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 Locknβ Festival in Arrington, Virginia, where guest Taj Mahal accompanied them on the song βMonkey Manβ.
Frontman "Toots" Hibbert died on 12 September 2020.
Love the Rain
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bringing back sweet memories
I feel a pain when I remember
How sweet it used to be
When we were together
Everything was so grand, yeah
Now that we parted, if there's one shout
I really love the rain against my window
But you're never here with me
I feel a pain when I remember
How sweet it used to be
Remember those pillows
Where our heads used to live, yeah
No weak and some are sweet memories
If there's one shout, I gotta shout
I gotta say, I really love the rain
Really love the rain, rain
Love the, love the rain
Love the rain, love the rain
I love the rain, yeah, love the rain
Really love the rain against my window
You never here with me, yeah
I feel a pain when I remember
How sweet it used to be
I love the rain, love the rain
Love the rain, love the rain
Love the rain, love the rain, love the rain
Love the rain, love the rain
Really love the rain, love the rain
Love the rain, love the rain, love the rain
Love the rain, love the rain
Really love the rain, love the rain, Lord
Really love the rain, love the rain
Toots and The Maytals' song "Love the Rain" is a heartfelt and nostalgic ode to a lost love. The lyrics speak of the rain against the singer's window, which brings back sweet memories of a time when they were together with the person they loved. The rain now serves as a painful reminder of what was lost, and the singer feels a deep longing for those moments with their past lover. The memories of their time together are so vivid and real that it feels like they are still living in those moments, with the pillows where their heads used to rest serving as a tangible reminder of the love that once was. The singer declares their love for the rain, but it is bittersweet because their love is no longer there to share it with.
This song captures the universal feeling of longing for a lost love, and the power that memories can have to transport us back to a time and place where we felt happy and loved. The rain symbolizes not only the passage of time, but also the emotional storms that come with heartbreak and the attempt to hold onto what is no longer there. The lyrics are simple but evocative, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful. "Love the Rain" is a poignant reminder that even in the midst of pain and loss, there is still beauty to be found in the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Really love the rain against my window
I find comfort and joy in the sound of rain tapping against my window.
Bringing back sweet memories
The sound of the rain is reminding me of the happy memories that I shared with my loved one.
I feel a pain when I remember
At the same time, the memories are also reminding me of the pain that I'm feeling from being apart from my loved one.
How sweet it used to be
I long for the sweetness of our past relationship that has now slipped away from us.
When we were together
Back when we were a couple, things were better and happier for us.
Everything was so grand, yeah
Our relationship was full of grandeur and magnificence when we were together.
Now that we parted, if there's one shout
Now that our relationship has ended, there's only one thing that I feel I need to say.
I gotta shout, I gotta say
I really need to express my feelings to you.
But you're never here with me
However, unfortunately, you're not here with me anymore.
Remember those pillows
I still remember our time together, such as the moments we spent laying our heads together on the pillows.
Where our heads used to live, yeah
The pillows became special to us, representing our relationship and love.
No weak and some are sweet memories
Those memories are neither insignificant nor trivial, but they are some of the sweetest memories that I cherish the most.
I gotta shout
I have to speak up and express how I feel.
Love the rain
Despite the pain and nostalgia that the rain brings to my mind, I still find tranquility in it.
Love the, love the rain
I really adore and have an ardent love for the sound and feeling of rain.
Love the rain, love the rain
There's just no denying how much I love and appreciate the experience of rain.
I love the rain, yeah, love the rain
I am passionate and devotedly enamored with the rain and all its associated sensations.
Really love the rain against my window
I truly feel that the rain is my solace and that it brings me a sense of tranquility and calmness.
You never here with me, yeah
But unfortunately, I still feel the aching presence of your absence from my life.
Love the rain, love the rain
Nevertheless, I still hold a deep, fond love for the rain and its corresponding moods and feelings.
Love the rain, love the rain, love the rain
I just can't reiterate enough how much I admire and cherish the rain and the emotions it stirs within me.
Love the rain, love the rain
Overall, my emotions are truly tied to the rain and the associations it has with my relationship, memories, and present life.
Really love the rain, love the rain
Ultimately, the rain will always hold a special place in my heart due to the nostalgia and feelings that it invokes within me.
Really love the rain, love the rain, Lord
Furthermore, I feel that God has blessed me by creating such a beautiful weather phenomenon that could give me hope and comfort in my darkest hours.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANN PEEBLES, BERNARD MILLER, DON BRYANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Sloan
God Bless Toots. Loved this man's music. RIP
Gerd Hynk
a voice like Otis, incredible! Love this man since 35 years, sa whim once in Paris in the 90-s. A legend of roots reggae!
katherine Kirkwood
I love toots & Otis togeth his songs r ππΌπΌπΌ
Josh Thom
One love Toots going to miss you but always be in my heart! Love and mad raspect βββββ
clash1954
Great album, as well.
Tal Harhas
GET WELL SOON LEGEND!!!
Mobowah
what an awesome version of this song... under 100 views..I really love the rain.
Charles T. Primm
This is simply fantastically awesome.
Brian Grant
50 years of bliss.
D W
Nice. Free the pig