Formed in 1996, they played consistently for two years in and around the north-eastern United States and Canada, opening for The New Bomb Turks, Nashville Pussy, Blonde Redhead, The Make-Up, The Dirtbombs, The Chrome Cranks and The Demolition Doll Rods. Originally they did not even want to release an album opting to have the band's live reputation spread via word of mouth.
Eventually, the trio relented and put out a self-titled six song e.p. on Sonic Unyon records in 1998. In 1999 they released the self-produced My Love Is Bold E.P. and achieved national exposure with the single "Bounce". They were nominated for a Juno Award in 2000 for Best Alternative Album.
In 2001 Bad Taste Records released a compilation of the band's early recordings, demos, and b-sides entitled, I'm Alive and On Fire. A 5 week European tour followed to promote the release including shows at the Roskilde festival in Denmark and Hultsfred festival in Sweden. By the end of the year they had returned 2 more times, most notably as main support for the Backyard Babies.
2002: Born A Lion
In 2002 they released their first full-length album, Born A Lion, produced by Bill Bell, on Bad Taste Records in Europe and on Universal in Canada. The band did several European tours and two Canadian tours to promote the record including an unprecedented repeat performance at Roskilde and the now legendary return to Hultsfred as well as notable stops to Pukkelpop in Belgium and The Lowlands festival in the Netherlands. They also managed to grab the opening slot with The Rolling Stones on their "40 Licks" World tour kick-off show at the Palais Royale in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 16, 2002.
2003: We Sweat Blood
2003 saw the release of We Sweat Blood, produced by Matt DeMatteo, and the group taking a heavier approach to their hard-rock sound. More touring followed that included Europe and Japan. They were also nominated for two Junos: Best Rock Album (Born a Lion) and Best video (Lovercall).
While success was happening abroad, home relations with Universal Canada had soured and the band was dropped mid-album run. Explanations from the label were vague, but speculations point to Jones' February 2004 appearance on CBC Sunday where Jones appeared as a pro-downloader opposite then CRIA president, Brian Robertson. Getting dropped from Universal Canada did little to stop the group as they continued to tour heavily for the rest of the year well into 2004 with bands like Turbonegro, Sepultura and The Bronx. While touring they managed to pick up another Juno nomination for Best Rock Album (We Sweat Blood) and tour Australia as well as more European dates including Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in Germany and Download, Leeds and Reading in England.
2005-2006: Sleep Is The Enemy
Early 2005 was taken up by recording the follow-up to We Sweat Blood, but not without a series of tours amidst recording that brought the band to the Netherlands, Germany and South Africa. In April, American label, Razor & Tie released We Sweat Blood and the band set out to America in support as well.[6] Working two releases simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic proved quite hard and the worldwide release for the upcoming album, Sleep Is The Enemy, produced by Matt DeMatteo, was pushed back to 2006.
During the summer and fall of 2005 the band toured America heavily with two of We Sweat Blood's singles being second most added to active rock radio in America ("Lovercall" and "Forget My Name"). Stateside tours with Flogging Molly, Our Lady Peace, The Supersuckers, and The (International) Noise Conspiracy followed. Prior to the release of Sleep Is The Enemy drummer Damon Richardson left the band, citing fatigue as a reason for leaving. He was replaced by Dan Cornelius.
In January and February 2006, under new Canadian label, Aquarius Records, the band set out to do their first Canadian tour in almost 4 years opening up for Nickelback, With the release of Sleep Is The Enemy came more touring including America and a headlining European club tour with support from Brant Bjork & The Bros.
The summer saw them perform at Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, With Full Force and Wacken Open Air in Germany; Hellfest and Furiafest in France, Metaltown in Sweden, Pinkpop and Lowlands in The Netherlands, Tuska Festival, Ruisrock and Ankkarock in Finland, Gampel in Switzerland and Wireless in the UK among at least a dozen more. In October 2006, a 2 week tour of Norway saw the band play with ex-Kyuss front-man, John Garcia who appeared on the song "Invisible" off Sleep Is The Enemy.
2008: Never Too Loud
Their fourth album, Never Too Loud was released on February 27, 2008[9] and produced by Nick Raskulinecz. The album yielded three singles, "Code Of The Road" followed by "Take Me Home" and "King Of Magazines". A major city tour of Europe in April 2008 was followed by a Canadian tour in May and a three month stint in Europe playing almost 30 dates on the festival circuit that included Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park and With Full Force in Germany; Bospop and Lowlands in The Netherlands; Sziget Festival in Hungary; Rabarock in Estonia; Provinssi Rock in Finland; and Eurockeennes and Hellfest in France, where Jones got to sing on stage with one of his favorite bands, Death Angel for the song, "Bored". In the fall/winter of 2008 Danko Jones toured England, Germany, France and Benelux opening for Motörhead.
2009: B-Sides
On February 3, 2009 B-Sides was released in Europe only - a collection of previously released b-sides from European singles and unreleased tracks that spanned 1996 to 2008. On February 24 they commenced a 7 week tour in support of the release that spanned The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France and the UK with support coming from The Backyard Babies, Winnebego Deal and The Black Spiders. The CD yielded the singles "Sugar High" and "My Problems (Are Your Problems Now)". A greatest hits compilation titled This Is Danko Jones was released on April 7 the same year in Canada only.
In the summer the band managed a few festival appearances, most notably, the Sziget Festival in Hungary on the main stage with Faith No More and The Offspring, as well as Huntenpop in The Netherlands, Wintherthur and Gampel Open Air in Switzerland, Parken Festival in Norway and Jurassic Rock in Finland. In January and February 2010 the band toured across Canada with Guns N' Roses and Sebastian Bach. In March the same year they toured the United States with Clutch.
2010: Below the Belt
Their fifth album Below the Belt was released on May 11, 2010 and produced by Matt DeMatteo. The album's first single, "Full of Regret", features Elijah Wood, Lemmy Kilmister, Selma Blair and Mike Watt in the accompanying video. It debuted at #36 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks in November. It is also featured on EA's NHL 11 soundtrack. The second single, "Had Enough", has Ralph Macchio appearing in the accompanying video.
On June 8, 2011 Danko Jones announced on the band's website that drummer Dan Cornelius was no longer with the band. In the same statement Danko Jones said Atom Willard had joined as a replacement. In a March 2012 question-and-answer session with fans on Twitter Danko Jones said: "Dan's time with the band had run its course but it was completely mutual from both sides. An amicable split."
2012: New Album
In early 2012 Danko Jones revealed the band was working on a new album, posting footage of the writing process on the band's YouTube channel. Jones said the album was likely to be out in the European fall (autumn). He added a book and DVD about the band's history would also be released in 2012.
Albums
Born a Lion (2002) (Bad Taste Records / Universal Canada)
We Sweat Blood (2003) (Bad Taste Records / Razor & Tie)
Sleep Is the Enemy (2006) (Bad Taste Records | Aquarius Records)
Never Too Loud (2008) (Bad Taste Records / Aquarius Records)
Below the Belt (2010) (Bad Taste Records / Aquarius Records)
EPs and Others
Sugar Chocolate 7" (1998) (Sonic Unyon)
Danko Jones EP (1998) (Sonic Unyon)
My Love Is Bold (1999) (Sound King / Outside Music)
I'm Alive and on Fire (2001) (Bad Taste Records)
Ritual of the Savage 10" (split with Gluecifer & Peter Pan Speedrock) (2003) (Drunken Maria / Suburban)
B-Sides (2009) (Bad Taste Records)
This Is Danko Jones (2009) (Canadian-only greatest hits release) (Emd Int'l Records)
Having Fun on Stage with Danko Jones 7 (2009) (Yeah Right! Records)
Mouth to Mouth (2011) (digital-only release)
Bring On the Mountain (2012) (DVD)
Full of Regret
Danko Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say don't look back but I take things in stride
Everybody wanna minimize, they want to change what can't be undone
I can see it's a recipe that always leads to just no fun
Haven't slipped that time to take you back I got a few regrets of my own
She had a diamond eye, beauty all her own, where are you now girl
You know you got that special place I always see you when love spits in my face
Regrets, I've had mine
Lonely nights and a whole lot of wasted time
If you see her won't you tell her for me
It's better this way to avoid our misery
It's a little bit of luck but whole a lot of hard work takes a toll
Most people don't know when they walk in how they get what's in store
I thought I'd given up and settled on the blues
But I'd always think of her when I didn't know what to do
It'll be my burden to track when it got hot
When she walked on, I didn't know what I'd just lost
Maybe she's out there and thinking just like me
What if, what would have happened, what could have been
Regrets, I've had mine
Lonely nights and a whole lot of wasted time
If you see her won't you tell her for me
It's better this way to avoid our misery
Regrets, I've had mine
Lonely times and too many wasted nights
If you see her won't you tell her for me
It's better this way to avoid our misery
Regrets, I've had mine
Regrets, I've had mine
Sometimes when I think back
I wonder where it was that I lost track
And I think of you, ha ha baby who knew, who knew
She's out there, she's somewhere I'm losing my head again
She's always haunting me I'm going out of my head
Regrets, I've had mine
Lonely nights and a whole lot of wasted time
If you see her won't you tell her for me
It's better this way to avoid our misery
Regrets, I've had mine
Lonely times and too many wasted nights
If you see her won't you tell her for me
It's better this way to avoid our misery
I'm full of regret
I'm full of regret
I'm full of regret
I'm full of regret
The lyrics of Danko Jones's song "Full of Regret" expresses the singer's feeling of nostalgia and regret for the past. He reflects on his life and past relationships, in particular a woman with a "diamond eye" and "beauty all her own" whom he lost. He grapples with the idea of not being able to change what cannot be undone, despite his regrets about missed opportunities and wasted time. His lyrics speak to the universal human experience of wondering "what could have been" and the difficulty of accepting the things we cannot change.
The verses of the song convey a sense of resignation and acceptance of the past, while the chorus provides a refrain that is more hopeful and suggests a way of moving forward: "If you see her won't you tell her for me / It's better this way to avoid our misery." The singer acknowledges that although he is full of regret, he cannot undo the past, and it is better to let go and move on. Overall, the song expresses a bittersweet mixture of nostalgia and acceptance, regret and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta do a little bit of reminiscing on the days that just gone by
I need to reflect on the past and all that has happened in it.
They say don't look back but I take things in stride
People advise not to focus on the past but I handle it with ease.
Everybody wanna minimize, they want to change what can't be undone
People always want to minimize their mistakes and undo what is irreversible.
I can see it's a recipe that always leads to just no fun
I have learned that this approach is never satisfying and doesn't lead to happiness.
Haven't slipped that time to take you back I got a few regrets of my own
If I could go back in time, I would have done things differently and have some regrets.
She had a diamond eye, beauty all her own, where are you now girl
I had a special lady in my life with unique qualities, but she's no longer here.
You know you got that special place I always see you when love spits in my face
I always have fond memories of her and think of her when love brings disappointment.
Regrets, I've had mine
I have experienced regret in my life.
Lonely nights and a whole lot of wasted time
Regret has caused me to feel lonely and waste time.
If you see her won't you tell her for me
If you happen to come across her, please send my message to her.
It's better this way to avoid our misery
It's better to not reconnect and avoid further discomfort for both of us.
It's a little bit of luck but whole a lot of hard work takes a toll
Success is not just about luck, it requires a lot of hard work and can wear you out.
Most people don't know when they walk in how they get what's in store
Most people are unaware of what they will experience in the future.
I thought I'd given up and settled on the blues
At one point, I had given up on love and felt sad and frustrated.
But I'd always think of her when I didn't know what to do
During those times, I always thought of her and wished she was there to help guide me.
It'll be my burden to track when it got hot
It's my responsibility to remember when things heated up and went wrong.
When she walked on, I didn't know what I'd just lost
When she left, I didn't fully understand what I had lost until later.
Maybe she's out there and thinking just like me
Perhaps she too is thinking about our past and experiencing similar emotions.
What if, what would have happened, what could have been
I often wonder what could have happened if things had gone differently.
Sometimes when I think back
When I reflect on the past sometimes,
I wonder where it was that I lost track
I ponder on where I went wrong.
And I think of you, ha ha baby who knew, who knew
And during these moments, I think of you and smile, who knew we would end up like this?
She's out there, she's somewhere I'm losing my head again
She is out there somewhere, and thinking about her is causing me to feel scattered and overwhelmed.
She's always haunting me I'm going out of my head
Memories of her are like ghosts that never leave my mind and are driving me crazy.
I'm full of regret
I am consumed by regret.
Contributed by Sadie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
scapegoat079
Seeing Elijah Wood in this video makes my day every time.
wolfMetall
Elijah is cool and all but did you see Lemmy?
Joel Krahn
definitely one of the BEST music videos out right now. I love all the introductions to him from past records
TheProductRock
We played with Danko Jones a while back, and we'd love to do it again... they put on a great show!
Alexander Wingeskog
RIP Lemmy! Video/song/music is truly awesome... can listen to it everyday and it just feels stronger and stronger... and no regrets at all... Danko Jones I bow to you awesomeness!
barfass
Danko Jones blew my mind about 8 years ago unexpectedly at a Nickleback concert in Ottawa, Ontario. I had heard rumours about his shows from friends. WOW. What a fucking show!
HK
barfass I live in Ottawa
smoodiefog666
WOW!! Just discovered this band-why hadn't I heard of them before?
Gonzo21121
Danko rocks....Canada has so many great rockers!Looking forward to seeing him rock the Music Hall in Oshawa tonight!
Gardner Goldsmith
DAAAAANKO! You boys have done it again! Mike Watt! Lemmy, Elijah Wood, Selma (mmmmmmmmm-M!) Blair! The story is great, the shots are incredible, the acting by everybody is flat out awesome, the song ROCKS, and the intro from Mike is frigging AWESOME!!!! GO MANGO KIIIID!