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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.
Monkey Man
The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
I've seen no sign of you, I only heard of you
Huggin' up the big monkey man
I've seen no sign of you, I only heard of you
It's not lie, it's not lie
Them a tell me, you huggin' up the big monkey man
It's not lie, it's not lie
Them a tell me, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Now I know that, now I understand
You're turning a monkey on me
Now I know that, now I understand
You're turning a monkey on me
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
I've seen no sign of you, I only heard of you
Huggin' up the big monkey man
I've seen no sign of you, I only heard of you
Huggin' up the big monkey man
It's not lie, it's not lie
Them a tell me, you huggin' up the big monkey man
It's not lie, it's not lie
Them a tell me, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Now I know that, now I understand
You're turning a monkey on me
Now I know that, now I understand
You're turning a monkey on me
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
See you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
I've seen no sign of you, I only heard of you
Huggin' up the big monkey man
I've seen no sign of you, I only heard of you
Huggin' up the big monkey man
It's not lie, it's not lie
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
The Maytals’ song “Monkey Man” is about a woman who is cheating on her significant other with another man. The man singing in the song has not physically seen the woman cheating, but has only heard about it (“I’ve seen no sign of you, I only heard of you”). The woman is referred to as “huggin’ up the big monkey man,” which is a euphemism for embracing another man. The man singing is upset about the woman’s actions and feels like she has turned into a different person (“You’re turning a monkey on me”).
The song is an example of how Jamaican music often includes hidden meanings and double entendres. In this case, the lyrics use the metaphor of a “monkey man” to describe an unfaithful partner. The upbeat tempo and catchy melody of the song contrast with the serious subject matter, revealing the influence of both gospel and soul music on the ska and reggae genre.
Interestingly, the song has been covered by several artists over the years, including Amy Winehouse, The Specials, and No Doubt. Paul McCartney has also cited “Monkey Man” as one of his favorite songs, and included it on a playlist of songs that inspired him that he shared on his website.
Line by Line Meaning
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Expressing surprise and shock
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Accusing the listener of being unfaithful and cheating with another man
I've seen no sign of you, I only heard of you
Suggesting that the singer has no concrete evidence but has heard rumors about the listener's infidelity
Huggin' up the big monkey man
Emphasizing the listener's betrayal and painting the other man as an undesirable and lower-status figure
It's not lie, it's not lie
Asserting the truthfulness of the rumors
Them a tell me, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Reiterating the gossip that the singer has heard about the listener's affair
Now I know that, now I understand
Realizing the truth of the situation
You're turning a monkey on me
Feeling like the listener is humiliating and mocking the artist with the affair
See you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man
Continuing to accuse the listener of being unfaithful
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Frederick Hibbert
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lduranceau8046
I first heard this song in 1970, at a Jamaican party. I sent away to Jamaica for the album, which was not available in my area at the time. I treasured this record for many years. One of my all-time favorites. RIP Toots Hibbert, we'll always love you.
@dianal235
This cut is on a CD I bought at the airport as I was heading off to India to see Sri Karunamayi Divine Mother, and one of the first of such purchases I made after a lot of personal crises had been taken on by Her giving me the freedom to make my own choices, Jai Karunamayi! The album is WONDERFUL WORLD BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE 🙏🌏🌎🌍❤🕉️☮️🙏
BEAUTIFUL
@NYVoice
See ya Toots. Your musical footprint is firmly planted in history.
@90sbaby1
...its been a month??? God 😢
@elizabetheden2088
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@cristinarossi7367
Word!!!
@jackduncan4228
Toots was a genius. He wrote some of reggaes greatest songs.
@thomasbest8599
Pressure gonna drop on you
@mrcodhead67
Ah, man.
Bad news, today.
RIP Toots Hibbert and massive thanks for your music.
@elizabetheden2088
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