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.
Heartless Heart
Dokken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, I tried
Yeah, I tried
Let's put an end to this misery
Baby, I cried
Yeah, I cried
So hot
Why'd you let me go
You got a heartless heart
Got a heart of stone
You got a heartless heart
And it's just gonna bring you down
You tell me things that I know ain't true
Baby, you lied
Yeah, you lied
I just wanted to be with you
Baby, I tried
Yeah, I tried
So hot
Stone cold
Why'd you let me go
You got a heartless heart
You got a heartless heart
You got a heartless heart
And it's just gonna bring you down
Heartless heart
Heartless heart
Got a heart of stone
Heartless heart
Heartless heart
You got a heartless heart of stone
It's bring you down, baby
You had to play the only game you've known
With my heart
With my heart, Oh
Every night it's the same old thing
Baby, I tried
Yeah, I tried
Let's put an end to this misery
Baby, I cried
Yeah, I cried
So hot
Stone cold
Why'd you let me go
You got a heartless heart
You got a heart of stone
You got a heartless heart
And it's just gonna bring you
Heartless heart
Got a heart of stone
You got a heartless heart
And it's just gonna bring you down
Heartless heart
Heartless heart
You got a heartless heart
And it's just gonna bring you
Heartless heart
The lyrics of Dokken's song "Heartless Heart" depict a broken relationship where the singer is trying to salvage a love that has gone sour. The song talks about the singer's desperate attempts to fix things and make the relationship work again, but the other person seems to be playing games and not reciprocating the same feelings. The lines "So hot, stone cold, why'd you let me go" perfectly capture the contrasting emotions of the singer, who is both yearning and hurt.
The repeated phrase "heartless heart" is used to describe the other person who seems to lack empathy and have a cold, unfeeling heart. The metaphor of someone having a "heart of stone" is used to show how unyielding and distant they are in the relationship. The singer knows that this kind of attitude will eventually bring the person down, as they will never be able to find lasting love in life unless they change their ways.
Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on the pain of a broken relationship and the frustration of trying to fix something that can never be repaired. The repeated refrain of "heartless heart" emphasizes the hurt and anger felt by the singer towards the other person and is sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced a similar situation in their own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night it's the same old thing
The singer is tired of the repetitive cycle of their relationship
Baby, I tried
The singer has put effort into the relationship
Yeah, I tried
The singer has put a lot of effort into the relationship
Let's put an end to this misery
The artist is ready to end the relationship
Baby, I cried
The artist is emotional about having to end the relationship
Yeah, I cried
The singer is very emotional about having to end the relationship
So hot
The relationship was intense
Stone cold
The relationship is now over and the other person is unresponsive
Why'd you let me go
The artist is questioning why the other person ended the relationship
You got a heartless heart
The other person is uncaring and cruel
Got a heart of stone
The other person is unresponsive and unfeeling
And it's just gonna bring you down
The artist believes the other person's behavior will have consequences
You tell me things that I know ain't true
The other person lies to the singer
Baby, you lied
The singer knows that the other person is lying
Yeah, you lied
The singer is angry that the other person lied
I just wanted to be with you
The artist had genuine feelings for the other person
You had to play the only game you've known
The other person only knows how to play games in relationships
With my heart
The other person played with the singer's emotions
Oh
Expression of pain and disappointment
Heartless heart
The other person has a cruel and unfeeling personality
You got a heartless heart of stone
The other person is both cruel and unresponsive
It's bring you down, baby
The artist believes that the other person's behavior will have negative consequences
Heartless heart
Reinforcing that the other person is cruel and unfeeling
You got a heartless heart
Continuing to highlight the other person's unfeeling personality
And it's just gonna bring you down
The singer believes the consequences of the other person's behavior will catch up to them
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON DOKKEN, GEORGE LYNCH, JEFF PILSON, MICK BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind