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).
In The Dark
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Riddle me, riddle me that
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
In the dark, you live your life
In the dark, you cheat and lie
In the dark, you want to fuss and fight
In the dark, you will get no life
Listen, people tell me love, love is true
People tell me love, what love can do
You keep on telling me love and then sleep
That's when you try to turn your back on me
I'm so lonely and so blue
I keep on loving no one but you
I wonder where you go, I wonder where you are
And I know one day soon you'll wanna (break my heart)
C'mon c'mon baby
The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals's song In the Dark speak about the deceptive nature of life, love and existence. The opening lines of 'riddle me this, riddle me that' and 'I bet you don't know just where I'm at' create a sense of confusion and mystery around the subject matter, which is further emphasized in the following lines. The song goes on to talk about living life in the dark, where people cheat and lie, as well as the desire to argue and fight. However, the darkness offers no solace, as it offers no real life.
The song then goes on to talk about love, staying true and the notion of it being a transformative force that can change lives. The singer is aware of the power of love, which prompts them to wonder why their partner would turn their back on them in sleep. The lyrics further explore feelings of loneliness, wondering about the whereabouts of the partner, and expressing their love for them. The song concludes with the foreboding warning of the partner breaking their heart, indicating the vulnerability that comes with love and relationships.
Overall, the song is a thoughtful and introspective exploration of the dark, problematic and often confusing aspects of love and existence. It underscores the need for honesty, openness, and authenticity in relationships, and serves as a warning to be mindful of the pitfalls of living life in the dark.
Line by Line Meaning
Riddle me this, riddle me this
I challenge you with this riddle
Riddle me, riddle me that
Can you solve this puzzle?
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
You most likely don't know where I am
In the dark, you live your life
You lead a hidden and dishonest life
In the dark, you cheat and lie
You deceitfully deceive and falsify
In the dark, you want to fuss and fight
You desire to argue and quarrel
In the dark, you will get no life
Your life will be dull and unremarkable
Listen, people tell me love, love is true
I hear from others that love is real and genuine
People tell me love, what love can do
I hear people speak of love and its capabilities
You keep on telling me love and then sleep
You keep suggesting love, then ignore me
That's when you try to turn your back on me
You attempt to abandon me in my hour of need
I'm so lonely and so blue
I feel sad and alone
I keep on loving no one but you
I continue to love you and no one else
I wonder where you go, I wonder where you are
I am curious of your whereabouts
And I know one day soon you'll wanna (break my heart)
I have a strong feeling you'll eventually betray me
C'mon c'mon baby
Come here baby, let's work this out
Contributed by Taylor V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kevin54469
riddle me this, riddle me this
riddle me, riddle me that
i bet you donβt know just where iβm at
in the dark, you live your life
in the dark, you cheat and lie
in the dark, you want to fuss and fight
in the dark, you will get no life
listen, people tell me love, love is true
people tell me love, what love can do
you keep on telling me love and then sleep
thatβs when you try to turn your back on me
iβm so lonely and so blue
i keep on loving no one but you
i wonder where you go, i wonder where you are
and i know one day soon youβll wanna (break my heart)
Come on, Come on baby
Come back to me, yeah, yeah
Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me, riddle me that
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me, riddle me that
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me, riddle me that
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
I'm hearing and i know one day soon you'll wanna hurt my heart or maybe break my heart but many sites show the lyrics to that line as I know one day soon you'll want to come back home
Tell me what you people hear is it come back home or hurt my heart or break my heart????
@OCTOPUSSY91210
Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me, riddle me that,
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
In the dark, there ain't no light
In the dark, (Lord) you cheat and lie
In the dark, you want to fuss and fight
(Hey, hey) In the dark, you will get no light
(Listen) People tell me love, love is true
They tell me love, what love can do
You keep on telling me love, endlessly
That's when you try to turn your back on me
I'm so lonely, I'm so blue
Good God, I keep on loving no one but you
No matter where you go, no matter where you roam
I know one day soon you'll want to come back home
Come on, Come on baby
Come back to me, yeah, yeah
Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me, riddle me that
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me, riddle me that
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me, riddle me that
I bet you don't know just where I'm at
@polakorafa
It's impossible to me listening this song and don't feel good. For me Toots & the Maytals are among the greatest music bands all times. Rest in Peace friends and thank you to made so many people happy trough yours songs. Greetings from Brazil.
@wellstonsanford5750
Rest in eternal peace, our great brother Mr Toots Hibbert.
@myaslesultandebergame7955
Aminπ
@claudiasheran4594
I remember playing this record over and over on my record player when i was a teenager, still lovin it to this dayβ€β€β€
@MCHadebe
and me also I was using a galaxy record player π
@myaslesultandebergame7955
Gospel for life,reggae for ever...
a Frenchie fanππ€
Kisses from France and take care ππππ
@sophiaphillips7435
RIP Tootsβ¦your music will live on forever!
@charmainestewart1363
One of my favorite from Toots. I'm so lonely and so blue Good God I keep on loving no one but you. Sleep well Toots.
@rm1133
Toots & the Maytals.....one of the most underrated groups of all-time. Great song after great song after great song; they don't quit
@winstonmiller9649
This one is my philosophical favourite by Toots and Maytals.