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.
Holy Smokes & Gee Whiz
Tony Toni Toné Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know we've all had that familiar love
The love that we thought might last forever
But you know when you get back to the root of it
Love, true love, makes no sense at all
It just is what it is
Sentimental days, and many tears
I have learned that people sometimes make mistakes
Well, let me take this time out just to say
Oh
Holy smokes & gee whiz
Love is, finally in my heart
Holy smokes & gee whiz
Love is, forever
I′ll take a frown and flip it upside-down
While wheels of love keep spinning around and around, in my head
You can count on me
Oh baby, I'm here
Without a doubt, I'll be there til the end, like a friend
Hey, hey, hey
We′ll build a fortress from a grain of sand
You′ll be my girl and you know I'll forever be your man
Ain′t nobody gonna touch this body
When I got somebody like this
Ain't no way I′m gonna ever let go
{Chorus} (in back 2x)
You see, the morale of the story is
Love, true love, it never ends
See, I'll take your frown, and flip it upside-down
And that′s why I say
Holy Smokes & Gee Whiz
The song "Holy Smokes & Gee Whiz" by Tony Toni Toné is about the mysteries of love and the joy it brings when it ultimately arrives. The lyrics tell a story of how love can be both painful and beautiful, and how the experiences we go through in love make us appreciate it even more. The opening lines of the song reflect on the fragility of love and how we can never quite predict who we fall in love with. The chorus of "Holy smokes & gee whiz, love is finally in my heart, holy smokes & gee whiz, love is forever" is about the overwhelming feeling of finally finding true love.
The second verse talks about how people often make mistakes in love, but that doesn't mean the love itself was a mistake. It's a message about forgiveness and how true love can withstand the mistakes we make in life. The bridge of the song is about being there for your lover, no matter what happens - "you can count on me, oh baby, I'm here, without a doubt, I'll be there til the end, like a friend." The final verse is about committing to love and building a strong relationship with someone you care about.
Overall, "Holy Smokes & Gee Whiz" is a hopeful and joyful song about the power of love and the happiness it brings when we find it. It's a reminder that love is unpredictable and mysterious, but ultimately worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I sometimes ask myself, Why Me′
I often wonder why I am so lucky to have found love
You know we've all had that familiar love
We have all experienced a type of love that we thought would last
The love that we thought might last forever
The love that we hoped would never end
But you know when you get back to the root of it
When you think about it in its simplest terms
Love, true love, makes no sense at all
Real love doesn't always have a logical explanation
It just is what it is
Love is what it is and cannot be defined
Sentimental days, and many tears
The memories of the past and the emotions felt during those times
Though often can account for all the years, that we share
Those memories and emotions are what define our shared experiences
I have learned that people sometimes make mistakes
I know that humans are not perfect and are capable of making errors
Well, let me take this time out just to say
I want to express my feelings right now
Holy smokes & gee whiz
I am amazed and overwhelmed by love
Love is, finally in my heart
I have found true love
I′ll take a frown and flip it upside-down
I will make every effort to turn sadness into happiness
While wheels of love keep spinning around and around, in my head
Love is always on my mind
You can count on me
I am reliable and trustworthy
Oh baby, I'm here
I am always present for you
Without a doubt, I'll be there til the end, like a friend
I am committed to being there for you through thick and thin
We’ll build a fortress from a grain of sand
We will build a strong and lasting relationship from something small
You’ll be my girl and you know I'll forever be your man
I will always be here for you and you will always be mine
Ain′t nobody gonna touch this body
I am dedicated to you and will not let anyone come between us
When I got somebody like this
I am grateful to have someone as amazing as you
Ain't no way I′m gonna ever let go
I will never let you go because I love you too much
The morale of the story is
The lesson to be learned here is
Love, true love, it never ends
Real love never dies or fades away
And that′s why I say
And that is the reason I exclaim
Holy Smokes & Gee Whiz
I am amazed and overwhelmed by love
Writer(s): Dwayne Wiggins, Raphael Saadiq, Carl Wheeler, Michelle Davette Hailey
Contributed by Gianna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.