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).
Louie Louie
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
A fine girl, who waited for me.
I catch a ship across the sea.
I sailed the ship all alone.
I wondered when Im gonna make it home.
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Three nights and days I sailed the sea.
I think of the girl constantly.
On the ship, I dream she there.
I smell the rose thats in her hair.
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
I see jamaican moon above.
See the girl Im thinking of.
I take her in my arms and then
Say Ill never leave again.
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Oh, I gotta go now.
Uh-huh I gotta go.
The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals' song Louie Louie describe a man who has fallen in love with a woman and must leave her to catch a ship across the sea. He spends three nights and days sailing while thinking constantly of the girl he left behind, dreaming she is still with him on the ship. He even imagines he can smell the rose in her hair. Finally, he sees the Jamaican moon above and realizes he must return to the woman he loves. He takes her in his arms and promises never to leave again.
While the lyrics are fairly simple, they convey a sense of longing and devotion. The repetition of the chorus, "Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go," emphasizes the man's urgency to return to the woman he loves. The use of the word "gotta" instead of "have to" or "need to" adds a sense of necessity to the situation.
Overall, the lyrics to Louie Louie are a classic example of a love song that uses simple language and repetition to convey a powerful emotion. The song has been covered by numerous artists and has become a standard of ska and reggae music.
Line by Line Meaning
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
I have to leave now, my love.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Just an expression of emotion or excitement.
A fine girl, who waited for me.
I had a beautiful girl who waited for me while I was away.
I catch a ship across the sea.
I boarded a ship to cross the sea.
I sailed the ship all alone.
I navigated the ship by myself.
I wondered when Im gonna make it home.
I constantly thought about when I would be able to return home.
Three nights and days I sailed the sea.
I spent three whole days and nights sailing on the sea.
I think of the girl constantly.
I constantly thought about the girl who waited for me.
On the ship, I dream she there.
I dreamed she was there with me on the ship.
I smell the rose thats in her hair.
I remember the scent of the rose she wore in her hair.
I see jamaican moon above.
I see the Jamaican moon shining above.
See the girl Im thinking of.
I see the girl I've been thinking about.
I take her in my arms and then
I embrace her with all my love.
Say Ill never leave again.
I promise that I will never leave her again.
Oh, I gotta go now.
Sadly, I have to leave now.
Uh-huh I gotta go.
I have to go, no matter how much I don't want to.
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.