54-46 (Was My Number) (Live) Lyrics
Toots & The Maytals
Lyrics
Stick it up, mister!
Hear what I say, sir, yeah...
Get your hands in the air, sir!
And you will get no hurt, mister, no no no
I said yeah
What did I say?
Don't you hear? I said yeah (yeah yeah)
Listen to what I say (what I say)
Do you believe I would take something with me
And give it to the police man?
I wouldn't do that, now listen to me one more time
I wouldn't do that
And if I do that, I would say "sir, put the charge on me"
I wouldn't do that
No, I wouldn't do that
I'm not a fool to hurt myself
So I was innocent of what they done to me
They was wrong
Listen to me, they were wrong
Give it to me one time
Give it to me two time
Give it to me three time
Give it to me four time
Song & Lyrics Facts
Toots & The Maytals' classic reggae hit "54-46 (Was My Number)" was first released as a single in 1968, and was later included on their 1969 album Monkey Man. Written by Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, it is one of the most well-known songs from the band's vast catalogue.
The song tells the story of Toots' arrest for possession of marijuana and his subsequent imprisonment. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Sublime and The Specials. The live version of this track appears on the 2005 compilation True Love. This collection features some of Toots & The Maytals’ greatest hits, all performed with an acoustic twist. The lyrics are still as powerful as ever, and the performance captures the raw energy that made them such a beloved group.