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
Dying On My Feet
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sure beats living on my knees
These hands around my neck
They get tighter as you squeeze
I'd crawl across the water, baby
Just to get away from you
Take my life but make it shorter
Seems the least that you could do
Reach out
Someone reach out to me
Cause I've lost my way
Sometimes we
Give into things, when we lie and cheat,
Say things
My life's crumbling down
Time for me to pray
Hold me in
Deep inside, cause I'm dying on my feet
Life is hard
But I think, "Compared to what?"
Can't see the things you get to
But deserve just what you got
Will you still forgive me baby
If I don't come back for more
Everything that ever mattered baby
Is locked behind your door
Can't judge
Things I don't understand
Since you walked away
Easy to
Feel this way,
Cause I'm back on the street, well
Life is
A game you can't win
You can only play
Here I am
I'm just dying,
I'm just dying,
I'm just dying!
Reach out
Someone reach out to me
Cause I've lost my way
Sometimes we
Give into things, when we lie and cheat,
Say things
My life's crumbling down
Time for me to pray
Hold me in
Deep inside, cause I'm dying,
I'm just dying, I'm just dying
The lyrics to Toto's song "Dying on my Feet" convey the struggles of a person who is trapped in a toxic relationship. The singer desperately wants to escape the hold that their partner has on them, even if it means giving up their own life. They would "crawl across the water" just to get away from this person. The line "sure beats living on my knees" suggests that the singer would rather die than continue to submit to their partner and live a life of misery. The hands around their neck symbolize the suffocating feeling in the relationship, and the increasing pressure as the partner continues to control the singer.
The chorus of the song sees the singer reaching out for help, asking someone to "reach out" to them, as they feel lost and trapped. They acknowledge that they gave in to the toxic relationship and did things they regret, but now their life is crumbling down and they need to pray. The line, "hold me in deep inside, 'cause I'm dying on my feet" suggests that the singer needs someone to help them heal from the inside out.
Overall, the lyrics to this song paint a vivid picture of the suffocating feeling of being trapped in a toxic relationship. The singer's desperate plea for help and their willingness to give up their life show just how much they are struggling.
Line by Line Meaning
Dying on my feet
I would rather face death than continue living with the way things are
Sure beats living on my knees
I would rather die standing up than grovel or submit to someone else's will
These hands around my neck
I feel suffocated and trapped
They get tighter as you squeeze
I feel like someone is controlling me and things are getting worse
I'd crawl across the water, baby
I would do anything to escape this situation, even if it seems impossible
Just to get away from you
I feel like the person causing my problems is you
Take my life but make it shorter
I would rather die than continue living like this indefinitely
Seems the least that you could do
I feel like my life is not worth living and it would be a small mercy to end it
Reach out
I need someone to help me
Someone reach out to me
I feel alone and isolated and need someone to come to my aid
Cause I've lost my way
I am confused and don't know what to do or where to go
Sometimes we
It is common for people to
Give into things, when we lie and cheat,
When we feel desperate or out of options, we may resort to dishonest or unethical behavior
Say things
We may speak out of turn or lash out when we are angry or afraid
My life's crumbling down
My life is falling apart
Time for me to pray
I need help or guidance from a higher power
Hold me in
I need someone to comfort me and keep me safe
Deep inside, cause I'm dying on my feet
I am in emotional pain and need someone to support me through it
Life is hard
Living is difficult and challenging
But I think, "Compared to what?"
I acknowledge that things could be much worse and try to maintain perspective
Can't see the things you get to
I struggle to appreciate the good things in my life
But deserve just what you got
I acknowledge that my current situation is partly my own fault and take responsibility for it
Will you still forgive me baby
I worry that I have made mistakes that are unforgivable
If I don't come back for more
I may need to leave this situation and never return
Everything that ever mattered baby
I realize that the things that are truly important to me are not material possessions, but people and relationships
Is locked behind your door
I feel like my happiness and well-being are dependent on someone else's approval or actions
Can't judge
I should not make assumptions or pass judgment on things I don't fully understand
Things I don't understand
There are aspects of my current situation that are confusing or unclear to me
Since you walked away
I feel abandoned or betrayed by someone who was once close to me
Easy to
It is tempting to
Feel this way,
I am consumed by negative emotions
Cause I'm back on the street, well
I have fallen on hard times and feel like I am alone and helpless
Life is
Living can often feel like
A game you can't win
I feel like there are no easy solutions or clear paths to success
You can only play
I must accept my role in life and make the most of what I have
Here I am
I am facing my problems head-on
I'm just dying,
I feel like a part of me is slowly fading away
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: DAVID F FRANK PAICH, MICHAEL J PORCARO, ROBERT T KIMBALL, SIMON PETER PHILLIPS, STEVEN LEE LUKATHER
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.