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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.
Pomps And Pride
The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cryin out (cry out)
Calm down (calm down)
Have your pomps and pride
Calm down (calm down)
Calm down (calm down)
Have your pomps and pride
Everybody just
Calm down (calm down)
Have your pomps and pride
Is it an opulin, Iceland, calm down
Have your pomps and pride
For today, today, today is a happy day
For tonight tonight, can be another night
Do re mi fah so la te do
Everybody's just crying crying
Sighing sighing
Dying to see the light
And when they see it, they see it's not bright
Can this be right?
Everybody just
Calm down (calm down)
Calm down (calm down)
Have your pomps and pride
Is it an opulin, Iceland, calm down (have no idea what he says here)??
Calm down
Have your pomps and pride
The lyrics of The Maytals's song "Pomps And Pride" convey a message of urging people to calm down and let go of their ego and self-importance. The repeated phrase "cryin out, calm down, have your pomps and pride" suggests that there is excessive emotional turmoil and a need for individuals to find inner peace and serenity.
The use of the words "pomps and pride" implies a sense of vanity and self-obsession that often leads to unnecessary conflict and distress. By emphasizing the need to calm down and let go of these pompous attitudes, the lyrics encourage listeners to embrace humility and a more balanced state of mind.
The line "Is it an opulin, Iceland, calm down" is somewhat ambiguous and open to interpretation. It could be suggesting that material wealth or extravagant lifestyles won't bring true happiness and contentment. Instead, it implies the importance of finding inner peace and tranquility, regardless of external circumstances.
The lyrics also touch upon the idea that happiness is not confined to a single day or night. The phrase "For today, today, today is a happy day, for tonight tonight, can be another night" implies that happiness can be found in each present moment. It suggests a continuous cycle of finding joy and contentment, regardless of the specific time or situation.
The usage of the musical scale "do re mi fah so la te do" suggests a playful and lighthearted tone, contrasting with the seriousness of the message. It serves as a reminder that life is not solely about worries and struggles; there is also room for enjoyment and finding the light within oneself.
Overall, "Pomps And Pride" encourages individuals to let go of their superficial and ego-driven tendencies, find inner peace, and embrace each moment with a sense of humility and contentment. It reminds us that true happiness can be achieved by letting go of unnecessary desires and focusing on the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody just
All individuals
Cryin out (cry out)
Expressing distress or anguish
Calm down (calm down)
Relax and remain composed
Have your pomps and pride
Retain your extravagant displays and excessive self-esteem
Calm down (calm down)
Relax and remain composed
Calm down (calm down)
Relax and remain composed
Have your pomps and pride
Retain your extravagant displays and excessive self-esteem
Everybody just
All individuals
Cryin out (cry out)
Expressing distress or anguish
Calm down (calm down)
Relax and remain composed
Have your pomps and pride
Retain your extravagant displays and excessive self-esteem
Is it an opulin, Iceland, calm down
Unknown meaning
Have your pomps and pride
Retain your extravagant displays and excessive self-esteem
For today, today, today is a happy day
The current moment is a joyous occasion
For tonight tonight, can be another night
The upcoming evening can offer another opportunity
Do re mi fah so la te do
Unknown meaning
Everybody's just crying crying
All individuals are expressing distress
Sighing sighing
Displaying disappointment or exhaustion
Dying to see the light
Desperately yearning for enlightenment or hope
And when they see it, they see it's not bright
Upon witnessing it, they realize it lacks brilliance
Can this be right?
Questioning the correctness or validity of the situation
Everybody just
All individuals
Calm down (calm down)
Relax and remain composed
Calm down (calm down)
Relax and remain composed
Have your pomps and pride
Retain your extravagant displays and excessive self-esteem
Is it an opulin, Iceland, calm down
Unknown meaning
Calm down
Relax and remain composed
Have your pomps and pride
Retain your extravagant displays and excessive self-esteem
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RJ-og3cu
I did not grow up on this music, I found it on my own, I could not be happier, yet also sad I did not find it sooner.
@donnamaria4882
Better late than never, right...reggae forever :-)
@tanguyfabeck8128
Rest easy Toots, thanks for what you have brought to the music world 🙏💖
@Gretsch52
RIP Toots Hibbert. A great loss indeed.
@tmooxo7957
This song never fails to sort my head out. Rest in rhythm king x
@whut-da
Concur. It's the greatest feel-good song ever written.
@shelonibryan2097
Who else listening this music in 2020...☝️
@clarabellmurray9577
Me
@jojimaya3516
Me bro , Me ✌️👍
@bojonerewel
me from indonesia ✌🏻