About The Song
“Hold the Line” is a song by American rock band Toto from their 1978 eponymous debut studio album. The song was written by the band’s keyboardist David Paich and performed by Bobby Kimball. It was released as the band’s debut single and lead single from the Toto album in September 1978, by Columbia Records. The song became an international hit for the band, reaching number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
The song’s title is derived from the expression “hold the line,” which means to maintain your existing position. In the song, the singer tells a girl to be patient and stay with their relationship. The song’s opening line, “It’s not in the way that you hold me / It’s not in the way you say you care,” has been interpreted as the singer asking her to “hold the line” like a soldier on a battlefield, refusing to back down in the face of adversity.
Video
Lyrics
It’s not in the way that you hold me
It’s not in the way you say you care
It’s not in the way you’ve been treating my friends
It’s not in the way that you’ll stay till the end
It’s not in the way you look or the things that you say that you do
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
Whoa oh oh
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
Whoa oh oh
It’s not in the words that you told me
It’s not in the way you say you’re mine
It’s not in the way that you came back to me
It’s not in the way that your love set me free
It’s not in the way you look or the things that you say that you do
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
Whoa oh oh
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
Whoa oh oh
It’s not in the words that you told me
It’s not in the way you say you’re mine, oooh
It’s not in the way that you came back to me
It’s not in the way that your love set me free
It’s not in the way you look or the things that you say that you do
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
Whoa oh oh
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
(Love isn’t always on time)
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
(Love isn’t always, love isn’t always on time)
Hold the line
Love isn’t always on time
Love isn’t always on time
Love isn’t always on time
Love isn’t always on time
Whoa oh oh