I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
99, I've been waiting so long
Oh 99, where did we go wrong
Oh 99, (I) I love you
99, I keep breaking your heart
Oh 99, how can we be apart
Oh 99, (I) I love you
I never thought it would happen, I feel quite the same
I don't want to hurt you anymore
I never knew it would work out, no one to blame
You know I love you, 99
99 (whoo-ooh), you keep holding my hand
Oh 99, they don't know who I am
Oh 99, (I) I love you
I never thought it would happen, I feel quite the same
I don't want to hurt you anymore
I never knew it would work out, no one to blame
You know I love you, 99
99 (whoo-ooh), I can't take it no more
Oh 99, oh, we were so sure
Oh 99, (I) I love you
99 (whoo-ooh)
I love you
99
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I love you
Oh 99, where did we go wrong
Oh 99, (I) I love you
99, I keep breaking your heart
Oh 99, how can we be apart
Oh 99, (I) I love you
I never thought it would happen, I feel quite the same
I don't want to hurt you anymore
I never knew it would work out, no one to blame
You know I love you, 99
99 (whoo-ooh), you keep holding my hand
Oh 99, they don't know who I am
Oh 99, (I) I love you
I never thought it would happen, I feel quite the same
I don't want to hurt you anymore
I never knew it would work out, no one to blame
You know I love you, 99
99 (whoo-ooh), I can't take it no more
Oh 99, oh, we were so sure
Oh 99, (I) I love you
99 (whoo-ooh)
I love you
99
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
I love you
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Actually, this song is really not about "99", it's about the number 1.
The subject was a 99% certainty, a 99% sure thing, 99% chance of forever....but there's always that 1% chance, that bit of "anything can happen", and I believe that is what this song relays, "I never thought it could Happen" and "we were so sure"
Basically, HE hit the lottery in a negative context, and the sure,thing failed!
@Kmreed15 Thank you so much! I was torturing myself trying to figure this out, love that song.
I used to think this was about Agent 99 on the Get Smart TV show.
OMG! I always did too! Seriously. I thought I was probably the only one.
I also thought it might be about agent 99 from the Get Smart TV show! Ha ha!!
From songfacts.com:
According to Toto's official web site, the song was inspired by George Lucas's film "THX1138". The film depicted a "utopian" society in which we were all numbers, not names. If you've seen the movie and seen the video for the song, you'd see the connection immediately.
I think the song means that the guy has struck out so mant times before and this is the 99th woman he is going for and now on verge of striking out the 100th time
it seems like a love song , but written during a time when people were starting to feel like a number . around the time the song " I feel like a number" came out . the guy is in love with 99 as in girl or friend #99 . side note , we have a local station on 99.1fm and they played this song long after it was popular , i guess because it says 99 a few times and cements it in your head to keep it on 99 fm .
Wow!! Somebody actually read my post on SongFacts!! I was checking out the site and was going to see if any one had the meaning right!!
Wow!! Somebody actually read my post on SongFacts!! I was checking out the site and was going to see if any one had the meaning right!!
In an old interview I read when the song was first out said that it was about the future when robots were our co-workers. 99 is a robot's number and it is a female and the singer is in lover with her. This fits perfectly with redskinsnut's comments. Of course, this could be far from the truth, but it kind of makes sense in a far out way. But I think that the future and robots may have been just the inspiration. I think the song has many meanings. I'm a songwriter and I do that alot in my songs. I will be inspired by a subject, but the song ends up having more than one meaning.
Personally, I have always taken it to mean that this guy has been through so many lovers and that he is currently on his 99th lover, but, although she is the 99th, he thinks that she is the greatest and final lover. It's like he has never loved anyone before but her. The singer may be fooling himself as he always does when he is lover. Each new lover is THE love of his life. Don't we all know someone like that.
Great song from an awesome band. The piano work throughout is simply amazing, and a bit anachronistic for an era when electronic keyboards were all the rage.
It’s a love song, for sure, but probably not really about a future dystopian society. The song is based upon the parable of the Lost Sheep - Luke 15:1-7. The shepherd leaves the 99 to save the 1. The shepherd assures the 99 that he still loves them even though he must temporarily abandon them for the lost, who “don’t know who I am”. We know it’s writer, the late David Paich, was a quietly “Spiritual Man”. Thank you Mr. Paich for a beautiful song and story! I wish Toto would play it in concert.