty-six, that's my number", whoa
Fifty-four, forty-six, that's my number, one more time
Fifty-four, forty-six, that's my number, whoa
Fifty-four, forty-six, that's my number
I said, yeah (I said, yeah)
Listen what I say (listen what I say)
I said hear me now (I said, yeah)
Listen what I say (listen what I say)
Ba-da-da, dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, dee, da-da-dee-da
Ba-da, dai-dai, day-day, day-da-da-dee-da
Dee-da-dai-da, day-da-day-da, day-da-day-da, day-da-day-da
Da-da-da, dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, de-dee-dee
Dee-da-da-da-da, dai-da-da-da-da
Dee-da-da-da-da-da
I said, yeah (I said, yeah)
Listen what I say (listen what I say)
I said, yeah (I said, yeah)
Listen what I say (listen what I say)
Stick it up, mister
Hear what I say, sir
Get your hands in the air, sir
You will get no hurt, sir, me say
Turn out your left pocket
Ah, give me a clean shirt, sir
Take off your shirt, sir
I not want no racket now
Stick it up, mister (I said, yeah)
Hear what I say, sir (I said, yeah)
Get your hands in the air, sir (I said, yeah)
Then you will get no hurt, mister, oh oh (I said, yeah)
Yeah (I said, yeah)
Whoa, yeah, yeah, yeah (I said, yeah)
Stick it up, mister now (I said, yeah)
Hear what I say, sir
The Maytals' song, "54-46 Was My Number," is a reggae classic that reflects on the singer's experience of imprisonment. The song begins with an introduction that emphasizes the singer's command and authority as he urges the audience to listen to his words. The first verse encourages a person to surrender to the authorities to avoid harm. The message is to put your hands up and follow their instructions to stay safe. The second verse refers to the singer's experience of being incarcerated, where he is asked to give his number. The singer responds by giving his prison number, "54-46" asserting his freedom as well as his identity.
The song's repetitive lyrics and infectious rhythm make it a quintessential piece of reggae music. "54-46 Was My Number" has an inspiring story that reflects the experiences of many black Jamaicans who suffered police brutality at the time. The song is a political statement on human rights and freedom, which is very relevant today. Despite the serious underlying theme of the song, the cheerful tone and upbeat rhythm make it a favorite among music lovers. The song has become an anthem of hope for those who suffered police brutality.
Line by Line Meaning
I said, yeah
The singer affirms the importance of his message and expects the listener's attention
Listen what I say
The singer urges the listener to pay close attention to his words
I said hear me now
The singer repeats his call for attention while emphasizing the importance of his message
Stick it up, mister
The artist demands compliance from the person addressed, implying a threat of violence if not followed
Hear what I say, sir
The artist stresses the importance of his demand and expects compliance
Get your hands in the air, sir
The singer orders the person addressed to raise their hands as a sign of surrender
Then you will get no hurt mister, ah
The singer implies that if the person addressed complies, they will not be harmed
Do what I say, sir, ah
The artist reiterates his demand and warns of the consequences of noncompliance
Just what I mean sir
The artist clarifies that there are no alternatives to his demand, and compliance is the only option
Second thing they say, I must join the office
The artist refers to the societal expectations imposed on him
Third thing they say, "Son, give me your number now"
The singer describes an encounter with a stranger who harasses him to disclose his private information
He say, "What's your number?", I don't answer
The artist implies that he exercises his right to privacy and denies the stranger's request
He say, "What's your number, man?", I don't answer
The singer repeats his refusal to disclose his personal information, asserting himself against another's unwanted intrusion of his privacy
He say, "What's your number now?"
The stranger persists in his demand despite the singer's repeated refusal
I said, "Fifty-four, forty-six, that's my number", whoa
The singer reveals his personal information while implying that it is irrelevant to the stranger's request
Ba-da-da, dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee, dee, da-da-dee-da...
The lyrics feature a brief instrumental section
Turn out your left pocket
The artist commands the person addressed to reveal the contents of their pocket, implying a search for valuables or drugs
Ah, give me a clean shirt, sir
The singer demands a change of clothes from the person addressed
Take off your shirt, sir
The singer orders the person addressed to remove his shirt, indicating an intention to search or humiliate
I not want no racket now
The artist denies any interest in trouble or conflict, ending the song on a hopeful, nonviolent note
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Frederick Hibbert
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind