In 2019, she broke the Australian record for the most weeks at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart by any artist with 16 weeks. By mid-January 2020, "Dance Monkey" had spent its 24th and final week at number one, beating Bing Crosby's all-time Australian record for his version of "White Christmas", which spent 22 weeks at the top in 1943.
"Dance Monkey" was accredited 16× platinum by ARIA for shipments of over 1,120,000 units, by mid-2021. Tones was the most awarded artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, winning four of eight nominations. Tones and I released her debut extended play, The Kids Are Coming, on 30 August 2019, which peaked at number three in Australia, and top 10 in several countries. Her debut album, Welcome to the Madhouse, was released via Bad Batch on 16 July 2021. It debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album's lead single "Fly Away" peaked at number four in Australia and number 11 in the UK.
Toni Watson grew up in Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula to the south of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria. Conflicting reports state she was born either in 1993 or in 2000. The artist prefers not to disclose her birth details, "I never denied my age. I never lied about it. I just don't say anything now... Everything is wrong online."
She explained choosing a music career: "One day I was at the park with my family, all my cousins and stuff, in Frankston... We were all just singing a song and my aunty was like 'oh guys, she can actually hold a note.' I think that's the earliest memory of someone actually pointing me out as someone that has an ability to sing. I was probably like 7 years old." The singer-songwriter had learned to play keyboards and drum pads while at secondary school.She started busking in Melbourne, while working in fashion retail at the Universal Store.
In 2009, as Toni Watson, she created a YouTube page and posted a cappella cover versions of songs. She performed local gigs and festivals, including the Let Go festival. Tones was the vocalist for a duo in 2014, and remembered: "I started out singing in small pubs and bars in Mornington, I was singing along to a guitarist until I ended up branching out on my own." She explained her shift to a solo career: "I actually got made redundant from my retail job and with that money I bought an RC300 (loop station) and just started to try to figure it all out." She busked "up and down the east coast with her synthesizers and loop pedal, she has been building a loyal fanbase and captivating crowds with her genre-diverse style."
In September 2017, the singer-songwriter travelled to Byron Bay in the Australian state of New South Wales to try busking there. At an early performance, she met Jackson Walkden-Brown who became her manager about a month later. Her busking success led to a greater commitment to a music career. The artist spent 2018 living between Walkden-Brown's home in the Gold Coast hinterland and in her van in Byron Bay, writing music and busking full-time. Later that year she won the Battle of the Buskers at Buskers by the Creek.
Can't Be Happy All the Time
Tones And I Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think of all the paths I've taken
That lead me back to here
And I wonder
Is life at its peak now?
Is it stuck in first gear?
When will it all disappear?
But I'm too busy to reply
And as I close my eyes
I say that I won't go tonight
I'm lookin' for a sign
My only friends have been online
And as I close my eyes
I tell myself I'm fine
And I don't wanna cry
But now it's hard to breathe
And now everybody's standin' here
But no one seems to know me
And I'm alright
Tomorrow I'll be fine
'Cause you can't be happy
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
As I walk through the streets now
I realize I don't know where I'm goin'
I don't know why I'm here
And if I live just to please without showin'
Do I lose myself here?
Am I living by fear?
And time keeps passin' by
But I'm too busy to reply
And as I close my eyes
I say that I won't go tonight
I'm lookin' for a sign
My only friends have been online
And as I close my eyes
I tell myself I'm fine
And I don't wanna cry
But now it's hard to breathe
And now everybody's standin' here
But no one seems to know me
And I'm alright
Tomorrow I'll be fine
'Cause you can't be happy
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
The lyrics of Tones and I's "Can't Be Happy All The Time" touch upon the themes of existential uncertainty and the pressures of trying to achieve a constant state of happiness. The singer, as they fall asleep, reflects on the paths that led them to where they are now and wonders if this is as good as it gets. They question if life is stuck in first gear and when it will all disappear. These questions suggest a sense of dissatisfaction or disconnection with their current reality.
The song then explores the idea that the singer is living without direction or purpose, feeling lost in the streets without knowing where they are going or why they are even here. They contemplate whether they are living by fear, implying that they are making decisions based on avoiding risk or discomfort.
Throughout the song, the singer seems to be struggling with their mental health, expressing that they are too busy to reply to the passing of time and that their only friends have been online. This further emphasizes feelings of loneliness and disconnection from the people around them. In the chorus, the singer acknowledges that it's unrealistic to expect to be happy all the time and that it's okay to be not alright sometimes.
In essence, "Can't Be Happy All The Time" is a song about navigating the complex emotions that come with being alive. It acknowledges the importance of allowing oneself to feel all of the emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, and the idea that happiness isn't a constant state of being.
Line by Line Meaning
As I fall asleep now
As I drift off to sleep at night
I think of all the paths I've taken
I reflect on all the choices I've made in life
That lead me back to here
That have brought me to my present moment
And I wonder
And I contemplate
Is life at its peak now?
Am I experiencing the best part of life?
Is it stuck in first gear?
Is life stagnant and not progressing?
When will it all disappear?
When will everything in life come to an end?
And time keeps passin' by
And time continues to move forward
But I'm too busy to reply
But I am too caught up in my hectic life to respond
And as I close my eyes
And as I drift off to sleep
I say that I won't go tonight
I promise myself that I won't give up tonight
I'm lookin' for a sign
I am searching for a signal or a message
My only friends have been online
The only people I connect with are online
And I tell myself I'm fine
And I convince myself that I am doing okay
And I don't wanna cry
And I don't want to shed tears
But now it's hard to breathe
But now it's difficult to catch my breath
And now everybody's standin' here
And now everyone is present and accounted for
But no one seems to know me
But no one truly understands or knows me
And I'm alright
And I am doing okay
Tomorrow I'll be fine
Tomorrow I will be okay
'Cause you can't be happy
Because it is impossible to always be happy
You can't be happy all the time
You cannot feel happy 24/7
You can't be happy all the time
You cannot feel happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
It is impossible to feel happy constantly
As I walk through the streets now
As I make my way through the city
I realize I don't know where I'm goin'
I come to understand that I don't have a clear path
I don't know why I'm here
I don't know the purpose of my existence
And if I live just to please without showin'
And if I only aim to please others without revealing my true self
Do I lose myself here?
Do I sacrifice my own identity in the process?
Am I living by fear?
Am I making decisions out of fear?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Toni Watson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alyssacoulter4361
I use to write and sing on the streets of Sydney had to leave it for work...
I wish I was as brave as u.
I just want to help other ppl .
Like it helping me.
I feel like why am I here?? I thought went through all the crap so I could write the lyrics that needed to be heard but now I'm just an ant following what I am being told.
Just thank u.
If u read this .
Thank ....
U alot.
And I mean that.
@a.k.m7771
Lyrics....
As I fall asleep now
I think of all the paths I've taken
That lead me back to here
And I wonder
Is life at its peak now?
Is it stuck in first gear?
When will it all disappear?
And time keeps passin' by
But I'm too busy to reply
And as I close my eyes
I say that I won't go tonight
I'm lookin' for a sign
My only friends have been online
And as I close my eyes
I tell myself I'm fine
And I don't wanna cry
But now it's hard to breathe
And now everybody's standin' here
But no one seems to know me
And I'm alright
Tomorrow I'll be fine
'Cause you can't be happy
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
As I walk through the streets now
I realize I don't know where I'm goin'
I don't know why I'm here
And if I live just to please without showin'
Do I lose myself here?
Am I living by fear?
And time keeps passin' by
But I'm too busy to reply
And as I close my eyes
I say that I won't go tonight
I'm lookin' for a sign
My only friends have been online
And as I close my eyes
I tell myself I'm fine
And I don't wanna cry
But now it's hard to breathe
And now everybody's standin' here
But no one seems to know me
And I'm alright
Tomorrow I'll be fine
'Cause you can't be happy
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
You can't be happy all the time
@dinacrow7164
As a Mom of 12, 7 lived...!
You are blessed lil sister!!
Very proud of you!! Please, don't lose the you..
FATHER placed here n now!
Blessings 🙏
You have been given a gift, I wanted, yet He knows what HE wants..
And
Directs..
I trust Him
And struggle with...
All
@Twirlydoughnut
She is so raw.. She's found the fame and now she is scared of losing herself, losing her online friends. Fame doesn't bring happiness, she knows this.. She knows she won't be happy all the time, but the expectation is there isn't it? She sings from her soul, what's not to love?
@ann-gaelleon3859
Twirlydoughnut Exaxtly
@janis9523
True
@NoName-jy8oc
One of a kind talent. 👍🏿
@m.rmusichd4411
She's sadly a One hit wonder :(
@muneeraaddaani5047
Reply to the best beat box challenge>yeah that's right but she found game and fame doesn't bring happiness
@debbiejohnson4034
I’m 66 and I love her music and lyrics, I love her dancing when she performs. I hope she stays grounded, and true to herself. I wish her all the success she wants and deserves. I kept hearing her on TikTok in the background and looked her up out of curiosity, I think she is extremely talented.
@shawns4354
43 here and even though I am not a big fan of pop in general I have been drawn into her vocals and consider her one of my favorites now.
@toniorford9357
To both of you, I am 51 and hear what you are saying, I just love her voice. My partner and I have got tickets to see her in May and I just can’t wait 😛. She has such raw talent 🧚🌈🇦🇺💕x
@irishcelticeyes
Im 60 and she's great. I love her music....it will keep me young!