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.
It’s Not Love
Dokken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said that it hurt to stay, the way that I'm feelin'
It's not love
That left you standin'
It's not love
That left you cold
It's not love
Only a mistake
There's nothing left to take
Why, baby, why did you make me let you go
And leave you so lonely
Why, baby, why did you have to hold on
You know it's not love anymore
Gave you your last chance but you didn't believe me
You can't keep me satisfied, the way that you treat me
It's not love
That left you standin'
It's not love
That left you cold
It's not love
Misunderstandin'
Only a mistake
There's nothing left to take
Why, baby, why did you make me let you go
And leave you so lonely
Why, baby, why, stop playing with my heart
I told you
It's not love
Telling you to be this way
It's not love
Sayin' you can never change
It's not love
When I told you
Is he putting you down
Down, down, down
The lyrics to Dokken's song "It's Not Love" tell the story of the end of a romantic relationship. The singer, who is presumed to be the one ending the relationship, tells their former partner that they had to leave for reasons that were important to them. The singer acknowledges that it hurt to stay in the relationship and that they were feeling restless and unhappy. However, the singer denies that it is love that has led to the breakup. Instead, they argue that the breakup was caused by misunderstandings and mistakes. The singer expresses frustration with their former partner, asking why they had to hold on and why they had to treat them poorly. The singer concludes by confirming that it is not love that has caused the breakup, but the actions and behaviors of their former partner.
The lyrics to "It's Not Love" are a powerful statement about the importance of communication and mutual understanding in a romantic relationship. By denying that love is the cause of the breakup, the singer is suggesting that a lack of communication and understanding has led to the relationship's demise. This sentiment is echoed throughout the song, as the singer expresses frustration with their former partner's inability to listen to their needs and treat them with respect. In the end, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of neglecting the emotional needs of a partner in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Told you I had to leave, I had my reasons
I explained to you my motivation for leaving.
I said that it hurt to stay, the way that I'm feelin'
I specified that it was too painful for me to remain.
It's not love
That left you standin'
Your unfortunate situation is not due to affection.
It's not love
That left you cold
Your lack of warmth is not the result of romantic emotions.
It's not love
Misunderstandin'
Our confusion is not due to love.
Only a mistake
There's nothing left to take
We made an error, and there is no longer anything for us to gain.
Why, baby, why did you make me let you go
And leave you so lonely
I am questioning why you caused me to abandon you and leave you feeling isolated.
Why, baby, why did you have to hold on
You know it's not love anymore
I am curious why you continued to hold onto our relationship when neither of us truly loved each other anymore.
Gave you your last chance but you didn't believe me
You can't keep me satisfied, the way that you treat me
I offered you one final opportunity to make things right, but you didn't believe me, and your actions were insufficient to keep me fulfilled.
It's not love
Telling you to be this way
My actions and feelings towards you are not based on love and are not responsible for your current behavior.
It's not love
Sayin' you can never change
I am not expressing love toward you by saying you cannot change as a person.
It's not love
When I told you
Is he putting you down
Down, down, down
Love is not the motivation for my inquiry into whether someone is making you feel inferior.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON DOKKEN, GEORGE LYNCH, JEFF PILSON, MICK BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ericolson2216
The guitars, big hair, hot women, and stacks of Marshal amps. Incredible decade of music!
@tommyswan1413
GREAT SONG , GREAT VIDEO, AND GEORGE LYNCH IS DEFINATELY IN THE TOP 10 BEST GUITARISTS OF ALL TIME >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> : )
@lorettarunfola5110
Long Hair Rocks!❤❤😊
@ClintEngland-bk9cp
Right on
@Nick-by4mu
Agreed
@carloscorrano8843
Vero ragazzi!
@dkmi38
There will never be another decade of music like the 80s.
@takecareofyourshoess
LOL. Duh. The same can be said about every single other decade in history. What's your next revelatory post going to be....that water is wet??? Fire is hot???
@BigKWS
@@takecareofyourshoess Gosh, why so rude to the lady? Guess you didn't grow up in the 80s like I did.
@blessedheavyelements8544
F'kn A Bubba!!!