Steven Tyler claims that his original idea for the album cover was a teddy bear sitting in the attic with its wrist cut and stuffing spread across the floor. They decided, in the end, to put all of the animals in instead.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 228 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Also the song "Toys in the Attic" is part the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
Cover versions
R.E.M. covered the song "Toys in the Attic" released in 1986 as a b-side to "Fall on Me". It is available on Dead Letter Office. "Sweet Emotion" was also covered by The Answer, Warrant and Ratt.
The song "No More No More" was covered by Velvet Revolver and Metal Church.
Run D.M.C. did a cover of the song "Walk This Way" with Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith in 1986.
Sum 41 along with rappers Ja Rule and Nelly did a cover of "Walk This Way" in 2002.
Track listing
Side one
# Title Music Length
1. "Toys in the Attic" Steven Tyler, Joe Perry 3:06
2. "Uncle Salty" Tyler, Tom Hamilton 4:10
3. "Adam's Apple" Tyler 4:34
4. "Walk This Way" Tyler, Perry 3:40
5. "Big Ten Inch Record" Fred Weismantel 2:14
Side two
# Title Music Length
1. "Sweet Emotion" Tyler, Hamilton 4:34
2. "No More No More" Tyler, Perry 4:34
3. "Round and Round" Tyler, Brad Whitford 5:05
4. "You See Me Crying" Tyler, Darren Solomon 5:12
Personnel
Tom Hamilton – bass, rhythm guitar on "Uncle Salty"
Joey Kramer – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Joe Perry – lead guitar, backing vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion, slide guitar
Steven Tyler – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, keyboard
Brad Whitford – rhythm guitar, lead guitar on tracks 8 & 9
Additional personnel
Scott Cushnie – piano on "Big Ten Inch Record" and "No More No More"
Michael Mainieri – conductor
Jay Messina – percussion, bass marimba on "Sweet Emotion"
Production personnel
Producer: Jack Douglas at The Record Plant
Engineer: Jay Messina
Assistant engineers: Rod O'Brien, Corky Stasiak, David Thoener
Arrangers: Aerosmith, Jack Douglas, Steven Tyler
Orchestral arrangements: Michael Mainieri
Mastering: Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab, Los Angeles
Other personnel
Album Design: Pacific Eye and Ear
Illustrations: Ingrid Haenke
Photography: Bob Belott
Direction: David Krebs, Steve Leber
Remastering personnel
Remaster producer: Don DeVito
Remaster engineer: Vic Anesini
Package design: Lisa Sparagano, Ken Fredette
Still Life Photography: Jimmy Ienner
Still Life Collage Design: Leslie Lambert
Art Supervision: Joel Zimmerman
Toys in the Attic
Aerosmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Voices scream
Nothing's seen
Real's a dream
Leaving the things that are real behind
Leaving the things that you love from mind
All of the things that you learned from fears
Nothing is left for the years
Voices scream
Nothing's seen
Real's a dream
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
Lights
Voices scream
Nothing's seen
Real's a dream
Leaving the things that are real behind
Leaving the things that you love from mind
All of the things that you learned from fears
Nothing is left for the years
Voices scream
Nothing's seen
Real's a dream
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
The lyrics to Aerosmith's "Toys in the Attic" paint a vivid picture of a world where everything is up in the air and nothing is quite what it seems. The line "In the attic lights, Voices scream, Nothing's seen, Real's a dream" sets the stage for the rest of the song, which explores the idea of leaving behind the things that are tangible and learning to live in a world of dreams instead.
The song seems to be about the idea of growing up, of leaving behind the toys of childhood and entering into the uncertain world of adulthood. The idea of leaving things behind - "Leaving the things that are real behind, Leaving the things that you love from mind" - is like the sacrifice people must make in order to move forward in life. The song speaks to the idea that what people learn from their fears will stay with them for their whole lives, and that sometimes these lessons can be the most valuable thing they take with them.
Overall, "Toys in the Attic" is a haunting, introspective song that captures the feelings of growing up and moving forward, even when that means leaving behind what people hold dear.
Line by Line Meaning
In the attic lights
The song starts in the attic where the lights are on.
Voices scream
Screaming voices are heard in the attic which shows the intensity of the situation.
Nothing's seen
Despite the lights, nothing is visible which indicates the presence of some deeper meaning.
Real's a dream
Reality seems unreal like a dream and the truth is beyond the surface.
Leaving the things that are real behind
The person leaves the reality behind and enters into the unknown.
Leaving the things that you love from mind
The person doesn't think about the things they like and focuses on the present.
All of the things that you learned from fears
The person remembers only the things they learned from their fears.
Nothing is left for the years
They believe that nothing is left for the future years and they have to experience everything now.
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
The toys in the attic symbolize the things people leave behind when they move towards something unknown.
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
The repetition of 'toys' indicates the significance of leaving the earthly desires behind when embracing something new.
Lights
The attic lights continue to symbolize that the truth is hidden and cannot be seen clearly.
Voices scream
The screaming voices remind us that the situation is intense and full of emotions.
Nothing's seen
Despite the presence of light and sounds, nothing is visible which shows that the truth is not always in front of us.
Real's a dream
The line is repeated which emphasizes the fact that the reality seems to be like a dream.
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
The toys are repeated to indicate that they are the symbol of leaving the meaningless desires behind and exploring the depth of life.
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
The repetition of 'toys' emphasizes the significance of leaving the materialistic things behind and looking for something more meaningful.
Toys, toys, toys in the attic
The last line signifies that embracing the unknown and leaving behind the worldly possessions is the key to unlock the secrets of life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe Perry, Steven Tyler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind