1. Toronto was a Cana… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist under this name:
1. Toronto was a Canadian rock band from the late seventies and early eighties who have been compared to Heart and Pat Benatar. They were formed in the late 1970s in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, when singer Annie "Holly" Woods met guitarist Brian Allen. The band's constantly shifting line-up was originally augmented by guitarist/backing vocalist Sharon Alton, keyboardist Scott Kreyer, bassist Nick Costello, and drummer Jimmy Fox.
Their first album, Lookin' for Trouble, was released in 1980, and the title track was a Top 40 hit in Canada. Head On (1981) followed , after which Costello and Fox left the band to be replaced by Gary LaLonde (later of Honeymoon Suite) and Barry Connors (later of Coney Hatch).
This sextet recorded Get It On Credit (1982), with Your Daddy Don't Know perhaps being their best known hit on the 1982 album. Lalonde was then replaced by Mike Gingrich for 1983's Girls' Night Out. This album also received attention, as did the band's Greatest Hits album of 1984.
There were subsequently several exits and entrances in 1984/85, with founding members Allen and Alton leaving, along with drummer Connors. They were replaced by Marty Walsh (guitars), Daryl Alvara (guitars) and Paul Hanna (drums), and the band rechristened themselves Toronto & Holly Woods. In 1985, the re-vamped sextet released their final album, Assault & Flattery. It featured the single New Romance, written by Holly Knight and Anton Fig.
2005 saw Toronto play at Voyageur Days Festival in Mattawa, Ontario, Canada (near North Bay) with other Canadian classic rockers Moxy, Chilliwack, Trooper, Goddo, Killer Dwarfs and Ray Lyell for the 30th anniversary of the release of the debut album by the band Moxy.
2. Toronto is a rock band from Poland, created in 1997 by brothers Sławek and Darek Załeńscy.
3. Toronto is an artist credited for the song Electric Tooth Brush on the Jet Set Radio soundtrack.
Break Down The Barricades
Toronto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always have to doubt you
Livin' on the borderline
I'm sick of cryin', lyin'
Feelin' like I'm dyin'
You're not gonna take my mind
Your love's a tidal wave
Break down the barriacde
You love's a tidal wave
Why do you have to use me
How much more can you abuse me
Someday you're gonna to go too far
I need you near me
You don't even seem to hear me
Lookin' for a heart to scar
Lookin' for a heart to scar
Break down the barricade
Your love's a tidal wave
Break down the barricade
Your love's a tidal wave
Break down
Break down the barricade
Break down the barricade
Break down the barricade
So many nights I'm waitin'
Hopin' that you'll call me
Nothing seems to kill the pain
I trust I'll have to make you
Realize I love you
But you poured it down the drain
Break down the barricade
Your love's a tidal wave
Break down the barricade
Come on
Your love's a tidal wave
Break down the barricade
Your love's a tidal wave
Come on
Break down the barricade
Your love's a tidal wave
Break
Down The Barricades by Toronto is a song that deals with the complex emotions of love and heartbreak. The song is about the mixed feelings the singer has for their partner, who they feel uncertain about and constantly have to doubt. The use of the metaphor of "livin' on the borderline" further emphasizes the tension within the relationship. The singer is tired of crying, lying, and feeling like they are dying because of their partner's actions. They feel like their partner is using and abusing them, and that someday, they will cross a line too far. However, despite all of this, the singer still needs their partner near them and wants them to realize how much they love them. The repeated refrain of "Break down the barricade" is a plea for their partner to tear down the emotional barriers that are causing the singer's pain, and to let their love in like a tidal wave.
The song's lyrics deal with a relatable theme that many people have experienced in their own relationships. The pain, confusion, and frustration that come with the uncertainty of love are universal themes that Toronto has captured perfectly in this song. The use of metaphors and imagery throughout the lyrics helps to convey the complex emotions in a way that is both poetic and relatable. The repeated refrain of "Break down the barricade" serves as a powerful reminder that love requires vulnerability and openness, and that emotional barriers can prevent us from fully experiencing it.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't want to worry about you
I don't want to constantly be concerned about you and your actions
Always have to doubt you
I am always suspicious of you and your intentions
Livin' on the borderline
I feel like I'm walking a fine line and don't know what to expect from you
I'm sick of cryin', lyin'
I am tired of being upset and dealing with lies
Feelin' like I'm dyin'
I feel like my emotional state is killing me
You're not gonna take my mind
I won't let you manipulate or control my thoughts
Break down the barricade
I want to remove the emotional barriers that are preventing us from being happy
Your love's a tidal wave
Your love is overwhelming and all-consuming
Why do you have to use me
I feel like you are manipulating and taking advantage of me
How much more can you abuse me
I can't take any more mistreatment from you
Someday you're gonna to go too far
Your behavior will eventually reach a breaking point
I need you near me
I want to be close to you
You don't even seem to hear me
It seems like you are not listening to me or my needs
Lookin' for a heart to scar
You are seeking out someone to hurt emotionally
Break down the barricade
I want to break through the barriers in our relationship
Your love's a tidal wave
Your love is so strong that it can be overwhelming
So many nights I'm waitin'
I spend so many nights waiting for you
Hopin' that you'll call me
I hope you will reach out to me
Nothing seems to kill the pain
Even though I am waiting and hoping, I still feel emotional pain
I trust I'll have to make you
I believe that I will need to help you realize how much I love you
Realize I love you
I want you to understand how much I care about you
But you poured it down the drain
However, you have been ignoring my love and throwing it away
Break down the barricade
I want to dismantle the emotional barriers that are preventing our love from flourishing
Come on
Encouragement to take action and work towards breaking down the barriers
Your love's a tidal wave
Your love can be overpowering and all-consuming
Break down the barricade
I want to break through the emotional barriers that are holding us back
Your love's a tidal wave
Your love is so strong it's like a massive wave crashing over me
Come on
An urging to take action and make things happen
Break down the barricade
I want to tear down the walls that have been preventing our love from growing
Your love's a tidal wave
Your love is so powerful it's like a never-ending rush of emotion
Break
An abrupt encouragement to take action and break free from the emotional barriers
Writer(s): Brian Raymond Allen, Sheron Elaine Alton, Scott Joseph Kreyer, Holly Woods
Contributed by Isabelle F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.