54-46 That's My Number

"54-46 That's My Number"
Single by Toots and the Maytals
ReleasedJanuary 1, 1968[1]
GenreRocksteady, reggae
LabelBeverley's
Songwriter(s)Toots Hibbert
Producer(s)Leslie Kong

"54-46 (That's My Number)" is a song by Fred "Toots" Hibbert, recorded by Toots and the Maytals, originally released on the Beverley's label in Jamaica and the Pyramid label in the UK.[2] A follow-up version released a year later, "54-46 Was My Number",[3] was one of the first reggae songs to receive widespread popularity outside Jamaica, and is seen as being one of the defining songs of the genre. It has been anthologised repeatedly and the titles of several reggae anthologies include "54-46" in their title.

The lyrics describe Toots' time in prison after being arrested for possession of marijuana. The song features a similar riddim to "Train to Skaville"[4] by Toots and the Maytals' contemporaries, the Ethiopians.[5]

  1. ^ "54-46 That's My Number by Toots & the Maytals". Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  2. ^ "54-46 That's My Number/Dreamland (Roland Alphonso)". Maytals.net. Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  3. ^ ""5446" Was My Number/Version". Maytals.net. Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  4. ^ "Train to Skaville". Archived from the original on 2009-10-21.
  5. ^ "The Ethiopians". Archived from the original on 2009-10-20.