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).
Feel Free
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make you feel free
Something hidden inside
That really should come outside
So let's talk about what's hidden inside
That really should come outside
It will make you feel free
Someone is inside
But really wants to come outside
Just to talk about what's hidden inside
That really should come outside
It will make you feel free
It will make you feel free
Something is on your mind
That's keeping you so confined
So let's talk about what's on your mind
That really should come outside
It will make you feel free, yeah
Free at last
Hear the children sing, yeah
Make you feel free, yeah, free
It will make you feel free
Something is on your mind
That's keeping you so confined
So let's talk about what's on your mind
That really should come outside
It will make you feel free
Make you feel free
Free as a bird up in a tree
Free at last, free, free, free, at last, yeah
Sometimes you let me feel like I'm not real
I want to say I'm free at last
When I was out, you didn't take me in
When I was hungry, you gave me no food
Though I was thirsty, you gave me no water
Should feel free from all misery
The Toots & The Maytals song "Feel Free" encourages listeners to liberate themselves from their interior barriers by opening up and letting emotions and thoughts out. The song highlights how hiding one's true self and keeping negative thoughts and feelings inside can be oppressive and that talking about them can bring about freedom of mind and soul. The chorus repeats the idea of being "free" as a metaphor for speaking openly and relinquishing psychological burdens. Toots Hibbert, the composer, explores how internal constraints can provoke oppression and create chains that stifle us. Moreover, there are references to biblical texts, particularly when he refers to being "free at last," which was the critical remark of preacher Martin Luther King Jr.
The verses speak to the listeners who are suppressing some emotion or every fear that is avoiding them from being their genuine selves. The song suggests the remedy for this suppression is to identify the "something hidden inside" that "should come outside." In the last verse, Toots Hibbert identifies the external causes of oppression, such as the lack of care that society provides to its less fortunate members. Overall, the song is uplifting and inspirational in a way that encourages open communication and honesty, enabling listeners to attain freedom of mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Something hidden inside
There is something inside of you that you are keeping hidden
That really should come outside
That you should express or reveal to others
So let's talk about what's hidden inside
Let's discuss what you are keeping hidden
Someone is inside
There is a part of you that feels trapped
But really wants to come outside
That wants to be set free and expressed
It will make you feel free
Expressing what's within will bring a sense of liberation
Something is on your mind
You're preoccupied with something that is bothering you
That's keeping you so confined
That's keeping you from feeling free and unencumbered
Free at last
Finally unburdened
Hear the children sing, yeah
Celebrate the freedom with songs of joy
Sometimes you let me feel like I'm not real
Sometimes you make me feel disregarded, neglected, or unimportant
When I was out, you didn't take me in
When you were in need, others did not help you
Should feel free from all misery
We should all be free from emotional or physical pain and suffering
Free as a bird up in a tree
To have complete freedom and uninhibited movement
Contributed by Ian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.