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 Shall Be Free
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know, oh yes, I know, I know, oh yes, I know, yeah
I'm going to live to see everyone free, free, free, free
I know, oh yes, I know, yeah, I know, oh yes, I know, yeah
I'm going to live to see everyone free, free, free

I read a Bible and I heard a song they sing
Oh Lord, I heard they're singing
They're singing Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Oh, but this is a little secret I know, I know that
So I got to tell you all that I know

I know, oh yes, I know, I know, oh yes, I know, yeah
I'm going to live to see everyone free
Oh yeah, yeah yeah, oh yeah, yeah
Oh yeah, everyone shall be free, free, oh yeah, oh yeah

I says a faith can move mountains and love can set it free
Faith and love combined and that's the way we have to be
No one's from creation, it's each man's destination
True love and faith we all must have everyday
We will never grow old

Oh yeah yeah yeah, oh yeah

Oh yeah, everyone shall be free, free, free
Oh yeah, free, free, free

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "I Shall Be Free" by Toots & The Maytals speak about the freedom that the singer believes is coming, a freedom that they will live to see. The repetition of "I know, oh yes, I know" emphasizes the certainty the singer has in this belief. The song draws on religious imagery with a reference to the Bible and songs of faith, and the multiple repetitions of "Amen" suggest a kind of prayer. The line "I know this is a little secret I know" could be interpreted as the singer feeling they are privy to knowledge that not everyone else has, perhaps a spiritual revelation.

The verses continue with the idea that faith and love can bring about freedom and the call to all people to have these qualities in their lives. The line "No one's from creation, it's each man's destination" could be understood as emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility and the agency each person has in shaping their own future. The song concludes with the repeated assertion that everyone shall be free.

Overall, the lyrics of "I Shall Be Free" express a hopeful vision of a future that is characterized by freedom and love, and encourages people to cultivate these qualities in their lives.

Line by Line Meaning

I know, oh yes, I know, I know, oh yes, I know, yeah
I am certain, without doubt, that I will live to see a time when everyone is free

I'm going to live to see everyone free, free, free, free
I am going to be alive when everyone is finally free of oppression and injustice

I read a Bible and I heard a song they sing
I have read a holy book and heard a gospel song

Oh Lord, I heard they're singing
The people around me are singing about their faith and hope

They're singing Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
They are expressing their agreement and belief in the message of the song

Oh, but this is a little secret I know, I know that
But I have a special understanding that not everyone else has

So I got to tell you all that I know
Therefore, I feel compelled to share my insight with others

I says a faith can move mountains and love can set it free
I believe that strong faith and love can overcome great obstacles

Faith and love combined and that's the way we have to be
Both faith and love are necessary and we must embody both in our actions

No one's from creation, it's each man's destination
No one is inherently better than anyone else, but we each have the potential to reach our own goals

True love and faith we all must have everyday
We must practice and embody love and faith every single day

We will never grow old
If we continue to have hope and work towards freedom, our spirit will never age or give up

Oh yeah yeah yeah, oh yeah
Yes, absolutely

Oh yeah, everyone shall be free, free, oh yeah, oh yeah
Yes, I strongly believe that everyone will one day be free from oppression and injustice

Oh yeah, free, free, free
Yes, completely free without any hindrance or restrictions

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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