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).

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah
I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you
I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you
And if you ever say goodbye
And if you ever even try
I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you

I'm gonna love you more and more every day

I'm gonna love you more and more every day
And if you ever say goodbye
And if you ever even try
I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you

Gonna tell your mama
Tell your papa, too
So they'll know exactly
Just what I'm gonna do

If you ever say goodbye
If you ever even try
I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you

Oh, yeah

Gonna tell your mama
Tell your papa, too
So they'll know exactly
Just what I'm gonna do

If you ever say goodbye
And if you ever even try
I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you

I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you
I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals’s song, “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You,” are a depiction of heartbreak and the pain that follows the loss of a loved one. The artist expresses his emotions by stating that he is going to sit down and cry over the person he has lost, and even if that person expresses a desire to part ways, he will continue to love them more each day. The artist threatens to involve the lost lover’s parents in the situation by telling them exactly what he intends to do if the person ever tries to leave him.

The stanza analysis reveals that the artist is pouring out his emotions in response to the loss of the person he loves. He explains that he will sit down and cry if the person ever says goodbye or even tries to leave. Moreover, the artist says that he will love the person more and more each day, and he threatens to let the person’s parents know what he plans to do should the relationship come to an end.

The artist seems to be at a loss in the wake of a broken heart, and his emotional outburst is reflective of the impact that the loss has had on him. The lyrics show how deeply he feels and how hard it is for him to let go.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah
Expression of emotion

I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you
If you leave me, I'll be heartbroken

And if you ever say goodbye
If you break up with me

And if you ever even try
If you consider leaving me

I'm gonna love you more and more every day
My love for you will only continue to grow

Gonna tell your mama
I'll let your family know

Tell your papa, too
Including your father

So they'll know exactly
So they understand

Just what I'm gonna do
How I'll react if you leave me

Oh, yeah
Expression of emotion

I'm gonna sit right down and cry over you
Repetition of heartbreak