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).

Gee Whiz
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh no, I never believe you
Oh no, I didn't recieve you
Oh no, I never believe you
I never believe what you say

I say
Gee Whiz, look what you told me
gee whiz, look how you tell me, tell me, tell me,

gee whiz, look how you tell me
look how you tell me a lie

That's why I say
Oh yeah...look what you do me
Oh yeah...look what you do me, do me, do me
Oh yeah...look what you do me
Look what you're doing to me

I said
break up (x3)...break up your fall the ground

I say break up, break up...break up your falling down
break up, break up...break up your fall to the ground

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals's song "Gee Whiz" appear to be about the betrayal and disappointment of a loved one's lies. The repetition of "Oh no, I never believe you" and "I never believe what you say" suggests a loss of trust, while "Gee Whiz, look how you tell me a lie" highlights the shock and sorrow of being deceived. The following verse, "Look what you're doing to me" suggests that the deception has caused emotional harm and possibly even a breakdown in the relationship.

The chorus continues the theme of deception, with the addition of the phrase "look what you do me," suggesting that the lies are not just words but actions that have tangible consequences. The repeated phrase "break up" could be interpreted as a call to end the relationship, but in the context of the song it seems more likely to refer to a desire to break free from the pain and negativity caused by the lies.

Overall, "Gee Whiz" is a poignant exploration of the impact of deception on a relationship, with Toots & The Maytals's soulful vocals giving voice to the hurt and confusion that often accompanies such betrayal.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh no, I never believe you
I do not trust you or what you say.

Oh no, I didn't receive you
I did not understand or acknowledge your previous communication.

Oh no, I never believe you
I still find it hard to believe anything you say.

I never believe what you say
Your word is not credible.

Gee Whiz, look what you told me
An expression of shock or surprise at the falsehoods being presented.

gee whiz, look how you tell me, tell me, tell me,
A continuation of the singer's astonishment at the dishonesty being repeated.

gee whiz, look how you tell me
The continued use of this expression emphasizes the gravity of the situation.

look how you tell me a lie
The artist is expressing frustration and anger at the dishonesty of the other person.

Oh yeah...look what you do me
The artist is using sarcasm, emphasizing the negative impact of the other person's lies.

Oh yeah...look what you do me, do me, do me
The artist is highlighting the repetition of this harm.

Oh yeah...look what you do me
The singer is frustrated and hurt by the other person's actions.

Look what you're doing to me
The artist is expressing their dismay at the harm being caused by the other person's lies.

break up (x3)...break up your fall the ground
This is an unclear set of lyrics potentially meaning the singer is telling the other person to end their own destructive behavior before they cause more harm to themselves.

I say break up, break up...break up your falling down
Continuing the unclear set of lyrics, the singer may be suggesting that the other person stops engaging in harmful behavior before it affects them more.

break up, break up...break up your fall to the ground
The singer may be advising the other person to stop lying to themselves and face reality to break their own cycle of harmful behavior.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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