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.
Koo Koo
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, hey, I don't know what is happening
Koo, Koo, you have me in the corner
But I, know I, don't love her again
No I, know I, don't love her again
It's true, she told me that I love her but
Hey, hey, I can't live without her
But I, know I, don't love her again
No I, know I, don't love her again
Koo, Koo, you told me he's your lover
There is no one there but me
Told me that you really want to leave me
Want to leave me, want to leave me, baby
I tell you, Koo, Koo, you have me in the corner, baby
Hey, hey, I don't know what is going on
Koo, Koo, you told me that you love me
But I, know I, don't love her again, it's alright
Free man, I'm better, better, better than you, babe
Koo, Koo, she told me that you love me, baby
Hey, hey, you want me to understand
Koo, Koo, you give your loving up
But I, know I, don't love her again
'Coz I, 'coz I, don't love her again
[?]
'Coz I, 'coz I, don't love her again
But I, know I, don't love her again
But I, know I, don't love her again
But I, know I, don't love her again
But I, know I, don't love her again
The lyrics to Toots and The Maytals' "Koo Koo" are about a complicated love triangle. The singer is caught between two women, one named Koo Koo and the other who is not explicitly named. Koo Koo has him "in the corner," which suggests that she has control over him in some way. He is conflicted about his feelings towards the other woman, as Koo Koo has accused him of still loving her. Despite this, the singer insists that he doesn't love her again, implying that he had loved her in the past but has moved on.
Koo Koo tells the singer that he is her lover, but he seems uncertain about their relationship. She also tells him that she wants to leave him, which adds to his confusion. The lyrics suggest that Koo Koo is manipulating and lying to the singer to keep him under her control. However, the singer is starting to realize that he doesn't love her anymore and is ready to move on.
Overall, the song is about the complicated and messy nature of love and relationships, and the difficulty we can face in trying to move on from past lovers.
Line by Line Meaning
Koo, Koo, you have me in the corner, baby
You have me backed into a situation I cannot escape from, my dear.
Hey, hey, I don't know what is happening
I am confused and uncertain about what's going on.
Koo, Koo, you have me in the corner
You have me trapped in a difficult situation.
But I, know I, don't love her again
I am sure about not having any feelings for her anymore.
No I, know I, don't love her again
I am confident that I do not have any love left for her.
It's true, she told me that I love her but
It is a fact that she was convinced that I had feelings for her.
Hey, hey, I can't live without her
I admit that I am unable to live without her.
Ooh, ooh, they told me that is lovely
They told me that being in love is a wonderful feeling.
But I, know I, don't love her again
I am certain that I do not have any love left for her.
No I, know I, don't love her again
I am confident that I do not have any love left for her.
Koo, Koo, you told me he's your lover
You confided in me that he is your romantic partner.
There is no one there but me
You assured me that there is nobody else but me in your heart.
Told me that you really want to leave me
You admitted to me that you want to end our relationship.
Want to leave me, want to leave me, baby
Repeatedly telling me about your desire to end things between us.
I tell you, Koo, Koo, you have me in the corner, baby
I want you to know that you've put me in a difficult position, my dear.
Hey, hey, I don't know what is going on
I still feel unsure and confused about what's happening.
Koo, Koo, you told me that you love me
You expressed your love for me, Koo Koo.
But I, know I, don't love her again, it's alright
I am at peace with the fact that I have no feelings for her anymore.
Free man, I'm better, better, better than you, babe
I am a free man now and I am better off without you.
Koo, Koo, she told me that you love me, baby
She informed me that you love me, Koo Koo.
Hey, hey, you want me to understand
You want me to comprehend your feelings and intentions, my dear.
Koo, Koo, you give your loving up
You have decided to end your love for me, Koo Koo.
But I, know I, don't love her again
I am certain that I do not have any love left for her.
'Coz I, 'coz I, don't love her again
Because, sincerely, I do not have any love left for her.
'Coz I, 'coz I, don't love her again
Because, sincerely, I do not have any love left for her.
But I, know I, don't love her again
I am certain that I do not have any love left for her.
But I, know I, don't love her again
I am certain that I do not have any love left for her.
But I, know I, don't love her again
I am certain that I do not have any love left for her.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind