Porcaro wrote the song "Takin' It Back" for Toto's first album, and the song was released as a single together with the hit, "Hold The Line". He also wrote "It's A Feeling" for Toto IV and "Lea" for Fahrenheit. He left Toto in 1986 after the Fahrenheit record in order to pursue a more full-time songwriting and composing career. Another significant credit to note is that Porcaro composed the music for the song "Human Nature" from Michael Jackson's album Thriller.
However, Porcaro has continued working with Toto in various supporting capacities, assisting with keyboards, drum looping, synthesizers and arranging/composing. He has also done session musician work for many other acts, including Yes and Jefferson Airplane.
His brother, Mike Porcaro, is Toto's bass player. In addition Steve's late brother, Jeff Porcaro, was Toto's co-founder and drummer from 1977 until his death on August 5, 1992.
"Rosanna", Toto's popular 1982 Grammy winning single, was written for him by the band's primary songwriter, David Paich. The song was in reference to Steve's relationship at the time with the actress, Rosanna Arquette.
Porcaro is currently working on film scores and is credited as an additional keyboardist on Toto's current release, Falling in Between (released in February 2006). He is planning to tour with Toto on their 30th year anniversary in 2007, together with fellow ex-member Joseph Williams.
Earth Song
Steve Porcaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What about rain
What about all the things that you said
We were to gain
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said were yours and mine
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying Earth, these weeping shores
Aah, ooh
What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying earth, these weeping shores
Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh
I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far
Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh
Hey, what about yesterday
(What about us)
What about the seas
(What about us)
The heavens are falling down
(What about us)
I can't even breathe
(What about us)
What about apathy
(What about us)
Drowning in the seas
(What about us)
What about the promised land
Preachin' what I believe
(What about us)
What about the holy land
(What about it)
What about the greed
(What about us)
Where did we go wrong
Someone tell me why
(What about us)
What about baby boy
(What about him)
What about the days
(What about us)
What about all their joy
Do we give a damn
Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh
The lyrics of Steve Porcaro's Earth Song convey a strong message about the importance of taking care of the earth, and remind us of the consequences of our actions. The song begins by asking about various natural phenomena - sunrise, rain, and fields - and questioning how we can take them for granted and not consider their value. The questioning then moves to issues such as killing fields, war, and death, and the songwriter accuses humanity of not noticing the suffering and devastation we cause to the world. There is a sense of lost hope and disappointment as the lyrics mention being unable to find our way anymore, having drifted too far.
The chorus repeats the phrase "What about us?", which can be interpreted as the earth itself calling out to humanity and wondering why we seem to care so little for it. The final verse continues to point out various forms of neglect and destruction, urging us to pay attention to baby boys, their future, and their joy, and not drown them with apathy and greed.
Overall, the song Earth Song encourages us to reflect on our relationship with the earth and to acknowledge the damage we have done. The lyrics touch on themes such as environmentalism, social justice, and the importance of empathy, making it a powerful and thought-provoking piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
What about sunrise
Have you ever thought about the beauty of a sunrise and how it is affected by our actions?
What about rain
What about the effects we have on the natural world that is a source of rain?
What about all the things that you said
We were to gain
What about all the promises we made regarding preserving the Earth for the future generations?
What about killing fields
Is there a time
Is there ever going to be a time when we stop the destruction of human life and the environment around us?
What about all the things
That you said were yours and mine
What about all the resources we were meant to share with one another?
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Have you ever taken a moment to acknowledge the atrocities committed in the past?
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying Earth, these weeping shores
Have you ever noticed the pain and suffering Earth is going through because of human actions?
What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
Let's face it, we have destroyed the world bit by bit.
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son
What about the peace we claim to want and what we are willing to give for it?
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
Will we ever see meadows teeming with wildflowers and other forms of nature again?
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine
What about all the futures we envisioned together as inhabitants of the Earth?
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Have you ever noticed the loss of innocent lives because of the greed of those in power?
This crying earth, these weeping shores
These are the same elements of nature weeping and mourning over our destruction.
I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far
I used to have lofty aspirations for Earth, but now I don't even know what is happening.
Hey, what about yesterday
(What about us)
What about the precedence we had set before when we lived in harmony with the Earth and each other?
What about the seas
(What about us)
What about the oceans that cover most of the Earth and its inhabitants?
The heavens are falling down
(What about us)
Even the elements we thought were unshakeable are falling apart.
I can't even breathe
(What about us)
Even breathing has become a luxury in this world with rising pollution levels.
What about apathy
(What about us)
What about our tendency to be indifferent towards the plight of fellow humans and Earth?
Drowning in the seas
(What about us)
People and creatures for whom the seas are their homes are losing them.
What about the promised land
Preachin' what I believe
(What about us)
What about that perfect, beautiful world we always dreamt of?
What about the holy land
(What about it)
What will happen to the land we call sacred and its natural resources?
What about the greed
(What about us)
What about the selfishness we embody by putting personal gain over the well-being of the world?
Where did we go wrong
Someone tell me why
(What about us)
Where did we lose track of our priorities and forget the importance of preserving the Earth?
What about baby boy
(What about him)
What about the children, the future of our world, that we are indirectly harming every day?
What about the days
(What about us)
What about the seemingly unimportant days and their significance in the big picture?
What about all their joy
Do we give a damn
What about the happy, carefree times we were meant to have, as individuals, families, and societies, that are becoming scarce?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind