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
One Road
Toto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm stranded, in the heartland, or so it seems
I'm hitching a ride for a chance at the good life
I'll have my own place, out on fifth avenue
I'm leavin' this time gonna walk on that fine line
I'll be the first one who finally breaks through
I have to get there any way I can
One road to the promised land
Gonna find out just who I am
Freedom, do you know what I mean
Flatlands, are all I've ever seen
Stuck in a small town where you live, then you die
Ain't nothin' but fool's workin' nine until five
I'll sleep in the subways till I get what I need
I'm not gonna stay here, just lie here and bleed
One road to the promised land
I'm gonna get there any way I can
One road to the promised land
Show the world just who I am
One road to the promised land
I thought by now I'd be a different man
One road to the promised land
Guess I found out, just who I am
The song "One Road" by Toto is about a young man who feels stuck in his hometown and dreams of a better life. He wants to break free from the monotony of daily life and make it big in the world. However, time seems to be his enemy as he feels like he is running out of time to achieve his dreams. The singer is determined to make a change in his life and leave the heartland to find his place on Fifth Avenue. He is willing to do whatever it takes to be the first one to finally break through.
The song talks about the struggles of finding a way to succeed while feeling trapped in a small town. The singer compares his life to freedom, which he thinks he has yet to experience. He is tired of seeing only flatlands around him and working nine to five, which he considers to be fool's work. He is willing to sleep in subways and do whatever it takes to break free from his current situation. However, as he continues to search for his promised land, he realizes that he may have found out who he truly is.
Overall, "One Road" is a reflective song that explores the theme of chasing one's dreams while feeling trapped in a small town. It's about the power of determination and choosing to do whatever it takes to make it big in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Time, is the enemy of a young man's dreams
The limited amount of time that a young man has to fulfill their dreams can potentially hinder their success
I'm stranded, in the heartland, or so it seems
Feeling stuck in a small town/region away from big opportunities and success
I'm hitching a ride for a chance at the good life
Taking any opportunity that comes their way to achieve their ultimate goal of a better life
I'll have my own place, out on fifth avenue
Aiming to achieve a high level of success and luxury, symbolized by having their own place on Fifth Avenue
I'm leavin' this time gonna walk on that fine line
Taking a risk and stepping out of their comfort zone to achieve their goals
I'll be the first one who finally breaks through
Hoping to be the first person from their town/region to achieve success and break through the barriers of circumstance
Freedom, do you know what I mean
Questioning if the listener understands the feeling of wanting freedom and a better life
Flatlands, are all I've ever seen
Limited exposure to different regions, cultures, and experiences due to living in a flat area like the heartland
Stuck in a small town where you live, then you die
Feeling trapped in a small town with limited opportunities that may lead to a stagnant and unfulfilling life
Ain't nothin' but fool's workin' nine until five
Feeling that working a regular nine-to-five job is foolish and will not lead to the life they desire
I'll sleep in the subways till I get what I need
Willing to do whatever it takes, including sacrificing their comfort and safety to achieve their goals
I'm not gonna stay here, just lie here and bleed
Determined to not stay in the same stagnation and hopelessness they feel in their current situation
I thought by now I'd be a different man
Reflecting on their past and realizing they are not where they expected to be at this point in their life
Guess I found out, just who I am
Despite not being where they thought they would be, they have discovered more about themselves and their motivations
One road to the promised land
There is only one path to achieving their goal of success and a better life
I have to get there any way I can
Willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goal
Gonna find out just who I am
The pursuit of their dreams will help them discover who they truly are
Show the world just who I am
Wanting to achieve success and prove themselves to the world
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: DANIEL PAICH, RANDY GOODRUM, 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.