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.
Party Don't Cry
Tony Toni Toné Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't cry, dry your eyes, don't cry
If one day I was to wake up dead
And not a single tear, you better not shed
I'm pushing on and on
I'm living up 365
That's how it's got to be, 'coz I know
Everybody wants to live, nobody wants to die
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes
How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes
Now go and break it down real cool, all night long
Don't cry, dry your eyes, don't cry
The first day that I opened my eyes
Now that's when you probably should've cried
You see, you got it all wrong
Take it not too fast, not too slow
You got to realize one day we'll go
And if there's one thing for sure, I know
Everybody wants to live, nobody wants to die
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes
How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes
Everybody wants to live, nobody wants to die
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes
How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes, don't cry
Everybody wants to live
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes
How are you supposed to live?
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Don't cry, dry your eyes
Everybody wants to live, nobody wants to die
When I pass away, party, don't cry
How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Everybody wants to live, nobody wants to die
When I pass away, party, don't cry
How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Party, don't cry, party, don't cry for me
How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?
When I pass away, party, don't cry
The song "Party Don't Cry" by Tony Toni Toné is an upbeat and optimistic message about cherishing life while understanding that death is an inevitable part of it. The song encourages listeners to live their lives to the fullest and appreciate every day without fear of what's to come. The song's lyrics suggest that when the singer eventually does pass away, he wants those who knew him to celebrate his life and not mourn his death. The lyrics "When I pass away, party, don't cry / How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?" underline the song's message that being afraid of death is pointless and that life is meant to be celebrated.
The song takes a light-hearted approach to a typically somber topic, encouraging listeners to recognize the fragility of life without dwelling on its brevity. The song's catchy melody and upbeat tempo complement the message of carpe diem, creating a feel-good anthem that invites listeners to dance and sing along.
To sum up, "Party Don't Cry" is an optimistic song that encourages listeners to appreciate every day of their lives without fear of what's to come. The song suggests that death is an inevitable part of life and that we should celebrate the time we have instead of worrying about what's next.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't cry, dry your eyes, don't cry
Stay strong, wipe your tears and do not cry
If one day I was to wake up dead
If I were to die suddenly
And not a single tear, you better not shed
You shouldn't cry for me
I'm pushing on and on
I'm determined to keep moving forward
I'm living up 365
I'm living my life to the fullest every day
Show you how you're supposed to live your life
I want to inspire you to live your life fully as well
That's how it's got to be, 'coz I know
I'm certain and confident in my beliefs
Everybody wants to live, nobody wants to die
We all want to live, but we fear death
When I pass away, party, don't cry
Instead of crying, celebrate my life
Now go and break it down real cool, all night long
Enjoy yourself as you dance all night long
The first day that I opened my eyes
The day I was born
Now that's when you probably should've cried
It's ironic that people cry at death but not at birth
You see, you got it all wrong
Our attitude towards death is misguided
Take it not too fast, not too slow
Live your life at your own pace
You got to realize one day we'll go
We must accept that eventually we all will die
And if there's one thing for sure, I know
I'm certain about this truth
Party, don't cry for me
Celebrate my life and do not cry for me
How are you supposed to live if you're afraid to die?
We cannot live fully if we are constantly afraid of death
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CLEMON TIMOTHY JR. RILEY, DWAYNE P. WIGGINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind