Toad the Wet Sprocket was formed in 1986 at San Marcos High School just outside of Santa Barbara, California, when singer-songwriter Glen Phillips was just a 14-year-old freshman, and the other members were 17-year-old juniors. The band drew its name from the Eric Idle monologue "Rock Notes" on Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album from 1980. Their first public appearance was at an open-microphone talent contest in September 1986 (which they lost).
Toad the Wet Sprocket's first album came out in 1989. Named Bread and Circus, it was their first effort for Columbia Records, who had signed them out of high school. The album spawned the singles "Way Away" and "One Little Girl," which made the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, but did not receive much attention.
The follow-up, Pale, was released in 1990 and saw their sound mature. Featuring the singles "Jam" and the Modern Rock Chart hit "Come Back Down," the album was still not a massive success.
The band finally achieved fame with their third album, Fear (released in 1991), which became the band's first RIAA certified platinum album. Also, the singles "All I Want" and "Walk on the Ocean" reached the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1994, after years of heavy touring, the band released their follow-up to Fear, Dulcinea. This album spawned the hit singles "Fall Down", which reached #1 on the US Modern Rock charts as well as #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart, as well as "Something's Always Wrong", which also charted. This album was also certified platinum by the RIAA.
A compilation album of b-sides and rarities, In Light Syrup, was released in 1995; it included the single "Good Intentions", which was featured on the soundtrack for the television show Friends. Largely due to the strength of the single, this compilation was certified as a gold album in 2001.
The release of Coil in 1997 acted much like a follow up to 1994's Dulcinea. Featuring a more electric, rock sound, it contained the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock hit "Come Down", as well as the radio hit "Crazy Life" (which did not chart). The album, despite the success of "Come Down" as a single, failed to reach any sales benchmarks.
Toad the Wet Sprocket formally broke up in July 1998, citing creative differences. Since breaking up, the band performed together in 2002 at a Rape Crisis Center benefit and opened up for Counting Crows. In 2006 they began touring the United States as a band in small-venue, short-run tours each summer.
In 2009, bassist Dean Dinning said Toad the Wet Sprocket was now something each member considered an active project, and though they had not released a new studio album since 1997 and only did small summer tours, they no longer considered themselves "broken up". In May 2010, the band gathered at a California studio to begin re-recording some of their older hits for licensing reasons. Columbia Records owns the masters to the band's albums. Therefore, the band makes little money from them, so to be able to make a living off their own talent again, they made these re-recordings with the goal of having them used in film and TV.
On December 7, 2010, Toad the Wet Sprocket released their first new studio track in 11 years. The holiday track "It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas", a cover of a Sam Phillips original, was posted on their official site, available via Bandcamp, for free download just in time for the holidays, along with a new message on their site: "We're that band that did 'Walk on the Ocean', 'All I Want', 'Something's Always Wrong', and "Fall Down'. The one with the weird name. We're back from a long slumber and look forward to saying hello some time. Keep in touch…" The band had recently signed a deal with Primary Wave to handle their back catalog and any future releases, and on December 11, 2010, the band mentioned, both on stage and in an offstage YouTube interview, that they are currently writing songs for their first new studio album since 1997's Coil. In addition, they began playing two new songs, "Friendly Fire" and "The Moment", which were being worked on for the new album.
On April 12, 2011, Toad the Wet Sprocket released a new greatest hits album titled All You Want in digital and disc form via their official website. The 11-track CD includes brand new studio versions of their hits. The band does not have access to some of the versions they did for Columbia Records in the '90s. However, they did regain full control of the songs from their first two albums, and they planned to re-release them in remastered form on their own label, Abe's Records, following the release of their upcoming studio album.
On March 22, 2013, it was announced via Toad the Wet Sprocket's Facebook page that recording of the new album had been completed. The album was produced and mixed by Mikal Blue at Revolver Studios in Thousand Oaks, California. On June 5, 2013, the band announced the first new single in 16 years on Rolling Stone's website titled "New Constellation". An album of the same name was released on the band's own Abe's Records on October 15, 2013. The band marketed the new album via the crowdsourcing website Kickstarter. The band initially set a fundraising goal of $50,000, expecting it to take about two months to raise that amount. Instead, fans contributed more than $50,000 in less than 20 hours. When the Kickstarter campaign finally came to a close, they had raised a total of $264,762.
In 2014, Toad the Wet Sprocket resumed touring and opened a number of shows for Counting Crows. They showcased some of the new material from New Constellation, the Kickstarter-funded album, including "California Wasted" and the album's title track while playing a number of their earlier hits. During summer 2015, the band went on tour with fellow '90s acts Smash Mouth and Tonic. The band released an EP called Architect of the Ruin on June 16, 2015.
In 2018, Toad the Wet Sprocket announced that they had reissued their albums fear and Dulcinea on a deluxe remastered vinyl LP available through their online store. The same year, they also released a limited deluxe 5-LP box set of colored vinyl for their albums fear, Dulcinea and Acoustic Dance Party.
In a January 2020 interview with ChicagoNow, Glen Phillips stated that "Toad has started recording again." In addition, he confirmed the band's first official lineup change, and that drummer Guss had left the band on good terms. Previous occasional touring member Josh Daubin replaced Guss.
On September 25, 2020, they released a new song entitled “Starting Now”, followed by another new song "Old Habits Die Hard" on October 23rd, from their upcoming album, set to be released in 2021.
There's another band with the same name:
2. Toad The Wet Sprocket was an NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) band active from the mid-70s to 1982. They released two singles, "Pete's Punk Song" and "Reaching the Sky", before their breakup. Their song, "Blues in A", was included on Metal for Muthas compilation (1980).
Fly From Heaven
Toad The Wet Sprocket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paul is making me scared
Walk into this room and swaggers
Like he's God's own messenger
Changed the name of my brother
Changed the things that he said
Says he speaks to him
But I'd give my life for him
Like water through my hands
You'd give him any ending
But if he's all you say
Would he fly from heaven
To this world again
To this world again
Take whatever you're needing
Take whatever you can
We are broken from within
Run to another land
Like water through my hands
Or is it just beginning
But if he's all you say
Would he fly from heaven
To this world again
To this world again
They took my brother
They ripped him from me
To twist his words as they did his body
Denied his family
Denied his beauty
To lie him down at the feet
Of those he couldn't save
Couldn't save, couldn't save
Will it be the end
Or is he still ascending
But if he's all you say
Would he fly from heaven
To this world again
To this world again
The lyrics to Toad The Wet Sprocket's song Fly From Heaven describe the confusion, fear, and anger of someone who has lost a loved one, likely a brother, to a religious cult or extremist group. The singer of the song, referred to as "I" or "me," speaks directly to someone named Paul, who they believe was responsible for changing their brother's name and manipulating his beliefs. Paul's arrogance and presumptuousness make the singer nervous and scared, and they question his true intentions and his claim to have a relationship with a higher power.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "like water through my hands," which appears to be a metaphor for the loss and impermanence of life. The singer is willing to give their life for their brother, but they acknowledge that everything in life is fleeting and can slip away like water through one's hands. The chorus also poses a question: if the brother really was a divine figure, would he choose to return to this world again and face the same pain and suffering?
The final verse of the song laments the loss of the brother and the betrayal by the group that took him away. The singer questions whether this is truly the end of their brother's journey or if he is still somehow ascending, alluding to the hope that he may have found peace in death or in some other form.
Line by Line Meaning
Paul is making me nervous
I am feeling uneasy and anxious because of Paul
Paul is making me scared
I am frightened because of Paul's actions
Walk into this room and swaggers
Paul enters the room confidently
Like he's God's own messenger
He behaves as if he has a divine message
Changed the name of my brother
Paul altered my brother's name
Changed the things that he said
Paul modified my brother's words
Says he speaks to him
Paul claims to have conversations with my brother
But he never even knew the man
Paul never actually met my brother
But I'd give my life for him
I am devoted to my brother
Like water through my hands
My brother's memory slips away like fluid
You'd give him any ending
You are willing to accept any outcome for my brother
But if he's all you say
If my brother is truly what you describe him as
Would he fly from heaven
Would he descend to this world from the afterlife
To this world again
To be reborn into this world once more
Take whatever you're needing
You are free to take whatever you require
Take whatever you can
Take all that you can carry
We are broken from within
We are shattered from the inside
Run to another land
Escape to another location
Or is it just beginning
Is this the start of something new
They took my brother
They abducted my brother
They ripped him from me
They violently separated us
To twist his words as they did his body
They manipulated his words as they tortured his physical form
Denied his family
They refused to acknowledge his loved ones
Denied his beauty
They disregarded his inherent worth
To lie him down at the feet
Placing him at the mercy of
Of those he couldn't save
Those he was unable to protect
Couldn't save, couldn't save
He was powerless to prevent harm
Will it be the end
Is this the conclusion
Or is he still ascending
Is he still rising higher
But if he's all you say
If my brother is truly as great as you proclaim
Would he fly from heaven
Is he capable of returning from the afterlife
To this world again
To be reborn on this earth once more
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DEAN V DINNING, RANDEL S GUSS, TODD B. NICHOLS, GLEN RICHARD PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@2000coco
Paul is making me nervous // Paul is making me scared
Walk into this room and swaggers // Like he's God's own messenger
Change the name of my brother // Change the things that he said
Says that he speaks to him // But he never even knew the man
But I'd give my life for him
Like water through my hands
You'd give him any ending
But if he's all you say
Would he fly from heaven
To this world again
To this world again
Take whatever you're needing
Take whatever you can
We are broken from within
Run to another land
They took my brother // They ripped him from me
To twist his words as they did his body
Denied his family // Denied his beauty
To lay him down at the feet // Of those he couldn't save
Couldn't save, couldn't save
Will it be the end
@victorarreola5300
In my mind it's 1994, in thirteen years old, my Paps, mom, my brother and sister, everything is easy and safe and i listen to this song in my sony walkman while i'm riding my bike, now paps and my brother are in heaven, god i miss those days
@shannontimoney5901
It brings me back too 😭 toad was my dads favorite band. He died in 2004 & everytime I hear toads music it takes me right back
@aaronlemons81
Yup. Whew...
@oldwornjacket
Toad (and Live) were 2 of my dad's 90s favorites...as well as mine. He's been gone 22 years.
@chuckylevesque2129
Me too brother, truck on
@cotiaratv3651
🌹🌹
@atlasshrugged2u
ONE OF THE BEST AND UNDERRATED GROUPS OF THE 90's!!!!
@toriboy25
T Davis You are wrong! Of all time
@atlasshrugged2u
toriboy25 LOL! Now wait a minute dude...I also happen to think their were other acts in the 90's that were underrated as well like, The Gin Blossoms, Blind Melon, Fuel, Tonic...wait a minute you know what... you're right. Those acts were great but not better than Toad lol! You're right, I stand corrected!
@thegame546444
+T Davis Blind Melon never made a bad song. Easily in my all-time top 10.