Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, … Read Full Bio ↴Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her breakout single, "Dance Monkey", was released in May 2019 and reached number one in over 30 countries.
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.
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.
Johnny Run Away {Live at Splendour in the Grass 2019}
Tones And I Lyrics
Johnny was a young boy, he liked playing at the park
And Johnny said "Oh oh oh, dad can you take me now?"
Johnny was young, never hurt no-one, too early for that
He was at the park, he met a boy named Jimmy
He's a cutie
And he chose him oh
Take my heart, take my soul, share my crayons, share my goals
His daddy walked by with a sigh said Johnny sit by my side
I'm gonna give you the best advice you've ever heard in your life
See that boy named Jimmy, yeah, he's a cutie
But oh no Johnny no no no no ah ah ow
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover yeah
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
Johnny started high school at the front of the bus
Some boys yelled oh oh-oh man come sit with us
Johnny found a seat with a boy named Pete and felt it again
As he was trying to play pretend the feeling came rushing in
And he thought
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
And I don't want to talk about the trap, I've dreamed big
Real big since I've been on daddy's lap
Got my dreams by my side
Keep them in my pocket so that when I get the chance I can rip it out and rock it
It's like my golden ticket, it's the reason that I'm here
Everybody has a dream, but they're frozen by fear
We won't dance in the rain, we go and run for cover
All that is to blame is getting picked on by another
So we go and find someone that will love and support us
Says they adore us, maybe fought for us
Then, we forget about ambitions and decisions have changed
I think that I was only seven when oh
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You'll get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover, nah no nah no
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You'll get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Getting picked on by another
Better go and run for cover, nah no nah no
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Getting picked on by another
Better go and run for cover, nah no nah no
And Johnny said "Oh oh oh, dad can you take me now?"
Johnny was young, never hurt no-one, too early for that
He was at the park, he met a boy named Jimmy
He's a cutie
And he chose him oh
Take my heart, take my soul, share my crayons, share my goals
His daddy walked by with a sigh said Johnny sit by my side
I'm gonna give you the best advice you've ever heard in your life
But oh no Johnny no no no no ah ah ow
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover yeah
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
Johnny started high school at the front of the bus
Some boys yelled oh oh-oh man come sit with us
Johnny found a seat with a boy named Pete and felt it again
As he was trying to play pretend the feeling came rushing in
And he thought
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
And I don't want to talk about the trap, I've dreamed big
Real big since I've been on daddy's lap
Got my dreams by my side
Keep them in my pocket so that when I get the chance I can rip it out and rock it
It's like my golden ticket, it's the reason that I'm here
Everybody has a dream, but they're frozen by fear
We won't dance in the rain, we go and run for cover
All that is to blame is getting picked on by another
So we go and find someone that will love and support us
Says they adore us, maybe fought for us
Then, we forget about ambitions and decisions have changed
I think that I was only seven when oh
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You'll get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover, nah no nah no
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
You'll get picked on by another
Better go and run for cover
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Getting picked on by another
Better go and run for cover, nah no nah no
Johnny run away, run away, now, Johnny now
Getting picked on by another
Better go and run for cover, nah no nah no
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Toni Watson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Adam J. Lank
Her own style. Her own sound. This is the shit we need in 2020. What an absolute superstar! :)
isitchicken
Tones is getting what she deserves but that’s nothing compared to where she’s going. Pure, unadulterated talent and such a refreshing breeze in a stale, mediocre industry.
Paul Ranalli
Been hearing this song for a while, imagining what she looks like.....this is not at all what I expected! And she's Aussie! What a voice
Richard Sylvanus
@Atheist Dingo
Shade in the summer
Warmth in the winter!
Jaden watts The time
Love you best singer
Kara LW
she is amazing I love her style <3
Paul Walker
@Atheist Dingo what a nasty comment😡
jack lumsden
@Atheist Dingo im sorry that her parents feed her food and not crack
Carpe Diem
Her voice and songs give me the chills... I love her music. I can't wait for her to reach the very top. She is AMAZING 💖
Brandon Spain
What a beautiful unique artist can't wait to see we're her journey takes her innocence at her best.