Krikorian is a singer/songwriter, whose songs have been recorded by Charlie Sexton, Bette Midler, Peter Case, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Vanessa Williams, Bonnie Raitt and others. He is most commonly regarded as a Christian artist, and has released several albums of Christian songs starting with Romeo Unchained (1986); prior to that, he was decidedly a secular artist.
Krikorian and Alan Shapazian (rhythm guitar) formed a band called The Raik's Progress which recorded one single for Liberty Records, released in 1967. In 1973, he appeared as a member of the former Buddy Holly backing band the Crickets on their album "Remnants".
By 1978, Krikorian went solo, adopting the name of Tonio K, possibly a reference to the Thomas Mann novel Tonio Kröger, with Life In The Foodchain.
Krikorian is featured as lead vocalist on the song "Don't Fade Away." from the Crickets & Their Buddies album, released in the summer of 2004.
Blind and Lucky
Tonio K. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe someone did
I should have been listening
But what did I know
I was probably just a kid
Yeah someone should have told me
About love and how it goes
My mother and father
Had problems of their own
I never knew the rules of engagement
I never knew there even were any rules
And neither did you
We were stumbling blind and lucky
Through an emotional mine field
Suddenly when our luck ran out
We were just stumblin'
Then we went tumblin'
Down that hill
Well someone should have told you
Not to surrender to the mirror
Not to put your pretty ear down on the rail
And swear by every distant vibration that you hear
Yeah someone should have shown you babe
What it is and what it is not
I wish I could have been the one
My aim was pretty true
But I was afraid to even squeeze off a shot
I never knew the rules of engagement
I never knew there even were any rules
And neither did you
We were stumbling blind and lucky
Through an emotional mine field
Suddenly when our luck ran out
We were just stumblin'
Then we went tumblin'
Down that hill
Guitar Solo
We were stumbling blind and lucky
Through an emotional mine field
Suddenly when our luck ran out
We were just stumblin'
Then we went tumblin'
We were stumbling blind and lucky
Through an emotional mine field
Suddenly when our luck ran out
We were just stumblin'
Then we went tumblin'
Down that hill
The song “Blind and Lucky” by Tonio K. is about the unexpected and chaotic nature of love. The lyrics suggest that the singer and their partner were both unprepared for the emotional challenges that loving someone brings, and were simply lucky to have made it as far as they did. The singer reflects that nobody warned them about the rules of engagement in love, and they were both stumbling through a minefield, hoping to make it to the other side unscathed.
The first verse describes the singer’s youth, and notes that they probably were not listening to any warnings that may have been given. They had no good models of what love was supposed to look like, as their parents were dealing with their own issues. The second verse shifts to address the partner, suggesting that they too were unprepared for the realities of love, and lamenting that the singer was too scared to make a move when opportunities arose. When the luck of these two lovers eventually runs out, they tumble down a hill, presumably into a new and uncertain future.
Overall, this song highlights the way in which love and relationships are often unpredictable and difficult to navigate. The singer acknowledges their own lack of experience and preparation, as well as their partner’s, and suggests that sometimes the only way forward is to simply be blind and lucky.
Line by Line Meaning
Well someone should have warned me
I wish someone had told me what love was really like before I found out for myself
Maybe someone did
Maybe I did have warning, but I didn't pay attention
I should have been listening
I should have paid more attention to what people had to say about love
But what did I know
I was young and naive, I didn't know any better
I was probably just a kid
I was young and inexperienced when it came to love
Yeah someone should have told me
I really wish someone had given me more guidance when it came to love
About love and how it goes
I wish someone had explained to me what love is, how it feels, and how to handle it
All I had was the television
All I knew about love was what I saw on TV, which was often unrealistic
My mother and father
My parents had their own issues to deal with, so they weren't able to guide me through love
Had problems of their own
My parents had their own struggles to contend with, so they couldn't teach me much about love
I never knew the rules of engagement
I didn't know the ins and outs of love, how to navigate its difficulties, or how to be in a healthy relationship
I never knew there even were any rules
I didn't realize that love had rules or guidelines to follow
And neither did you
My partner in this relationship was also clueless about what it takes to create a healthy relationship
We were stumbling blind and lucky
We were going through this relationship blindly, with no real knowledge of what we were doing, but somehow we were still lucky enough to stick together
Through an emotional mine field
We were navigating through a relationship that was full of emotional landmines, unsure if we would step on one that would cause our relationship to blow up
Suddenly when our luck ran out
When our luck finally ran out, and we reached a crisis point in our relationship
We were just stumblin'
We were desperately trying to make things work, but we were failing miserably
Then we went tumblin' down that hill
Our relationship came crashing down, and our attempts to salvage it only made things worse
Not to surrender to the mirror
Don't let your vanity and self-image distract you from the real issues in your relationship
Not to put your pretty ear down on the rail
Don't listen too closely to every little detail or rumor, especially if it's not coming from a trusted source
And swear by every distant vibration that you hear
Don't get overly paranoid and assume the worst about your relationship based on small signals or circumstantial evidence
Yeah someone should have shown you babe
Someone really should have taken the time to guide you and show you what a healthy relationship looks like
What it is and what it is not
They should have taught you what real love is, and what it is not
I wish I could have been the one
I wish I could have been the one to guide you and help you understand what a healthy relationship looks like
My aim was pretty true
I had good intentions and wanted to help you
But I was afraid to even squeeze off a shot
But I was too afraid to really step up and take action to help you through this difficult relationship
Guitar Solo
N/A
Down that hill
Our relationship came crashing down, and there was no way to salvage it
Contributed by Mason L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.