Dokken was initially composed of founder Don Dokken on vocals, George Lynch on lead guitar, Juan Croucier on bass, and Mick Brown on drums. The southern California group pursued a heavy yet melodic sound reminiscent of prior bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, finding success in the 80s hard rock and metal boom. The band recorded and released 'Breaking the Chains', their first studio album, in 1983. Though their fortunes struggled somewhat in the United States, they picked up a big popular response in Europe.
In 1984, Croucier left Dokken in order to join Ratt. He was replaced by multi-instrumentalist Jeff Pilson, who soon became a rock idol alongside Don Dokken and George Lynch. Their next several albums and singles showed them to be a powerful commercial force, particularly winning fans with their music videos (their one for "Dream Warriors" even featured the band facing off against Freddy Krueger himself). Their 1988 live album 'Beast from the East' earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance as well. However, Don Dokken's and George Lynch's creative differences, as well as their growing personal conflicts, brought about tension and even caused the group to break-up in 1988, though they had released multi-platinum work appealing to numerous hard rockers and metalheads.
The band has faced many changes over the years since. It wasn't until 1995 that the group resurfaced and released new material, facing a rather tepid response. As time went on, only Dokken and Brown remained from the original line-up. After several personnel alterations on guitar, Dokken's former attorney Jon Levin even stepped in to fill the role in 2004. In 2009, Sean McNabb (formerly of Great White and Quiet Riot fame) took the bass guitar slot. Mark Boals (formely of Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force) then took McNabb's position in 2014.
A series of successful web commercials for Norton Internet Security 2010 put the group back in the spotlight, the comedic spots depicting the band as a malicious computer virus. Dokken's tenth studio album, titled 'Lightning Strikes Again', was released on May 13, 2008 via Rhino Records. Several critics recommended the work as a comeback to their 'classic' sound. Their 11th album was released in 2012, 'Broken Bones'.
In 2023, Dokken, now consisting of frontman and founder Don Dokken, guitarist Jon Levin, bassist Chris McGarvill and drummer BJ Zampa, unveiled 12th album, 'Heaven Comes Down', which will be released via Silver Lining Music on October 27, 2023.
Hard to Believe
Dokken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Know I heard the voices call
Said they'd try to ease me through my pain
Then I started to question
Am I sane or confused
Don't think that I will ever know
Chorus
That the sun still sets without you
I was so afraid to let you know
It's hard to believe
That the world still turns without you
I was so afraid to let you go
I was starting to believe
That I was destined for the worst
It was all the life I'd ever know
It was getting to the point that I'd
Thought I'd not return
I was so unsure of where I'd go
Chorus
It's hard to believe
That the sun still sets without you
I was so afraid to let you know
It's hard to believe
That the world still turns without you
I was so afraid to let you go
In the middle of the night
Sometimes I hear the voices call
Don't think that I will ever know
Chorus
It's hard to believe
That the sun still sets without you
I was so afraid to let you know
It's hard to believe
That the world still turns without you
I was so afraid to let you go
The lyrics to Dokken's song Hard to Believe convey the emotions of someone who is struggling with a difficult break-up. The first verse suggests that the singer has been experiencing a lot of pain and is hearing voices that promise to ease his suffering. However, he is beginning to question his own sanity and whether he will ever know the truth about what is happening to him.
The chorus is a lamentation about how difficult it is to come to terms with life without the person he loved. The singer finds it hard to believe that the sun still sets, and that the world still turns without his lover. It is clear that he was deeply attached to this person and that their departure has shaken him to the core.
The second verse suggests that the singer was struggling with depression before the break-up, and that he had lost all hope of ever achieving anything in his life. With the end of the relationship, he seems to have hit rock bottom and is unsure of where to go from here.
Overall, the lyrics to Hard to Believe are a powerful expression of the pain and confusion that comes with the end of a relationship. They suggest that the process of healing and moving on is a difficult one, and that it can be hard to find hope in the face of such profound loss.
Line by Line Meaning
In the middle of the night you
At night, when alone
Know I heard the voices call
Heard voices that spoke his thoughts
Said they'd try to ease me through my pain
The voices promised hope and comfort
Then I started to question
Doubt was setting in
Am I sane or confused
Wondering if he was losing his mind
Don't think that I will ever know
Uncertain if he will ever find out
It's hard to believe
Difficult to accept
That the sun still sets without you
Life moves on without loved ones
I was so afraid to let you know
Feared showing vulnerability
That the world still turns without you
The world does not revolve around anyone
I was starting to believe
His beliefs were shifting
That I was destined for the worst
Fate seems bleak
It was all the life I'd ever know
Life felt stagnant
It was getting to the point that I'd
He was reaching a breaking point
Thought I'd not return
Felt like there was no way out
I was so unsure of where I'd go
Lost and directionless
Sometimes I hear the voices call
Still hears the voices at times
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON DOKKEN, GEORGE LYNCH, JEFF PILSON, MICK BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind