Jamaican ska vocal group The Maytals became a reggae band in 1971, renamed … Read Full Bio ↴Jamaican ska vocal group The Maytals became a reggae band in 1971, renamed Toots and The Maytals with Toots Hibbert (Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert) as front figure. The band won a 2005 Grammy award for the album True Love. Funky Kingston in early 70s is on Rolling Stone's list The Greatest Albums of All Time. The bass line in "54-46" is one of the most covered in pop music. Songs such as "Monkey Man", "Pressure Drop", "Bam Bam", among others, made them favorites for the early skinhead movement of white working-class youth in UK.

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.

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Toots and The Maytals Lyrics

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I know we can make it if you don't break up our true love
Things will be better if we stick together all of our life
There is a fountain flowing with milk and honey for you
Life will be better, we can make it together, oh yes, we can

I'm singing, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I'm singing, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

They say you're getting out of your head
You should try and hold up instead, ooh
You say you're getting out of your head
Why you keep on worrying yourself?

Keep worrying yourself, so much
If your love is mine then let me know

You say you're getting out of your head
You should try and hold up instead
You say you're getting out of your head
Why you keep on worrying yourself?

Keep worrying yourself, so much
If your love is mine then let me know

I know we can make it if you don't break up our true love
Things will be better if we stick together all of our life
There is a fountain flowing with milk and honey for you
Life will be better, we can make it together, oh yes, we can

I'm singing, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I'm singing, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I'm singing, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

I'm singing, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I'm singing, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Toots and The Maytals's song "I Can't Believe" convey a message of unity and perseverance in a relationship. The singer of the song is speaking to their partner, assuring them that their love can withstand any obstacles if they stay committed and don't break up. The lines "Things will be better if we stick together all of our life" and "Life will be better, we can make it together" emphasize the importance of staying together and supporting each other through difficult times.

The singer also describes a "fountain flowing with milk and honey" that awaits their partner, suggesting that there is abundance and prosperity available to them if they stay together. This metaphor can also be read as a reference to the biblical Promised Land, adding a spiritual dimension to the song's message.

The repeated refrain of "la, la, la" throughout the song creates a sense of joy and optimism, reinforcing the idea that love and togetherness can overcome any challenges.

Overall, "I Can't Believe" is a hopeful and uplifting song that encourages listeners to stay committed to their relationships and believe in the power of love.

Line by Line Meaning

I know we can make it if you don't break up our true love
Our love can stand the test of time and challenges, as long as we don't let external factors pull us apart.

Things will be better if we stick together all of our life
Our happiness and fulfillment depend on our unwavering unity and commitment to each other for the remainder of our lives.

There is a fountain flowing with milk and honey for you
There is an abundance of blessings and prosperity that fate will bestow on you if we stay together, and I want you to have it all.

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Toots and The Maytals Lyrics