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
Can't Stand It Any Longer
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walkin' on a fine line
Never seem to buy, enough for you
If you're lookin' for a way out
Then you're headed for the right place
Givin' up is something I can't do
Ooh you got sharp claws
Venom in your eyes, and blood so blue
Hangin' on a black tie
Sippin' on a half shell
Holdin' all the cards, and a joker too
You should have told me sooner
I would have let you go
Now you're driving me crazy
[Chorus]
I can't stand it any longer
When you pay the price for freedom
It ain't wrong girl
I can't stand it any longer
Dancin' on hot coals
Playin' with a live wire
Sneakin' out the back door, you're so cool
If you really want to move on
Then there's nothing left to say
Here's a ticket for the bus stop
I'm no fool
You should have told me sooner
I would have let you go
Now you're driving me crazy
[Chorus]
In Toto's song "Can't Stand It Any Longer," the lyrics convey a feeling of desperation and frustration in a relationship. The first verse sets the tone with the imagery of standing on thin ice and walking on a fine line, portraying the precarious nature of the situation. The singer feels like they can never do enough for their partner and that they are always on the lookout for a way out. The second verse mentions sharp claws and venomous eyes, representing the toxic nature of the relationship, while the mention of holding all the cards and a joker too implies that the partner has all the power in the relationship. The singer wishes that their partner had told them sooner about wanting to leave, as they feel like they are being driven crazy now.
The chorus of the song repeats the title phrase "I can't stand it any longer," expressing the singer's frustration with the situation. It goes on to offer a piece of wisdom - that paying the price for freedom is not wrong, suggesting that the partner may be better off moving on from the relationship if they are feeling trapped.
Overall, the song captures the emotions of a relationship that has run its course, where one partner is feeling trapped and the other has all the power. It advises that sometimes it may be better to let go, rather than hold on too tight and drive yourself crazy.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' on thin ice
In a precarious position where one wrong move could result in disaster
Walkin' on a fine line
In a situation where one must balance opposing forces or interests
Never seem to buy, enough for you
Regardless of how much one does, it never seems to be good enough for the other person
If you're lookin' for a way out
If one is seeking an escape from the situation
Then you're headed for the right place
One has found the right solution to their problem
Givin' up is something I can't do
Even though the situation is difficult, one cannot give up
Ooh you got sharp claws
The other person is aggressive and ready to attack
Always got your back up
The other person is always defensive
Venom in your eyes, and blood so blue
The other person has a toxic attitude and a cold-hearted demeanor
Hangin' on a black tie
The other person is in a position of power
Sippin' on a half shell
The other person is enjoying the finer things in life
Holdin' all the cards, and a joker too
The other person has control of the situation and an ace up their sleeve
You should have told me sooner
The other person should have been honest from the beginning
I would have let you go
If the other person had been honest, one would have let them go without holding on to the situation
Now you're driving me crazy
The situation has become unbearable and is causing one to lose their mind
I can't stand it any longer
The situation has become intolerable and cannot be endured any further
When you pay the price for freedom
Freedom comes with a cost and the other person will have to face the consequences of their actions
It ain't wrong girl
It is not wrong for the other person to seek their freedom
Dancin' on hot coals
In a situation where one must proceed with caution and avoid missteps
Playin' with a live wire
In a situation that is dangerous and unpredictable
Sneakin' out the back door, you're so cool
The other person is trying to leave the situation without drawing attention to themselves
If you really want to move on
If the other person truly wants to leave the situation behind
Then there's nothing left to say
There is no need for further discussion or argument
Here's a ticket for the bus stop
One is giving the other person a way to physically leave the situation
I'm no fool
One is not ignorant of the situation and will not be taken advantage of
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVEN LEE LUKATHER, JOSEPH STANLEY WILLIAMS, DAVID F. PAICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Denis S. Pratt
on Take My Hand
Beautiful rendition of a reconciling moment that my mother and I will lay to rest.