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.
Walk With Love
Toots and The Maytals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You will all walk with love, woahhh
All my life (woo hooo hooo)
Ohh your life (woo hooo, woo hooo hoo)
Your life and my life will be much longer
If you really walk with love
I don't mind
I try to live my life
I am never never..never weary yet
I will never walk alone
Talk in love, woah (incoherent...just sing what he does)
Don't down inside my life so strong
In the song "Walk With Love," Toots and The Maytals encourage people to embrace a life of love and positivity. The song starts with the lyrics "You will all walk with love," suggesting that the world would be a better place if everyone lived with love in their hearts. The chorus reinforces this message by repeating the same line over and over. The next verse suggests that if people embraced love in their lives, those lives would be much longer. The song then turns more personal, with Toots singing about his own experiences: "I try to live my life...I saw another man try to take his life." Despite the ups and downs he has faced, Toots remains steadfast in his commitment to love and positivity, declaring that he will "never walk alone."
The song's message of love and positivity is both timeless and relevant to today's society. In a world that can sometimes feel dark and negative, "Walk With Love" serves as a reminder that we all have the power to choose love and that doing so can have a positive impact not only on ourselves but on those around us. The lyrical content of the song is also accompanied by Toots' signature soulful vocals and the Maytals' distinctive ska sound, making for a powerful and uplifting listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk With Love, Talk With Love
The song is about walking and talking with love in your heart.
You will all walk with love, woahhh
The singer is encouraging everyone to walk with love in their hearts.
All my life (woo hooo hooo)
The singer has been walking with love throughout his life.
Ohh your life (woo hooo, woo hooo hoo)
The singer encourages everyone to walk with love in their lives too.
Your life and my life will be much longer
If we all walk with love, our lives will be longer.
If you really walk with love
Walking with love is important.
I don't mind
The singer doesn't mind walking with love.
I try to live my life
The singer tries to live his life with love.
I saw another man try to take his life
The singer has seen someone who was probably not walking with love and it affected their life negatively.
I am never never..never weary yet
The singer is never tired of walking with love.
I will never walk alone
The singer will always walk with love and will never be alone.
Talk in love, woah (incoherent...just sing what he does)
The singer encourages everyone to talk with love.
Don't down inside my life so strong
The singer is saying that he feels a strong sense of purpose in his life because he walks with love.
Lyrics Β© THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: FREDERICK HIBBERT, GIBBS / HIBBERT JOE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@devinjackson4425
This song is so full of life and love. Very hart felt. The message is awesome and timeless!π―π«
@seriouslee7762
Peace and Love from Norfolk UK.
@staffordskinhead6768
Nice original name. Well done.
@Oshell69
Peace from New Mexico. Thank you Duff and Thank you Toots!
@losaldeanos1
good memories from france... peace <3
@qwertyop121
Peace from Malaysia. Thanks Duff!
@vidalia11
Peace from Calif, one love.
@krismartin6846
Hope it gets played at my funeral!
@j0k3rswild316
Respect from California
@SirKlabbaut
Peace from Swizerland, Great Song (: