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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.
Bam Bam
The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want you to know that I am the man who
Fight for the right, not for the wrong
Going there, I'm growing there
Helping the weak against the strong
Soon you will find out the man I'm supposed to be
Help this man, don't trouble no man
What a bam bam
Bam bam
See that?
Bam bam
It will bring a bam bam
Can you see that?
Ah? (it will bring a bam bam)
What a bam bam (what a bam bam)
Can you see that? (what a bam bam)
Hear what I say (what a bam bam)
Yeah hey (what a bam bam)
(what a bam bam?)
This man, don't trouble no man
He know you go to nourish man
This man, don't trouble no man
This man is friend and is trying to trouble no man
That's if you trouble this man
It going to bring a bam bam
What a bam bam
Get a bam bam?
The Maytals's song Bam Bam speaks about a man who fights for what is right and just, and is against wrongdoings. The singer talks about growing and helping the weak against the strong. He believes that it's important to know the kind of man he's supposed to be, and he's striving to become the person he needs to be. The chorus warns people not to trouble this man, because if they do, it will bring a "bam bam." The stylised repetition of "bam bam" throughout the track functions as an onomatopoeic expression of violence, and a warning of the retaliation that could ensue.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a call to non-violent resistance, as the singer emphasizes that he does not want to trouble anyone, and instead wants to help and nourish others. The "bam bam" acts as a warning that if someone attempts to harm him, he will be forced to defend himself. This can be seen as a response to the systemic oppression faced by many people at the hands of those in power.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah?
The singer starts the song by calling out to the listener to pay attention
I want you to know that I am the man who
The singer is trying to establish himself as a person who stands up for what is right
Fight for the right, not for the wrong
The singer only fights for causes he believes are morally justifiable
Going there, I'm growing there
The singer is implying that he is constantly evolving and learning from the experiences he goes through
Helping the weak against the strong
The singer makes it clear he stands up for the weak and underprivileged against those who are powerful
Soon you will find out the man I'm supposed to be
The singer believes his actions will speak louder than his words in showing people who he really is
Help this man, don't trouble no man
The singer advises the listener to offer help to others and not get involved in any conflicts unnecessarily
But if you trouble that man it will bring a bam bam
The singer warns that if someone intentionally causes trouble for others, it will lead to a chaotic situation
What a bam bam
The singer is expressing how bad the situation can get
See that?
The singer is asking the listener to take notice of what he is saying
Bam bam
The phrase is repeated to emphasize the point of how bad the situation can get
Can you see that?
The singer is asking the listener to acknowledge the gravity of the situation
Hear what I say
The singer wants the listener to pay attention to what he is saying as it is important
Yeah hey
A phrase used to draw attention to an important statement
(what a bam bam?)
The singer repeats the phrase to emphasize the potential consequences of deliberately causing trouble for others
This man, don't trouble no man
The singer advises the listener to avoid getting into conflicts with someone who isn't looking for trouble
He know you go to nourish man
The singer suggests that helping others will lead to growth and development
This man is friend and is trying to trouble no man
The singer reiterates that the person being talked about is not looking for trouble
That's if you trouble this man
The singer suggests that if someone provokes this person, it will lead to problems
It going to bring a bam bam
The consequences of provoking someone might lead to a chaotic situation
Get a bam bam?
The singer sarcastically asks if the listener would want to experience the chaos that will come from causing trouble for someone else
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Frederick Hibbert
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aswadsaswad1759
Sister Nancys version was an unprepared freestyle when she was about 19 just messing around in a studio. Amazing really.
@DoRemember
If you look back at Reggae Hip Hop and R&B music there are alot of Artists who around the age of 19 created music that would carry them throughout the rest of their life, I find that interesting...
@davis2555
Sister Nancy did her bam bam directly after yellow man did his bam bam and they are very similar.
@aswadsaswad1759
@@davis2555 wow! yes it's very very similar most lyrics are the same as hers, I didn't know.
@JP-lw5xs
100% correct, live and di-rect
@drisko0007
This is one of the best songs ever written. Itโs incredibly soulfulโฆ
@Galidi1969
I agree with you!
@KherBiel
THE 2024 BAM BAM wishing y'all a healthy life wherever you are๐ค
@queen_of_domination
This song reminds me of my father. He loved this song. COVID-19 recently claimed his life.
@leejoliver
That b'staad took Toots too - terrible shame. I am sorry for your loss