Released July 13, 1988 Length 4:50 Writer(s) Foster & McElroy | Genre New jack swing Label Wing | |
Recorded 1986 (as demo)
1988 (as a song) | ||
"Little Walter" is the title of the debut single by Tony! Toni! Toné!. Taken as the lead single from the R&B band's debut album, Who, the hit song spent one week at number one on the U.S. R&B chart. It also peaked at forty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The melody is taken from the instrumentation on the spiritual tune "Wade in the Water."
The narrator in the song describes a roommate by the name of Walter who makes money from an undisclosed job, and rather than pay rent, he spends his money on a lavish lifestyle. The narrator has had enough of this, and decides to confront Walter about it only for both to break into an argument that lasts "half the night". When the argument was finished "there was a knock at the door and when Walter went to open it he was blown to the floor" meaning he may have been shot dead (according to the video for the song). Walter was portrayed by comedian Sinbad in the video.