Toots and The Maytals are from Kingston, Jamaica. It was the producer Byron Lee who 1971 renamed them Toots & the Maytals. Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the leader of the group and the lead singer, 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 drug possession charges.
Following Hibbert's release from jail towards the end of 1967, the band 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" 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.
Toots and the Maytals' compositions 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.
In 2005, the band won a Grammy award for best reggae album for True Love, consisting of re-recorded versions of their classics alongside legendary musicians such as Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards, as well as popular artists such as No Doubt, Ben Harper, The Roots, and Shaggy.
They also contributed to the Easy Star All-Stars album 'Radiodread' (a dub tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer).
In 2016 Toots and the Maytals announced a return to the stage with their first tour in 3 years,[35] and on June 15 at The Observatory North Park in San Diego the group returned to the stage for the first time since 2013.
In 2017 Toots and the Maytals played Coachella Fest April 16 and 23 at 4:20 pm. They became the second reggae-based group to perform at the Coachella festival, after Chronixx in 2016.
In 2018, Toots and the Maytals launched a 50th anniversary tour with concert appearances in North America from April to August, moving to dates in the UK starting in October.
On July 25, 2018 Toots and the Maytals debuted an original song entitled "Marley" live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and also played the classic "Funky Kingston".
On August 24, 2018 Toots and the Maytals performed at Lockn’ Festival in Arrington, Virginia, where guest Taj Mahal accompanied them on the song “Monkey Man”.
Frontman "Toots" Hibbert died on 12 September 2020.
I Shall Be Free
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
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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
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
The lyrics to Toots and The Maytals’ song “I Shall Sing” express a hopeful optimism about the future of humanity. The performer proclaims their belief that they will live to see a world of absolute freedom for everyone - “I’m going to live to see everyone free, free, free” - and imparts a message of faith and love as the most potent forces for change. The mentioning of the Bible and the refrain of “Amen” suggests a religious influence on the message, but the song also seems to emphasize the personal responsibility that each individual has in working towards a better world: “No one's from creation, it's each man's destination.”
Overall, the song conveys a sense of conviction and motivation for creating a better world, with the singer seemingly convinced that this future is not only possible but inevitable. The repetition of “I know” underscores that conviction, suggesting that the artist is certain of their vision and capable of bringing people together to work towards this shared goal.
Line by Line Meaning
I know, oh yes, I know, I know, oh yes, I know, yeah
I am certain that I will live long enough to witness every individual living without inhibition and living freely without constraints.
I'm going to live to see everyone free, free, free, free
I am optimistic about my own mortality as my lifespan will traverse the moment where everyone has been unshackled from whatever kind of oppression they are currently facing.
I read a Bible and I heard a song they sing
I am an ardent follower of organized religion, and I have heard the inspirational music that they propagate there.
Oh Lord, I heard they're singing
They sing to the glory of the deity, and I have heard this euphonic melody.
They're singing Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
The song is a repetitive invocation of the divine, using the word 'amen' at multiple intervals to underline this feeling.
Oh, but this is a little secret I know, I know that
However, I am privy to a personal insight that I must share with people.
So I got to tell you all that I know
Therefore, in order to share my knowledge with people, I need to communicate the same.
Faith and love combined and that's the way we have to be
If we are victorious in combining faith and love as a singular element in life, only then can we lead an optimal life.
No one's from creation, it's each man's destination
Nobody knows their origin story, but everyone has the same final point to reach in this journey of life.
True love and faith we all must have everyday
Therefore, it is essential for every individual to practice true love and faith in their lives each day.
We will never grow old
If we carry on practicing the values of love and faith, we will always remain young at heart and fresh in our mindset.
Oh yeah yeah yeah, oh yeah
I am enthusiastic and positive about the fact that everyone will be living with freedom eventually.
Oh yeah, everyone shall be free, free, oh yeah, oh yeah
I remain optimistic about the future of humanity, where everyone will be set free of all limitations and will be living free forever.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind