Originally called simply The Maytals, are considered legends of ska and reg… Read Full Bio ↴Originally called simply The Maytals, are considered legends of ska and reggae music. They are from Kingston, Jamaica. Their sound is a unique, original combination of gospel, ska, soul, reggae and rock. Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the leader of the group, was born in May Pen in the Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica. He was the youngest of seven children. He grew up singing gospel music in a church choir, but moved to Kingston in 1961 at the age of sixteen.

In Kingston, he met Henry "Raleigh" Gordon and Nathaniel "Jerry" McCarthy, forming a group whose early recordings were attributed to "The Flames" and, possibly, "The Vikings". Having renamed the group the Maytals, the vocal trio recorded their first album, "Never Grow Old - presenting the Maytals", for producer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One in 1962-63. With musical backing from Dodd's house band, the legendary Skatalites, the Maytals' close-harmony gospel singing ensured instant success for the 1964 release, overshadowing Dodd's other up-and-coming gospel trio, The Wailers. The original album augmented by studio out-takes from the Studio One sessions was re-released by Heartbeat/Rounder Records in 1997, and is essential listening for Maytals and Skatalites fans.

After staying at Studio One for about two years, the group moved on to do sessions for Prince Buster (released in 1974) before recording their second album produced by Byron Lee in 1965. However, the band's musical career was rudely interrupted in late 1966 when Hibbert was arrested and imprisoned on drugs possession charges.

Following Hibbert's release from jail towards the end of 1967, the band officially changed their name to Toots and the Maytals and began working with Chinese-Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, a collaboration which produced three classic albums and 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 was my number" and "Monkey Man", the group's first international hit in 1970. The group was featured in one of reggae's greatest breakthrough events - The Harder They Come, the 1972 film and soundtrack starring Jimmy Cliff.

Following Kong's death in 1971, the group continued to record with Kong's former sound engineer, Warwick Lyn; produced by Lyn and Chris Blackwell of Island Records, the group released three best-selling albums, and enjoyed international hits with "Funky Kingston" in 1973 and "Reggae Got Soul" in 1976.

The compositions of Toots & the Maytals (also known as Toots and the Maytals) 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", with other Maytals' covers being recorded by Sublime. 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.

The band recently won the 2005 Grammy award for reggae for the 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.

They also contributed to the album 'Radiodread' (a tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer).

Are You Mine
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Are you mine?
I need no one but you, you
Are you mine?
I need no one but you, you
Are you mine?
Yes my darling, I really want you so, so
Are you mine?
And I will never, never let you go

Are you mine?
My darling, yes my darling, I really love you so, I want you to know
Are you mine?
Your and I passion in seas of white yeah???
Are you mine?
Your little kisses towards me honey, your kisses will keep me warm
Are you mine?
So I picked up your soft heart as I looked up in the tide, I want you to know
Are you mine?
Yes my darling, don't you know I really love you so
Are you mine?
And I will never, no my darling, I will never let you go
Are you mine?

As I look into your eyes, heaven knows that I really want you in my heart someday
Are you mine?
Oh yeah, I want no one but you
Are you mine?
I need no one but you, you
Are you mine?
My darling, yes my darling, I really want you so, I want you to know that I love you
Are you mine?
Love you true and no one else will do, tell me baby
Are you mine?
That you love me so, won't you please tell me that you want no one but me, me, tell me baby
Are you mine?
That you love me true, won't you please tell me, baby you make me cry
Are you mine?
You're you're you're you're you're you 're you're you're mine, you make me cry
Are you mine?

Tell me tell me tell me tell me baby, baby you want no one but me
Are you mine?

Overall Meaning

Toots & The Maytals's song "Are You Mine?" is a beautiful, romantic note. It talks about the love and affection the singer has for his partner. He is deeply in love with her and doesn't need anyone else but her. The repeated question "Are you mine?" signifies his eagerness to know if she feels the same way about him. He is insecure about losing her and reassures her of his love by saying he will never let her go.

The lyrics indicate the singer's confidence that the woman he loves is the one for him. He is searching for validation from her that she wants to be with him forever. The line "I want you to know that I love you" emphasizes how deep his love is for her. The imagery of the sea and tide portrays their love as powerful and everlasting. He finds her kisses irresistible and they give him a sense of warmth and comfort. The song ends on an affectionate note where he assures her that she is his and expresses his joy and love for her.

Line by Line Meaning

Are you mine?
The singer is asking if their love interest belongs to them.

I need no one but you, you
The singer says they only need their love interest to be happy.

Yes my darling, I really want you so, so
The singer expresses their strong desire for their love interest.

And I will never, never let you go
The singer promises to never leave their love interest.

Your and I passion in seas of white yeah???
The singer refers to the love they share as being pure and uncontaminated like the color white.

Your little kisses towards me honey, your kisses will keep me warm
The singer describes how their love interest's kisses make them feel loved and comforted.

So I picked up your soft heart as I looked up in the tide, I want you to know
The singer recalls the moment they fell in love with their love interest and wants them to know how much they mean to them.

That you love me so, won't you please tell me that you want no one but me, me, tell me baby
The singer asks their love interest to affirm their love and commitment to the relationship.

You're you're you're you're you're you 're you're you're mine, you make me cry
The singer is overwhelmed with emotion and expresses how much their love interest means to them.

Contributed by Adam Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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