Composed entirely of seasoned studio musicians, Toto seemed to come out of nowhere. They did not get known first on the club circuit as nearly all bands do prior to being signed by a label. Their reputations in the studio were enough. For example, Paich, Hungate and Jeff Porcaro wrote songs for and performed on Boz Scaggs' album Silk Degrees.
Toto released their debut album Toto in October 1978, selling two million copies based on their top ten hit Hold the Line. The next two albums Hydra and Turn Back had little success, but Toto IV (released in 1982) featured the number one hit Africa as well as the top ten single Rosanna. Toto IV went multi-platinum and earned several Grammy Awards including 1983 Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for "Rosanna").
Their only film work to date was for the 1984 David Lynch science fiction film Dune. In addition to their own score, they also recorded the Prophecy Theme, composed by Brian Eno.
After the release of Toto IV, Mike Porcaro (brother to Jeff and Steve), joined the group on bass, replacing Hungate. In 1984, Bobby Kimball left the group after being arrested for selling cocaine and was replaced by Dennis Frederiksen aka Fergie Frederiksen, who was replaced not long after by Joseph Williams.
Steve Porcaro left the band in 1988, however, he still contributes as a sideman.
In 1990, Jean-Michel Byron replaced Williams for the new recordings on Past to Present 1977-1990, then left with Lukather becoming the group's lead singer.
On August 5, 1992, Jeff Porcaro died of a heart attack, days after completing work on Kingdom of Desire. The group considered disbanding, before adding British drummer Simon Phillips for the subsequent tour. In the years since Porcaro's death, Lukather has seemingly succeeded Paich as the band's de facto leader.
In 1999, Bobby Kimball returned to the lineup after a 15-year absence.
Greg Phillinganes joined the lineup in 2004 to fill in for David Paich during a tour, then officially joined Toto in 2005.
After a period of rumours and some allusions, on June 5th, 2008 Steve Lukather made an official announcement on his website stevelukather.net, stating: "The fact is yes I have left Toto. There is no more Toto." Lukather further stated that after 31 years of recording, producing and playing with Toto without even missing one single gig, he couldn't do it anymore: "I just can't do it anymore and at 50 years old I wanted to start over and give it one last try on my own." With Lukather being the only original member left in the band (Bobby Kimball was also an original member, but was out of the band from 1984-1998) there was no other option than to call it quits. As the main motivation for his decision, Lukather said: "When Dave retired that was REAL hard for me 'cause we started the band together. Hell, it's 35 years if you count High School where the core all met. When Mike fell ill and had to leave that was it for me. If there isn't Paich or at least one Porcaro how can we even call it Toto?" Luke also stated: "Honestly, I have just had enough. This is NOT a break. It is over. I really can't go out and play Hold The Line with a straight face anymore." The break-up of Toto after 31 years received mixed reactions from the fans, but in general the decision was understood and many agreed with Lukather's reasons to quit the band.
On April 5th, 2008, Toto played what would be their last show ever, in Seoul, Korea, as a part of their Falling In Between Live tour. This left lots of fans without a real farewell tour.
On February 26th, 2010, Steve Lukather announced on his Twitter-account that Toto are reforming for a brief tour in Europe in the summer of 2010 to honor bass player Mike Porcaro, who's suffering from ALS syndrome. Line-up will include David Paich, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, Simon Phillips, Joseph Williams and Nathan East.
Toto released their fourteenth studio album and their first in nine years titled Toto XIV on March 20 (Europe), March 23 (UK and Oceania), and March 24, 2015 (North America). To promote the newly finished project, the band started a world tour running with an extensive European headline arena tour including appearances at key festivals, along with a North American tour to follow in the summer of 2015 and Asia later that year.[43][44]
On March 15, 2015, former bassist Mike Porcaro died, due to complications from his battle with ALS, in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles.[45]
On 6 April 2015, Toto announced that they would embark on 7 August 2015 in Mashantucket, Connecticut with veteran progressive band Yes on a joint summer tour of North America due to end on 12 September 2015 in Coquitlam, British Columbia.[46][47][48] Shannon Forrest has continued to perform as the band's drummer.
On 29 September 2015, Toto announced the first leg of their 2016 Tour in support of Toto XIV consisting of European and Japanese dates. Leland Sklar, who joined them on their 2007 and 2008 tours, replaced founding member Hungate.[49] Sklar left Toto in early 2017 and was replaced by Shem von Schroeck.
Toto will release their anniversary album "40 Trips Around The Sun" on February 9, 2018. Then, they'll embark on their world tour promoting their album and celebrating 40 years of music.
The original lineup (1978)
* David Paich - vocals and keyboards
* Steve Lukather - guitar and vocals
* Bobby Kimball - vocals
* Steve Porcaro - keyboards
* David Hungate - bass
* Jeff Porcaro - drums
The last lineup (2017)
* David Paich - vocals and keyboards
* Steve Lukather - guitar and vocals
* Joseph Williams - vocals
* Steve Porcaro - vocals and keyboards
Better World Parts III ＆ III
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm calling to you
The things we believed
Are no longer true
'Cause we're older now
So much wiser than before
The pain that we've felt
The dues we have paid
And the tears we have cried
And the emptiness
Can we take it anymore
Have we lost all our faith in our God
And all that we are
When we look at our lives
What are we fighting for
Oh, let's make this a better world
When push comes to shove
What have we really learned
Oh, let's make this a better world
When you're lying awake with your life in your head
Thinking a'bout friends who are already dead
We can change
Oh, let's make this a better world
When push comes to shove
What have we really learned
Oh, let's make this a better world
Is there hope for us all
As we're waiting to die
Lying in bed as we take our last sigh
Toto's song "Better World Parts III & IV" is a lyrical call-to-action to those listening to take a closer look at the world they are living in and consider what they can do to make it a better place. The song addresses the fact that, as we grow older, we often become more aware of the pain and suffering in the world, but simultaneously we may also lose faith in ourselves and the universe.
The lyrics suggest that there is still hope for us all, even at the end of our lives, if we can become more mindful of our actions and the impact they have on others. The song asks us to consider what we are fighting for, and whether we are truly making a positive difference in the world. It implores us to take action and work towards a better future for all, rather than giving up or simply accepting the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello my friends
The singer is addressing a group of people.
I'm calling to you
The singer is attempting to get the attention of their audience.
The things we believed
The singer is referring to prior beliefs held by themselves and their listeners.
Are no longer true
The artist has come to the realization that their prior beliefs are no longer valid.
'Cause we're older now
The artist has aged and gained more life experience.
So much wiser than before
The singer has learned from their past experiences and has become more knowledgeable.
The pain that we've felt
The singer and their audience have suffered emotional pain.
We hold deep inside
The emotional pain has not been fully dealt with or resolved.
The dues we have paid
The artist and their audience have suffered losses or made sacrifices.
And the tears we have cried
The artist and their audience have experienced sadness and grief.
And the emptiness
The singer and their audience feel a sense of hollowness or lack of purpose.
Can we take it anymore
The artist and their audience are questioning their ability to endure their emotional pain and losses.
Have we lost all our faith in our God
The singer is questioning their religious beliefs and whether they still have faith.
And all that we are
The singer is reflecting on their identity and worth as a person.
When we look at our lives
The singer and their audience are reflecting on the totality of their existence.
What are we fighting for
The artist and their audience are questioning the purpose behind their struggles.
Oh, let's make this a better world
The artist is suggesting that they and their listeners work towards improving the world.
When push comes to shove
When facing difficult situations or choices.
What have we really learned
The singer is questioning whether they and their audience have gained any meaningful knowledge or wisdom.
Is there hope for us all
The artist is questioning the potential for a positive future for themselves and their listeners.
As we're waiting to die
The artist is referring to their eventual death and the mortality shared by themselves and their listeners.
Lying in bed as we take our last sigh
The artist is describing the moment of death.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Fantasy
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