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.
How Many Lives
Dokken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
to take another fall (out of the dark)
am I anticipating (something is wrong)
certain final call (one last for the part)
the hands of time keep turning (bring me to life)
the world begins to turn
How many lives are remaining
how many lives are remaining
how many souls is he saving
All of us keep trying (hope for the best)
to place a higher bid (into the night)
on your knees and praying (laying to rest)
let's not and say we did (image shining bright)
what's the point you're making (show me it's right)
the point of no return
Someone told me forgiveness comes from you
so I wasted one
there was nothing to lose
now I see that faith is for the few
Absolution came
standing in the queue
you know I lost my faith standing next to you
The song "How Many Lives" by Dokken, deals with the theme of uncertainty, fear, and redemption. The first verse describes the feeling of waiting for something to happen, but also sensing that something is wrong. The singer is waiting to take another fall and expecting a final call, implying that he may not have many lives left. The second verse talks about how they keep trying to place a higher bid, but they are not sure what it will lead to. At the same time, they are afraid of taking action out of fear of failure. The chorus asks, how many lives are remaining, how many souls is he saving.
The line "someone told me forgiveness comes from you" refers to a religious context. The singer is acknowledging that he may have wasted his chances for redemption, but he is still seeking forgiveness. The final line, "you know I lost my faith standing next to you" suggests that the singer has been betrayed by someone he trusted, leaving him feeling alone and abandoned.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a call to action to take control of one's life and not give up, even at the lowest of moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Patiently I'm waiting (seemed so long)
I am waiting patiently, but it seems like a long time.
to take another fall (out of the dark)
I am waiting to experience failure again and emerge from a gloomy situation.
am I anticipating (something is wrong)
I feel like something is not right and I am expecting something bad to happen.
certain final call (one last for the part)
I sense that there is a definite finality to what I am experiencing and that this is the last part of it.
the hands of time keep turning (bring me to life)
The passage of time is moving me forward and making me feel alive once again.
the world begins to turn
The world around me is starting to change and evolve.
How many lives are remaining
I wonder how many lives are left for me to live.
how many souls is he saving
I ponder upon how many people God is saving.
All of us keep trying (hope for the best)
We continue striving for success and hoping for positive outcomes.
to place a higher bid (into the night)
We place higher bets on our future and take risks, even when the outcome is uncertain.
on your knees and praying (laying to rest)
Though I am kneeling to pray and seeking solace, I am wary of getting lulled into inactivity.
let's not and say we did (image shining bright)
Sometimes, we are happy with an idealized image of perfection, and we pretend to achieve it just to avoid the hard work of actualizing it.
what's the point you're making (show me it's right)
I want to know the reason behind your argument, and I need evidence that supports your claim.
the point of no return
We have reached a stage where we cannot undo our decisions, or there will be dire consequences.
Someone told me forgiveness comes from you
I heard from someone that it is only God who can offer forgiveness.
so I wasted one
I made a mistake by thinking I could do it on my own.
there was nothing to lose
I thought that there was no risk to my actions, but I was wrong.
now I see that faith is for the few
I understand that believing in something bigger than oneself requires a certain level of courage and fortitude that only a select few possess.
Absolution came
I received forgiveness for my past mistakes.
standing in the queue
I had to wait my turn.
you know I lost my faith standing next to you
I feel like I lost my belief in what you stood for, even though I was originally standing with you.
Contributed by Dominic G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
iLan Frid
George Lynch is absolutely stunning here. Incredible tone. Physical. Technical. Just killer. Thank you for sharing this video.
Paul
Totally agree he’s a legend
SpitDudes Outerwear
tone is horrible....
Bhatt Hole
Incredible tone????
Shane Ricketts
If he had neck pickups,atleast it would sound cleaner.
Shane Ricketts
Sloppy player
icebreaker7
I was 16 and saw this show. In fact the day of the show my best friend and I were riding our bikes in the parking lot. We met the entire band, George Lynch rode my bike. When he was done he signed the seat. It read, "Keep Rocking' with Dokken — George Lynch". By far one of the most memorable times of my life. Thank you for posting this
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Jason Stange
Ok....that is the fuxkinh coolest thing ever....
Travis Goes There
lol why do people feel they need to lie to complete random strangers on the internet?
Dennis D
What a cool story.