History
Their first album was released in 1988 and was titled Who?. The album went gold and had several hit singles. The first of these, "Little Walter", went to #1 on the R&B charts. While none of the singles went gold, the next three singles, "Born Not To Know", "For The Love Of You" and "Baby Doll" were all Top 10 R&B singles.
Firmly establishing themselves, the group's second album The Revival was released in 1990 and reached platinum status. The album spawned several #1 R&B hits with "It Never Rains", "Feels Good", and "Whatever You Want", all topping the R&B charts. "Feels Good" was the group's first single to breach the Top 10 of the Hot 100 and managed to go gold.
Furthering the group's success, they released their best selling album to date, Sons Of Soul, in 1993. The album went double platinum and had hit singles: "If I Had No Loot" which hit #7 on the Hot 100, "Anniversary" which reached #10 on the Hot 100, and "(Lay Your Head On My) Pillow" which reached #4 on the R&B charts.
In 1996, the group released their last album to date, House of Music. The album lacked the strong singles of earlier entries, only getting "Thinking Of You" into the top 10 on the R&B charts but the album still managed to go platinum.
Raphael Saadiq released his first solo effort, the Top 20 Billboard hit "Ask of You" from the Higher Learning soundtrack, in 1995. Around the same time, Saadiq became a much-sought-after R&B producer, scoring hits for D'Angelo, Total, The Roots and others. Later in the 2000s, he started a solo career, releasing two albums, Instant Vintage (2002) and Ray Ray (2004).
In 2003, most members of Tony! Toni! Toné! except for Saadiq were invited by Alicia Keys to guest on her album The Diary of Alicia Keys. The song that resulted from that session was called "Diary", and when it was released as a single in the fall of 2004, it gave them their first Top 10 US hit in eleven years. In 2005, Dwayne Wiggins became the band leader for the Weekends at the D.L. television show hosted by comedian D. L. Hughley, which airs on the Comedy Central cable network.
In 2006, the group reunited for the New Jack Reunion Tour, running throughout the U.S.
Born Not to Know
Tony Toni Toné Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had a share of problems don't you know
Just the same the city had too
Time after time, my mama told
There's a lotta things that you know
But there's a whole lot more you need to know?
Friends, just for fun
Drugs, don't indulge
Sex with the right person?
Work all your day
Crime does not pay
Love don't apply
Live, to live you must die?
And I can't be late 'cause I was born not to know
Things are getting crazy, I ain't getting lazy
I was born not to know
Now since I've grown, I've learned a lot more
The city hasn't changed a bit since
Doesn't mean I have to live like this
I still can recall what my mother told me
There was a lot of things that I knew
But the ones my mother said were true
Money, had my own
Friends, we had fun
Drugs, didn't indulge
Sex, had the right person
Work, all my day
Crime did not pay
Love did not apply
Live, now I live but I gotta die
And I can't be late 'cause I was born not to know
I ain't gonna make a fuss, I like the back of the bus
'Cause I was born not to know
I was born not to know
I was born not to know
I was born not to know
The song "Born Not to Know" by Tony Toni Toné is a powerful testimony about the process of learning and growth in one's life. The song speaks to the idea of how one's upbringing can shape the perspective that one has about the world around them. In the first verse, the song suggests that wherever you put people, they'll always encounter problems, regardless of the city they're in. However, the song emphasizes the importance of learning in one's upbringing, as "there's a lot more you need to know."
The chorus of the song highlights the repetitive nature of the character's motivations in life. The lines "I was born not to know / Things are getting crazy, I ain't getting lazy / I was born not to know" suggest a sense of resignation to the way things are, and a reluctance to take responsibility for one's own life. The verses that follow show the character's growth and awareness of this limitation, as the perspective changes from "Money, have your own" to "Money, had my own."
Overall, the message of the song is about the importance of personal growth and development, even if we are born into circumstances that limit us. It encourages taking personal responsibility for our lives and seeking knowledge in order to overcome our limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
Put all your men in a average city
Gather all your acquaintances and put them in a mundane city
Had a share of problems don't you know
Encountered a few issues here and there
Just the same the city had too
However, the city itself faced problems as well
Time after time, my mama told
On multiple occasions, my mother instructed me
There's a lotta things that you know
Many things you are aware of
But there's a whole lot more you need to know?
But there is still much more to learn
Money, have your own
Financial stability is important
Friends, just for fun
Friendships should not be taken too seriously
Drugs, don't indulge
Do not engage in drug use
Sex with the right person?
Is it important to be selective in choosing sexual partners?
Work all your day
Put in effort all-day
Crime does not pay
Illegal activities are not worth the consequences
Love don't apply
Love is not always the solution
Live, to live you must die?
Is it necessary to die in order to truly live?
And I can't be late 'cause I was born not to know
I should not procrastinate because it is my nature to be ignorant
Things are getting crazy, I ain't getting lazy
Despite the chaos, I will not succumb to laziness
Now since I've grown, I've learned a lot more
Now that I have matured, I have gained much knowledge
The city hasn't changed a bit since
The city remains the same as it ever was
Doesn't mean I have to live like this
However, that does not mean I must be content with my current situation
I still can recall what my mother told me
I still remember the lessons my mother taught me
There was a lot of things that I knew
Many things I was already acquainted with
But the ones my mother said were true
However, the advice my mother gave me proved to be genuine
I ain't gonna make a fuss, I like the back of the bus
I do not intend to complain, I prefer to stay low-key
'Cause I was born not to know
Since I was born with a lack of knowledge
I was born not to know
I was born with ignorance
I was born not to know
My ignorance was inbuilt from birth
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Denzil Delano Foster, Thomas Derrick McElroy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kwuan Brinson
2020 and this is still my shyt. This is one of most underrated groups in musical history.
MONEY: Had My Own
FRIENDS: We Had Fun
DRUGS: Didn't Indulge
SEX: Had The Right Person
WORKED: All My Days
CRIME: Did Not Pay
LOVE: Didn't Apply
LIVED: I've Lived Now I Gotta Die
🤔Words I literally lived by. Life was phenomenally beautiful in those days and times😢 I'd give anything to be able to go back. Be safe everyone out there😷 1Love✌💯✌
kollegs101
Put all your men in a average city
Had a share of problems don't you know
Just the same the city had too
Time after time, my mama told
There's a lotta things that you know
But there's a whole lot more you need to know?
Money, have your own
Friends, just for fun
Drugs, don't indulge
Sex with the right person?
Work all your day
Crime does not pay
Love don't apply
Live, to live you must die?
And I can't be late 'coz I was born not to know
Things are getting crazy, I ain't getting lazy
I was born not to know
Now since I've grown, I've learned a lot more
The city hasn't changed a bit since
Doesn't mean I have to live like this
I still can recall what my mother told me
There was a lot of things that I knew
But the ones my mother said were true
Money, had my own
Friends, we had fun
Drugs, didn't indulge
Sex, had the right person
Work, all my day
Crime did not pay
Love did not apply
Live, now I live but I gotta die
And I can't be late 'coz I was born not to know
I ain't gonna make a fuss, I like the back of the bus
'Coz I was born not to know
I was born not to know
I was born not to know
I was born not to know
Granny G
Thank goodness for utube. I am a 63 year old musician of many decades. I still have my 97 year old Mother in my care. I listen to music all the time and so does she. Honestly, while I had this jamming, I looked up and Mama was tapping her foot. Then I told her the nice words to the song. Tony Toni Tone has 97 year old folks rocking to his clean music. I hope they all made it. I see where the group "High Five" totally lost their minds. I'm in here right now pulling the chords to this group's song named "Thinking of You". Bless You Tony Toni Tone!
Mr. Kool
Very much an underrated song . These guys were good.
Close Counsel
Listened to this song for years.. Just humming in my head.. For the first time I received the true meaning.. deeper than social, wealth, racism oppression
Kwuan Brinson
2020 and this is still my shyt. This is one of most underrated groups in musical history.
MONEY: Had My Own
FRIENDS: We Had Fun
DRUGS: Didn't Indulge
SEX: Had The Right Person
WORKED: All My Days
CRIME: Did Not Pay
LOVE: Didn't Apply
LIVED: I've Lived Now I Gotta Die
🤔Words I literally lived by. Life was phenomenally beautiful in those days and times😢 I'd give anything to be able to go back. Be safe everyone out there😷 1Love✌💯✌
fryelee11
Just the most underrated song they have. This shetz is jamming!
Kwuan Brinson
🤙Sho Yo Rite🤙
Listen to Aunt Robin
@fryelee Word up! The lyrics are 🔥 and so true😁
Monica Goyson
Yes I use too love this song man music just not like this no more. 💙🥰
Dell'La
It's a joy to see this, still sounds so good. My Mother's favorite song by the 3 T's, she was such a fan, as much as I was. I love "For the Love of You," along with many others of course. Thank you guys for helping to create such great memories, I will always cherish in my heart, both of my parents have passed on. Thanks for helping me smile again.
justdanadane
When most music is fun. I can listen to this one over and over and over.