"54-46 (That's My Number)" is a song by
Fred "Toots" Hibbert. Recorded by
Toots and the Maytals, the song was originally released on the
Beverley's label in Jamaica and the Pyramid label in the UK. A follow-up version released a year later, "54-46 Was My Number", was one of the first
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
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
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
after being arrested for possession of
marijuana
Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
. The song features a similar
riddim
In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the ''riddim'' plus the ''voicing'' (vocal part) sung by the deeja ...
to "Train to Skaville" by Toots and the Maytals' contemporaries
the Ethiopians.
In popular culture
The song appears in the sci-fi film ''
Repo Men
''Repo Men'' is a 2010 science fiction action film directed by Miguel Sapochnik, starring Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, Alice Braga, and Carice van Houten. An American-Canadian production, it is based on the novel ''The Repossessio ...
'' and in the series ''
Narcos: Mexico''.
The song is also used as the soundtrack to the opening titles of 2006
Shane Meadows directed movie
This is England.
On November 29, 2016,
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...
and
Bad Royale released "My Number", a track that samples "54-46 That's My Number". ''Pitchfork'' describes the song as "a genre-defining classic from legendary ska/reggae group Toots and the Maytals." This release contains newly recorded vocals from frontman
Toots Hibbert specifically designed for Major Lazer, changing the original lyrics to incorporate the group into the song while keeping the original melody.
[Major Lazer & Bad Royale. "My Number - Single". iTunes. itunes.apple.com. Released: Nov 29, 2016. Web. Retrieved 15 Dec. 2016.]
Certifications
References
External links
Complete lyrics
{{Authority control
1968 songs
1968 singles
Toots and the Maytals songs
Song recordings produced by Leslie Kong
Songs written by Toots Hibbert
Songs about prison
Songs about cannabis