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.
My Ex-Girlfriend
Tony Toni Toné Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I'm about to say here
In 1992 and 1993 about my ex
I don't want nobody here asking me
Why am I saying this
My Ex-girlfriend is a hoe
They say my ex-girlfriend is a hoe
I can't believe what they're telling me
That my ex-girl was living fantasies
I'm feeling crazy cause I treated her so good
As good as anyone in the neighborhood
I should have known better cause they all told me
That there were even more than two or three
But I was so into myself I wouldn't listen to no one else
My Ex-girlfriend is a hoe
They say my ex-girlfriend is a hoe
My my ex
Down the street about two o'clock
I saw my buddies so I stopped
They couldn't wait to talk to me
To put me up to the latest scene
I just laughed because I heard it all before
About my girl and the boy next door
I payed her way down USC
But guess what? She's was not down with me
My Ex-girlfriend is a hoe
They say my ex-girlfriend is a hoe
My my ex
Next time someone tries to give me advice
I'll take my time and think it over twice
I played a sucker and I played a fool
You'll see paying dues is the golden rule
I'll chalk it up as lesson learned
So next time I won't get burned
My Ex-girlfriend is a hoe
They say my ex-girlfriend is a hoe
My my ex
My Ex-girlfriend is a hoe
(I can't believe it, they try to tell me that)
My ex-girlfriend is a hoe
I don't, I don't believe it
In Tony Toni Tone's song "My Ex-Girlfriend," the singer is expressing his disbelief and frustration with his ex-girlfriend's behavior after hearing rumors that she had been unfaithful and promiscuous. He initially emphasizes that he does not want anyone to take this personally, and that his comments are specifically about his ex-girlfriend during the years of 1992 and 1993. He also acknowledges that he knows people will ask him why he is making this public.
The song's first verse lays out the singer's shock and hurt at discovering that his ex-girlfriend had been living a double life. Despite treating her well, the singer's ex-girlfriend allegedly reveled in sexual fantasies with multiple partners. The second verse shows the singer's frustration with himself for not listening to others who warned him about her behavior, and that he had played the fool. He also implies that he had financially supported his ex-girlfriend's education at USC, only to find out that she had been betraying him.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the singer’s feelings of betrayal, anger and sadness upon hearing rumors of his ex-girlfriend's infidelity. It also serves as a warning to listeners to be cautious about who they trust and to listen to advice from others.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah baby I don't want you to take this personal
I don't want to hurt your feelings with what I'm about to say
What I'm about to say here
The following lyrics will reveal details about my ex-girlfriend
In 1992 and 1993 about my ex
These are the years when my relationship occurred
I don't want nobody here asking me
I don't want any questions or comments from anyone
Why am I saying this
I'm sharing this information to get it off my chest
My Ex-girlfriend is a hoe
My ex-girlfriend has a promiscuous reputation
They say my ex-girlfriend is a hoe
Rumors about her behavior have spread throughout the community
My my ex
I can't believe this is true about someone I once cared for
I can't believe what they're telling me
I'm in shock at the revelation of my ex-girlfriend's actions
That my ex-girl was living fantasies
She was engaging in sexually adventurous behavior
I'm feeling crazy cause I treated her so good
I'm struggling to come to terms with how someone I treated well could behave this way
As good as anyone in the neighborhood
I treated her better than anyone else in our community
I should have known better cause they all told me
Others warned me about her behavior, but I ignored them
That there were even more than two or three
She had many sexual partners, not just a few
But I was so into myself I wouldn't listen to no one else
My ego prevented me from heeding the advice of those who warned me about her
Down the street about two o'clock
I was walking along when I ran into my friends
I saw my buddies so I stopped
I paused to chat with my friends
They couldn't wait to talk to me
My friends were eager to share some juicy gossip
To put me up to the latest scene
They wanted to update me on the latest scandal
I just laughed because I heard it all before
I found the information amusing because I'd heard it all already
About my girl and the boy next door
The rumors involved my ex-girlfriend and a neighbor of ours
I payed her way down USC
I financially supported my ex-girlfriend's education at USC
But guess what? She's was not down with me
Despite my support, she was not faithful to our relationship
Next time someone tries to give me advice
In the future, if someone offers me guidance
I'll take my time and think it over twice
I'll give careful consideration to their words
I played a sucker and I played a fool
I allowed myself to be taken advantage of and look foolish
You'll see paying dues is the golden rule
I've learned that experience and hardship can be valuable teachers
I'll chalk it up as lesson learned
I'll view this experience as an opportunity for growth and learning
So next time I won't get burned
I'll avoid making the same mistake in the future
My Ex-girlfriend is a hoe
I'm still struggling to come to terms with what I've learned about my ex-girlfriend
They say my ex-girlfriend is a hoe
The rumors about my ex-girlfriend's behavior continue to circulate
My my ex
I'm disappointed and heartbroken about the situation
I don't, I don't believe it
Despite the rumors, I still want to believe that my ex-girlfriend is not a 'hoe'
Writer(s): Raphael Wiggins, Timothy Christian Riley, D'wayne Wiggins
Contributed by Bentley F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.