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).
Six And Seven Books Of Moses
Toots & The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He wrote them all
From Genesis and Exodus
Leviticus and Numbers
Deuteronomy and Joshua
Judges and Ruth
He wrote them all
And the six and the seven books
He wrote them all
From Genesis and Exodus
Leviticus and Numbers
Deuteronomy and Joshua
Judges and Ruth
And the six and the seven books
He wrote them all
And the six and the seven books
They wrote them all
And the six and the seven books
They wrote them all, they wrote them all
The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals's "Six And Seven Books Of Moses" speak to the authorship of the first seven books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch. The song attributes the writing of these books, which are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges, to a singular figure. Some interpret this figure as the prophet Moses, who is traditionally credited with writing the first five books of the Bible, while others see it as a nod to the many authors and editors involved in the creation of these foundational texts.
The lyrics of the song emphasize the significance of these books, which detail the creation of the world, the history of the Jewish people, and the laws and commandments they are meant to follow. The song repeats the phrase "He wrote them all" to highlight the importance of this text and possibly to convey a sense of reverence or awe. Overall, the lyrics can be seen as a celebration of the written word and the power of storytelling to shape history and culture.
Line by Line Meaning
And the six and the seven books
Refers to the six books of the Old Testament that were written by Moses, as well as the seventh book, which contains laws and historical narratives.
He wrote them all
Moses wrote the books, guided by divine inspiration.
From Genesis and Exodus
Refers to the first and second books of the Old Testament, containing stories of creation, human origin, and the Israelites' early history.
Leviticus and Numbers
Refers to the third and fourth books of the Old Testament, containing laws, instructions for worship, and lists of the Israelite tribes and census figures.
Deuteronomy and Joshua
Refers to the fifth and sixth books of the Old Testament, containing Moses' final speeches and instructions before his death, and the Israelites' conquest of Canaan under Joshua's leadership.
Judges and Ruth
Books of the Old Testament that recount stories of Israel's history after the conquest of Canaan.
They wrote them all
The Israelites, inspired by God and guided by prophets, wrote additional books that form part of the Old Testament.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT, CLEMENT DODD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bukelwamonare4657
From Genesis and Exodus
Leviticus and Numbers
Deuteronomy and Joshua
Judges and Ruth
And the six and the seven books
He wrote them all
And the six and the seven books
He wrote them all
From Genesis and Exodus
Leviticus and Numbers
Deuteronomy and Joshua
Judges and Ruth
And the six and the seven books
He wrote them all
And the six and the seven books
They wrote them all
And the six and the seven books
They wrote them all, they wrote them all
@babalwasiko680
Reminds me of my late aunt's gramophone playing this tune on repeat on Sundays way, way back. That's when I fell in love with soulful music.
@TheCerealHobbyist
Listening on September 12, 2020 - one of the saddest days in the history of Reggae. The man was a genius and a wonderful soul.
@necksonUtube
Listening in Nigeria. That 1976 album “Reggae Got Soul” which included this song is to me the best music album ever. All the songs on the album were gold. Indeed Toots Hibbert was a genius. On behalf of the humanity, I thank Toots & The Maytals for their gift, their gift of music, to us. We have all been enriched by them. Sail on Toots Hibbert. Rest In Peace. There might not be beer in heaven but there’s surely music. Bob and Michael and Whitney and Marvin are awaiting your arrival. Greet them with a kiss. Godspeed.
@shirleymcdermott5257
SIP Toots remembering your music as a teenager my cousin and I always look out to grab at the wonderful songs you were coming with if I was the first to hear it would be mine if was him then it was his we enjoyed your music well ,you have left us a legacy ,you were loved and still loved we miss you we have lost an icon you are sadly missed
@patrickngobeni9711
May the Angels welcome His sprits He was a great good legend
@nhloniphokhoza9949
,
@mogwerarichardtsatsengseng1103
Early 80s I listened to this amd it still gets me in the right spirit.
@geoffreymamiala7478
In1980 I knew nothing about reggae music, until I heard this song. Even then, by sheer chance. Today, I don't like reggae, I just love it.
@girlthombi6370
I like this song, it reminds me of my late baby daddy ,he used to play it thousands times, my his soul rest in peace
@nathanielmasau6665
Greetings from the Fiji Islands. 15 October,2020.Grew up,listening to this Jamaican reggae band. Only Jimmy Cliff, Third World, Inner Circle and UB40 has been to our shores..