Over the years, the group has become perhaps best known for their 1989 tune "Scared", an Alice Cooper inspired track featuring the refrain of "I think I like being scared". Parent album 'Dangerous Toys', the band's first full release, notably received some positive critical reviews and reached the #65 slot on the Billboard 200 chart. Lead vocalist Jason McMaster currently sings for hard rock band Broken Teeth.
In 1999 Dangerous Toys released a live album, 'Vitamins and Crash Helmets Tour - Greatest Hits Live' (Deadline/Cleopatra). After that, band activity slowed.
Singer Jason McMaster performs in various Austin-based rock-bands, including Sad Wings, Capricorn USA, and Broken Teeth a band formed in 1999 with Dangerous Toys guitarist Paul Lidel. Lidel left Broken Teeth in 2006 and now writes and performs with Adrenaline Factor, Jokerville, and 99 Crimes. Lidel is also a music instructor who trains future would-be guitar rockstars. Drummer Mark Geary and bassist Mike Watson record and perform in an Austin-based heavy metal band called Proof Of Life.
In 2001, they played a few shows in their hometown of Austin, Texas and in Tokyo, Japan, rejoined by their original bassist, Mike Watson. They reunited for another set of live shows in Austin and Tokyo during February 2003, Austin in May 2005, and at Bat Fest (an annual Austin event) with Rhino Bucket in September 2006. Portions of the 2006 show were recorded and initially intended for release as XX, a 20-year career retrospective CD/DVD. The XX project was postponed indefinitely in mid-2007. The band was also rumored to be working on a new album during this period, but nothing has come out of it.
In 2006, "Teas'n, Pleas'n" was covered by Shadows Fall on their compilation album Fallout from the War, featuring guest vocals from Toys' vocalist Jason McMaster.
In 2007, Dangerous Toys recorded a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's hit song Simple Man for An All Star Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, (Deadline/Cleopatra). Also in 2007, they performed an unannounced short set at the end of a show featuring the member's current bands (Adrenaline Factor, Proof of Life and Broken Teeth).
In 2008 they performed a handful of shows. Most notable was a 20th Anniversary show in Austin, TX, on November 8, with all original band members.
In 2017, it was announced that Dangerous Toys had signed a deal with EMP Label Group, the label of Megadeth bassist David Ellefson to reissue remastered versions of several of the band's catalog releases including Pissed, The R*tist 4*merly Known as Dangerous Toys, and XX: Live. Pissed was re-released on September 8, 2017 on Vinyl LP, Picture Disc, and CD.
Though not a full-time ongoing band, Dangerous Toys is still active as of 2020, performing at least one live show every year. McMaster had stated in interviews there would be no new material under the Dangerous Toys name, but would never rule it out. Despite McMaster's previous statements, Dangerous Toys guitarist Scott Dalhover revealed on his Facebook page in September 2018 that he was working on demos with him for what will be the band's fifth studio album. During their performance at the Rocklanta festival in Atlanta on March 30, 2019, they performed their first song in 24 years "Hold Your Horses".
Transmission
Dangerous Toys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen it all on T.V.
Man the people here, they jst don't have a clue
With themselves, they just don't know what to do
Hope I last as long as I'm suppposed to
I'll just visit this place when I'm through
Now to the point of my
Transmission - don't leave me here
Aliens come take me to your leader
'cause I can't stand this place - anymore
Aliens I hope you hear me calling
I'm waiting for an answer - save me
Do you think you could spare a minute
If you hear this on yoru space radio
Tune in now please hear this human
Is there any room - on your ship
Don't leave me hanging
I know you understand - give me a sign
Aliens come take me to your leader
'cause I can't stand this place - anymore
Aliens I hope you hear me calling
I'm waiting for an answer - save me
Isn't there a kind of conspiracy
There's a few things they forget to mention
One more thing I'd like to add to this message
The one I care for doesn't seem to care for me
So now I close this
Transmission - I'm ready to leave
Aliens come take me to your leader
'cause I can't stand this place - anymore
Aliens I hope you hear me calling
I'm waiting for an answer - save me
Aliens please take me to your planet
I think I've had enough down here
Aliens I hope you hear me calling
I'm looking to the sky - save me
I mean no harm I think I need some space
End of this transmission - over
The song "Transmission" by Dangerous Toys is a plea to aliens to come and rescue the singer from the planet he inhabits. He starts by expressing his thoughts about the people around him, whom he finds clueless and lost. He hopes to last as long as he is supposed to, and when he is through, he will simply visit the place. The singer then makes his point clear by requesting the aliens to take him to their leader because he cannot bear the current situation anymore. He keeps calling out for their response, asking if there is room for him on their spaceship.
The song carries an air of desperation as the singer feels ignored by the ones he cares about on the planet. He feels like he has had enough and wants to leave. This sense of loneliness and despair is reflected in the lyrics, repeated requests for someone to hear him and save him.
Overall, the song speaks of the singer's hope to find a new home among alien life forms that he perceives as more advanced and capable of saving him. In this sense, the song is not just about aliens but also about the concept of finding a place where one feels like they belong, a place where their voice will be heard.
Line by Line Meaning
We all know that you're out there
The singer acknowledges the presence of extraterrestrial beings.
I've seen it all on T.V.
The singer has seen enough evidence of aliens on TV to believe in their existence.
Man the people here, they jst don't have a clue
The people around the singer are oblivious to the presence of aliens.
With themselves, they just don't know what to do
The people lack the necessary knowledge or understanding to handle alien encounters.
Hope I last as long as I'm suppposed to
The artist desires to live as long as their earthly life expectancy allows.
I'll just visit this place when I'm through
The singer intends to return to Earth only after their death.
Now to the point of my Transmission - don't leave me here
The singer gets straight to the point, pleading with aliens to take them away from Earth.
Aliens come take me to your leader
The artist begs aliens to take them to their leader.
'cause I can't stand this place - anymore
The artist is desperate to leave Earth behind for good.
Aliens I hope you hear me calling
The artist hopes that aliens can hear their plea.
I'm waiting for an answer - save me
The singer is waiting for a positive response from the aliens to their plea.
Do you think you could spare a minute
The artist asks the aliens if they can spare some time to listen to their message.
If you hear this on your space radio
The singer believes aliens might receive their message through space radio.
Tune in now please hear this human
The singer implores aliens to tune in to their message immediately.
Is there any room - on your ship
The singer inquires if there's any space for them on the alien's ship.
Don't leave me hanging
The artist doesn't want to be left in the dark on whether or not they'll be saved.
I know you understand - give me a sign
The artist is confident that the aliens comprehend their message and asks for a sign of acknowledgement.
Isn't there a kind of conspiracy
The singer suspects that there might be a conspiracy surrounding the existence of aliens.
There's a few things they forget to mention
The singer believes that there are important aspects of the truth about aliens that haven't been revealed.
One more thing I'd like to add to this message
The artist wants to include one more detail in their message.
The one I care for doesn't seem to care for me
The artist is in love with someone who doesn't reciprocate their feelings.
So now I close this Transmission - I'm ready to leave
The artist concludes their message and reiterates their readiness to leave Earth.
Aliens please take me to your planet
The singer implores the aliens to take them to their planet.
I think I've had enough down here
The artist is exhausted with life on Earth and their experiences.
I'm looking to the sky - save me
The singer is hopeful that the aliens are coming to save them.
I mean no harm I think I need some space
The singer asserts that they wish to escape Earth but are not a threat to the aliens.
End of this transmission - over
The singer concludes their message and ends communication.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: DAVID SYLVIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind