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).
Pain In My Heart
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's treating me cold
Where can my baby be?
Lord, no one knows
Pain in my heart
Just won't let me sleep
Where can my baby be?
Another day, as again it is though
I want you to come back, come back
Come back, baby, 'til I get enough
A little pain in my heart
Just won't let me be
Wake up at restless nights
Lord and I can't even sleep
Stop this little pain in my heart
Another day as again it's rough
I want you to love me, love me, love me
Baby, 'til I get enough
Pain in my heart, a little pain in my heart
Stop this little pain in my heart
Stop this little pain in my heart
Someone stop this pain
Someone stop this pain
The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals' song Pain In My Heart express the pain and longing of a lover whose partner has left them cold and alone. The repetition of the line "Where can my baby be? Lord, no one knows" emphasizes the uncertainty and desperation of not knowing where their loved one is or if they will ever return. The singer is tormented by the pain in their heart that won't let them sleep or rest, as they plead for someone to stop the pain.
The lyrics also convey a sense of hopelessness and frustration as the singer declares "Another day, as again it is rough" and begs their partner to come back "until I get enough". The repetition of "love me, love me, love me" suggests a yearning for affection and connection, while the phrase "just won't let me be" emphasizes the all-consuming nature of the pain in their heart.
Overall, the lyrics of Pain In My Heart are a powerful expression of heartbreak and longing, capturing the raw emotions of a lover left alone and in pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Pain in my heart
I am feeling emotional pain.
She's treating me cold
My lover is being distant and unaffectionate towards me.
Where can my baby be?
I don't know the whereabouts of my lover.
Lord, no one knows
I feel helpless and alone in my search for my lover.
Just won't let me sleep
My emotional pain is keeping me awake at night.
Where can she be?
I'm still searching for my lover's location.
Another day, as again it is though
Every day feels the same without my lover by my side.
I want you to come back, come back
I am desperate for my lover to return.
'Til I get enough
I won't stop wanting my lover until I feel satisfied with our relationship.
Just won't let me be
My emotional pain is constant and overwhelming.
Wake up at restless nights
I am unable to get a good night's sleep due to my emotional distress.
Stop this little pain in my heart
I wish I could stop feeling emotional pain over my lost love.
I want you to love me, love me, love me
I am pleading for my lover to give me affection and attention.
Someone stop this pain
I wish someone could help me escape this emotional turmoil.
Contributed by Mackenzie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jayduer9616
Thank you for sharing this 😍 I haven't heard this in a few years. As soon as I heard it I had tears in my eyes but I love it so much! Rip Toots
@MarleyJane42
Pain in my heart today
Rest in power Toots ✊🏼
One love ❤️💛💚
@CheikhTidianeNDAO
Rip Toots. One love
@ericericson3411
In the late 70s and early 80s, I remember thinking about reggae as a kind of quirky, novelty-type music until one evening, with some great friends and a bit of chemical enhancement, Toots & The Maytals "Monkey Man" was playing and, although having heard that song many times before, I heard it that night in a way that literally gave me goosebumps--I felt like I finally GOT IT. I felt an "understanding" of the allure of what ultimately turned out to be my favorite musical genre and words cannot adequately express how that genre has over the years brought me so much joy. I'll always have a special place in my heart for Mr. Hibbert and I hope he took solace in his final days knowing that he was one of those rare individuals who truly made this crazy world a better place. RIEP, Mr. Hibbert...
EDIT: Saw him perform many times, but the first time-which also happened to be my first time experiencing a reggae performance in concert-was when he and the Maytals opened for Santana in San Francisco, CA, and I remember at the time being struck with the fairly intense call-and-response going on between Toots and various members of the audience. It was reminiscent of a church revival-type atmosphere, and at that juncture I was thinking I was listening to the Jamaican version of Otis Redding.
@MarleyJane42
Eric Ericson ❤️❤️❤️😍
@yolandamcclure8315
Pain In my just won’t let me be !!
@Barzini548
Rest in Power Legend
@CheikhTidianeNDAO
soulful!
@chottstuff
What album did this cover originally come out on?
@CheikhTidianeNDAO
Yo!nice tune & so awesome!Thanks a lot,welcome.Bless