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.
One Eye Enos
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fret not for tomorrow
'Cuz I know, there will be no sorrow
Don't matter what the crisis
I will be your rescue
No, I'm not going to take no for that
B for butter and T for tat
When it comes to loving someone, girl, you know
I'm in love with you
When it comes to holding and kissing
Girl, you know, I'd do anything for you
The lyrics to Toots and The Maytals' song "One Eyed Enos" convey a message of assurance and unwavering commitment from the singer to their lover. The opening lines of the chorus, "Fret not for tomorrow / 'Cuz I know, there will be no sorrow," set the tone for a promise of a worry-free future. The singer reassures their lover that no matter what obstacles they may face, they will be there to rescue and support them. The use of the phrase "I'm not going to take no for that" emphasizes the singer's determination and certainty in their words.
The second half of the chorus shifts to a declaration of love and devotion. The repetition of "When it comes to" emphasizes the importance the singer places on their lover. They state that they are in love with the person, and that they would do anything for them. The phrase "B for butter and T for tat" is a playful nod to the importance of give-and-take in relationships.
Overall, "One Eyed Enos" is a love song that seeks to soothe and comfort the listener. The lyrics are straightforward and uncomplicated, showcasing the straightforward honesty of Toots and The Maytals' music.
Line by Line Meaning
Fret not for tomorrow
Don't worry about what's going to happen in the future
'Cuz I know, there will be no sorrow
Because I'm confident that everything will be okay
Don't matter what the crisis
Regardless of any problems that arise
I will be your rescue
I'll come to your aid and save you
No, I'm not going to take no for that
I won't accept a negative answer to my offer
'Cuz I know just where it's at
Because I understand the situation clearly
B for butter and T for tat
I'll give you something in exchange for what you want
When it comes to loving someone, girl, you know
When it comes to having feelings for someone
I'm in love with you
I'm in love with you specifically
When it comes to holding and kissing
When it comes to physical affection
Girl, you know, I'd do anything for you
I would do absolutely anything for you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LESLIE KONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mrbillhicks
Suppose you did knock out the man's eye,
What would you do?
Suppose you did knock out the man's eye,
What would you do?
Enos no want no one eye,
What would you do?
Enos ain't want no one eye,
What would you do?
Suppose you did knock out the man's eye,
What would you do?
If you only had one big bright eye,
What would you do?
You timba, timba, timba.
You timba, timba, timba.
You timba, timba, timba.
Timba, timba, timba, timba,
You take your walking stick,
You lick and lick and lick,
You lick and lick and lick,
You timba, timba, timba, timba, timba.
Suppose you did knock out the man's eye,
What would you do?
Enos ain't want no one eye,
What would you do?
(..)
Timba, timba, timba, timba.
You timba, timba, timba.
You timba, timba, timba.
Timba, timba, timba, timba.
You take your walking stick,
You lick and lick and lick,
You timba, timba, timba, timba, timba.
Suppose you did knock out the man's eye,
What would you do?
Enos ain't want no one eye,
What would you do?
Suppose you did knock out the man's eye,
What would you do?
Suppose you did knock out the man's eye,
What would you do?
Enos ain't want no one eye,
What would you do?
Enos ain't want no one eye,
What would you do?
@Spritzertoparty
This were in my late dad’s collection. Great upload! Thank you so much 🙏🏽 love this 😊
@davissinclair4945
'Remembering my mommy, my daddy, my aunties and my uncles jump and prance to this music makes my eyes water instantly. Timeless!
@stephenokwechime1609
Toots , one of the greatest
@beverleyrichards845
My mum n dad chuuuuuune what great memories 💃💃💃💃💃
@ovrilmorris752
You call those tunes to rock.
@56postoffice
Murder tune. Toots' back catalogue is swamped with nuff big tunes.
@BALDYDAVE1957
thank you for the grate music you gave us....r.i.p
@nunugamer3184
50 years ago!! Brasil na escuta
@Hellserch
This brings back to my childhood; incredible food and being scolded by my extended family because i was considered mad! I love my Jamaican heritage because without it I don't know if black people would have survived the depredations of life in Britain. That my read as overblown but it is true nonetheless.
@llisagomez5706
I hear you brother! It’s culture you can’t forget about, even when you’re older or grow up in another country.. Jamaica Jamaica…