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).
Brother
Toad the Wet Sprocket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I find my brother in there
Deep in my heart
I find my brother in there
Hold in my arms
I love you
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words
I love you
I often feel
Like the prodigal son
Take all I need
Giving back none
Our beauty shows
In such different ways
You're like the light behind the fog
So soft
But still you burn my eyes away
[Chorus]
So much has changed
And so much has happened these years
But still I find that you
Are waiting here
We have a bond
That nothing can change
And still I find
A peace of mind
Whenever I hear your name
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words to show you how
I love you
The song "Brother" by Toad the Wet Sprocket is a heartfelt tribute to the unbreakable bond between siblings. It's a beautiful song that explores the depth of love between two brothers, even in the midst of differences and distance. The chorus repeats a simple line, "I find my brother in there, deep in my heart," which captures the essence of the message of the song. The singer acknowledges that his relationship with his brother is not perfect, but he knows that the love they have for each other transcends all, and they still find a way to connect despite their differences. The singer also reveals that he often feels like the prodigal son, taking all he needs and giving nothing back. However, he realizes that his brother's love is steadfast and unconditional, and he finds peace and comfort in knowing that he can turn to him at any time.
In the verse, lead singer Glen Phillips compares his brother's beauty to the light behind the fog. He acknowledges that they show their beauty in different ways, but he is still mesmerized by his brother's aura. He also reflects on the changes that have happened over the years, but he finds solace in knowing that his brother has never wavered in his love and support.
Overall, "Brother" is a moving and poignant tribute to sibling love. It's a reminder that even in the midst of life's ups and downs, the bond between siblings can never be broken.
Line by Line Meaning
I find my brother in there
Despite distance or time, my brother is always present in my heart and mind
Deep in my heart
My brother's memory, love, and presence is permanent within me
I find my brother in there
In moments of doubt or struggle, I turn inward to find comfort in the idea of my brother's love
Hold in my arms
I wish to embrace my brother and express my deep love for him
I love you
The love I feel for my brother is unconditional, eternal, and true
And if I seem too quiet now
Sometimes my emotions feel so vast that words cannot do justice to what I am feeling
There are no words
Our love transcends language and cannot be measured or expressed adequately through words
To tell you how
I cannot put into words the depth of emotion I feel for my brother
I often feel
I experience moments of feeling lost or unsure of myself, like the biblical story of the prodigal son
Like the prodigal son
A reference to the parable in which a son leaves his family, squanders his inheritance, and returns to find forgiveness and love from his father
Take all I need
I sometimes take more than I give in my relationships, like the way the prodigal son asks for his inheritance early
Giving back none
I may not always reciprocate the love and support that I receive from others
Our beauty shows
The uniqueness and beauty of our connection is evident in how differently we express ourselves
In such different ways
My brother and I have distinct personalities, but our love for each other remains constant
You're like the light behind the fog
My brother's influence in my life is like a guiding light that shines even when things are difficult
So soft
My brother is kind and gentle in the way he treats others
But still you burn my eyes away
As much as I admire my brother, there are times when he challenges me to see things differently or take action
So much has changed
Time has passed and circumstances have shifted, but my love for my brother has only grown stronger
And so much has happened these years
My brother and I have undergone many life changes, good and bad, but have always been there for each other
But still I find that you
Even in the midst of change and uncertainty, my brother remains a constant presence in my life
Are waiting here
My brother is someone I can rely on to be there for me, no matter what happens
We have a bond
The love between my brother and I is unbreakable, and forms the foundation of our relationship
That nothing can change
Our bond is strong enough to resist any obstacle or difficulty that arises
And still I find
My brother's presence in my life is a source of comfort and stability
A peace of mind
Knowing that my brother is there for me brings me a sense of calm and assurance
Whenever I hear your name
The sound of my brother's name fills me with warmth, love, and admiration
There are no words to show you how
Even in the best of circumstances, words cannot convey the depth of love I have for my brother
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
William Ballmaier
Toad the Wet Sprocket (1993)
"I find my brother in there
Deep in my heart
I find my brother in there
Hold in my arms
I love you
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words
To tell you how
I love you
I often feel
Like the prodigal son
Take all I need
Giving back none
Our beauty shows
In such different ways
You're like the light behind the fog
So soft
But still you burn my eyes away
I find my brother in there
Deep in my heart
I find my brother in there
Hold in my arms
I love you
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words to show you how
I love you
So much has changed
And so much has happened these years
But still I find that you
Are waiting here
We have a bond
That nothing can change
And still I find
A peace of mind
Whenever I hear your name
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words to show you how
I love you"
Man, Ronny and I used to mix it up big time..But we hashed it out eventually. He was crazy though..I suppose I was too. But we were brothers. And I loved him..
John Cave
One of my favourite tunes! Makes me miss my brother, RIP. He had so much promise. I love you, James.
William Ballmaier
I hear you, my Brother..
William Ballmaier
Toad the Wet Sprocket (1993)
"I find my brother in there
Deep in my heart
I find my brother in there
Hold in my arms
I love you
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words
To tell you how
I love you
I often feel
Like the prodigal son
Take all I need
Giving back none
Our beauty shows
In such different ways
You're like the light behind the fog
So soft
But still you burn my eyes away
I find my brother in there
Deep in my heart
I find my brother in there
Hold in my arms
I love you
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words to show you how
I love you
So much has changed
And so much has happened these years
But still I find that you
Are waiting here
We have a bond
That nothing can change
And still I find
A peace of mind
Whenever I hear your name
And if I seem too quiet now
There are no words to show you how
I love you"
Man, Ronny and I used to mix it up big time..But we hashed it out eventually. He was crazy though..I suppose I was too. But we were brothers. And I loved him..
TheJerrybomb909
They are one of my favorite bands. The lyrics, harmonies and vocals!
Glenn Michael Escobar
This kind of music is just timeless
lance wilkins
We lost our brother age 16 and my older brother played this song years later. Love you David Wilkins
tommyb7973
A great tune that always makes me feel good.
dotcomprof
I remember driving across the bay bridge with a girl named Meriwether. New to the bay area and both of us just a freshman in college this song came on the radio and it's a memory I always reflect with a smile. It's really beautiful in SF when things are just right.
James Rodger
dotcomprof trump
Shane Marshall
Beautiful name in what used to be a beautiful, magical city.