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.
Oh Yeah
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, hey, hey
I want you to believe every word I say
I want you to believe every thing I do
I said, "Music is what I've got to give
And I've got to find some way to make it
Music is what I've got, babyI want you to come on and shake it"
Shake it, shake it, baby
Oh yeah, hey
Na na na
Oh yeah, na na na
Funky, funky, funky
Funky Kingston is what I've got for you, oh yeah
Funky Kingston, yeah, is what I've got for you
Funky Kingston, oh yeah
Lemme hear your funky guitar
Yo reggae
Hear the piano, stick it to me
Watch me now, you watch me now
Playing from east to west, yeah
I just play from north to south, yeah
I love black America
People keep on asking me for
Funky Kingston
But I ain't got none
Somebody take it away from me
The song "Oh Yeah" by Toots and The Maytals is a vibrant and upbeat celebration of music and its ability to unite people across borders and cultures. The opening lines "Everybody, give it to me, huh / Hey, hey, hey / I want you to believe every word I say / I want you to believe every thing I do" set the tone for the song, as the singer implores the listener to join in and believe in the power of music.
The lyrics "Music is what I've got to give / And I've got to find some way to make it / Music is what I've got, baby / I want you to come on and shake it" emphasize the importance of music in the artist's life and the urgency with which he wants to share it with others. The call-and-response chorus "Shake it, shake it, baby / Oh yeah, hey / Na na na / Oh yeah, na na na" creates a festive, party atmosphere, encouraging listeners to dance and let loose.
The second half of the song pays homage to the genres of funk, reggae, and soul, with the lines "Funky, funky, funky / Funky Kingston is what I've got for you, oh yeah / Funky Kingston, yeah, is what I've got for you / Funky Kingston, oh yeah." The instrumental breaks showcase the talents of the musicians, and the lyrics "Lemme hear your funky guitar / Yo reggae / Hear the piano, stick it to me" invite the listener to appreciate the different elements of the song.
The final lines "People keep on asking me for / Funky Kingston / But I ain't got none / Somebody take it away from me" suggest that the artist has given everything he has to give in this song, but it still leaves listeners hungry for more. The song ends with a fade-out, leaving the listener with a sense of joy and yearning.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody, give it to me, huh
Everyone, give me your attention and enthusiasm
Hey, hey, hey
Expression of excitement
I want you to believe every word I say
I want you to trust me completely
I want you to believe every thing I do
I want you to have faith in my actions
I said, "Music is what I've got to give
And I've got to find some way to make it
Music is what I've got, baby
I want you to come on and shake it"
I believe music is the greatest gift I have to offer, I need to find a way to share it with the world, it's my passion, and I want you to enjoy it and dance to it
Shake it, shake it, baby
Oh yeah, hey
Na na na
Oh yeah, na na na
Dance and move your body to the music, express yourself and have fun
Funky, funky, funky
Funky Kingston is what I've got for you, oh yeah
Funky Kingston, yeah, is what I've got for you
Funky Kingston, oh yeah
My brand of music is funky and upbeat, and I'm sharing it with you, it's called Funky Kingston
Lemme hear your funky guitar
Yo reggae
Hear the piano, stick it to me
I want to hear the funky guitar sound, play some reggae-style music, and let the piano's music impress me
Watch me now, you watch me now
Playing from east to west, yeah
I just play from north to south, yeah
I love black America
Watch me perform and give a great show, I'm playing throughout the country, I love all of America and especially the African-American culture
People keep on asking me for
Funky Kingston
But I ain't got none
Somebody take it away from me
People keep requesting the song 'Funky Kingston', but I don't have it with me right now. Someone take care of it for me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAURICE SIMMONDS, SHAMA JOSEPH, THERON THOMAS, TIMOTHY THOMAS, JEVON HILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charolastra54
Rest in power Toots, thanks for all, we love you!!!
♥️🎶🇯🇲 ✨
@marcusbyrne8284
RIP Toots. TRULY ONE OF THE GREATEST.
@markreeves-eo7zu
One of my favs by this wonderful group of musicians. So many great songs in truth but this one is quite special......and Bam bam.😁😁😁
@pele7208
RIP Toots. Can hear this on repeat 24/7!
@Sealice1663
pioneers of an original sound.......youll never see this again......talent like this is extinct......my thanx and appreciation
@j.m.p8051
This is still so great!
@MrPeterCheeks
thank you for posting. i am appreciative of your effort to bring this to the multitudes. smiles
@timpani1950
I believe every word Toots sings:what a good soul
@ChristopherCribbs
Light your Light 11:11 crystallize Horizons on
@alanspunk5822
Great track pumpimg bass love it