Your Daddy Don’t Know

The Zoo Crew is spinning the infectious track "Your Daddy Don’t Know" by Toronto from their 1982 album Get It on Credit, a song that’s got the Zoo Freaks buzzing with its catchy, bluesy swagger. This tune, peaking at #5 on Canada’s RPM charts and #77 on the U.S. Billboard charts, became Toronto’s biggest hit, fueled by Holly Woods’ powerhouse vocals and a riff that screams early ‘80s rock. One juicy piece of trivia comes from keyboardist Scott Kreyer, who admitted in interviews he was clueless about the song’s meaning, with speculation ranging from it being about a stripper to a woman sneaking out for a night of mischief. The song’s writers, Geoff Iwamoto and Michael Roth, weren’t band members, which was unusual for Toronto, and their ambiguous lyrics sparked debate among fans and critics alike. In 1983, it even scored a Juno nomination for Songwriter of the Year, though some critics, like Evan Cater of AllMusic, dismissed the album as a “debacle,” while others, like Greg Burliuk of the Kingston Whig-Standard, called the track a standout.

Adding to its legacy, "Your Daddy Don’t Know" got a second life when The New Pornographers covered it for the 2003 FUBAR: The Album soundtrack, with Neko Case’s vocals bringing a fresh indie edge. This cover, featured in the cult Canadian film, reintroduced the song to a new generation, with some fans on platforms like SongMeanings debating its raw energy versus the original. The song also popped up in a 1983 Labatt Blue commercial, cementing its place in Canadian pop culture. More recently, in 2022, it was used as a lip-sync number on Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World, showing its enduring appeal. A Reddit post from 2024 on r/Music by user Edm_vanhalen1981 racked up a few votes, with fans reminiscing about its “exquisitely 1982” vibe, as described by Popdose, evoking images of low-budget MTV videos and smoky bar gigs.

Toronto, the band behind this classic, formed in the late 1970s in Toronto, Ontario, when singer Annie “Holly” Woods met guitarist Brian Allen. Their chemistry sparked the creation of a hard-rocking outfit often compared to Heart and Pat Benatar, blending gritty riffs with Woods’ commanding voice. The initial lineup included guitarist/backing vocalist Sheron Alton, keyboardist Scott Kreyer, bassist Nick Costello, and drummer Jimmy Fox. They hit the ground running with their 1980 debut album, Lookin’ for Trouble, whose single “Even the Score” just missed Canada’s Top 40. Despite constant lineup changes—Costello and Fox left after 1981’s Head On, replaced by Gary LaLonde and Barry Connors—Toronto kept churning out hits. Their persistence paid off with Get It on Credit, though internal drama, including disputes over song choices like the unreleased “What About Love” (later a hit for Heart), plagued the band. By 1985, their label, Solid Gold Records, went bankrupt, forcing a breakup, though they reunited briefly in 2007 and continue to perform sporadically.

For fans wanting to dive deeper, Toronto doesn’t have an active official website, but you can find traces of their legacy online. Their Facebook page, under Holly Woods & Toronto, shares occasional updates and throwback photos, though posts are sparse. Instagram is quiet, with no official band account, but searching #TorontoBand yields fan tributes. On X, you might catch fans like @Edm_vanhalen1981 sharing love for the band, though no official Toronto account exists. Fan communities are niche but passionate—check out the Toronto Band Fan Group on Facebook for discussions and rare memorabilia. Websites like Rock My World Canada and Last.fm offer detailed bios and discographies for diehard Zoo Freaks looking to keep the vibe alive.