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.
Lesser Of Two Evils
Dokken Lyrics
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Too many days come and go
Can't find a reason to go outside
Too many things running through my mind
Brings me down for the hundredth time
Has it all been said and done
Searching everywhere
For all the answers that I can't find
Doesn't really matter
It's hard to rise above
You might find me
In a downward spin
My wings are all aflame
Saw the world beneath me
Wonder where I'm gonna hit
I try to embrace the sun
But it's hard to fly
When you just wanna die
Chorus
Thought I knew where I was going
(it's hard to see)
Thought I knew where I'd been
(it should have been so simple)
Caught in a world unforgiven
(it could have been me)
Caught in between the lesser of two evils
Sail the sea of indecision
Tried to find a reason why
Just like staring at a picture
I watched the world go by
I hear whispers in the darkness
From the voices that I locked away
Chorus 2
I tried to touch the sun, yeah
But it just kept getting colder
I tried to find my soul, yeah
But he said, son you ain't getting any closer
Chorus 3
The song "Lesser of Two Evils" by Dokken talks about the struggles of the singer in finding a purpose in life. The lyrics express the feeling of being lost and confused, unable to find answers to the numerous questions that plague the mind. The opening lines represent the singer's disinterest in going out due to the multitude of thoughts clouding their mind. They're searching for even a small fragment of peace and clarity. The lyrics convey the tiring routine of feeling down, and the repetition of the phrase “for the hundredth time” emphasizes the hopelessness felt by the singer.
The line "Caught between the lesser of two evils" in the chorus represents the sense of feeling stuck and forced to choose between two unwelcoming options. The continued mention of the verse throughout the song signifies the singer's struggle to make sense of their situation. The singer feels caught in a world that's unforgiving and where finding a way out seems impossible. Factor in the numerous decisions to make, and each having their consequences, causing even more stress to the singer's mental state.
The song's message shows that every person goes through a moment in life when the future looks bleak and the choices become difficult, leading to a loss of faith in oneself. The lyrics make it clear that the only way out of such a predicament is to keep fighting and believe in oneself. The song's general message is to have the courage to keep fighting and to never cease searching for hope in every situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Too many days come and go
Days pass too quickly
Can't find a reason to go outside
I have lost motivation to spend time outdoors
Too many things running through my mind
I am overwhelmed with thoughts
Brings me down for the hundredth time
These thoughts negatively impact my mood frequently
Has it all been said and done
I question if everything in life has been experienced or nothing new can happen
I try to find some piece of mind
I search for inner peace
Searching everywhere
I extend my search efforts as far as I can
For all the answers that I can't find
Despite expansive efforts, I cannot find the solutions
Doesn't really matter
It is not important
It's hard to rise above
It is challenging to better my situation when the circumstances drag me down
You might find me
I can be located in a particular place
In a downward spin
I feel like I'm in a slump
My wings are all aflame
My emotions are intense and overwhelming
Saw the world beneath me
Previously I had a greater view/perspective of life
Wonder where I'm gonna hit
I am unsure of what will happen next
I try to embrace the sun
I attempt to become more optimistic
But it's hard to fly
It's difficult to improve my life when my thoughts bring me down
When you just wanna die
I feel ridden with depression, similar to feeling suicidal
Thought I knew where I was going
I believed I had a direction in life
(it's hard to see)
Now it's unclear
Thought I knew where I'd been
I felt confident that I knew my past
(it should have been so simple)
Yet complicated
Caught in a world unforgiven
Trapped in a relentless society
(it could have been me)
I could be part of the unforgiving world holding someone else back, instead I am the one struggling
Caught in between the lesser of two evils
Stuck deciding between choosing amongst two unfavorable options
Sail the sea of indecision
I navigate without knowing where I head due to the many choices available and lack of direction
Tried to find a reason why
I searched for an explanation
Just like staring at a picture
The unfocused and fixed feeling of looking at an image
I watched the world go by
Life continues around me
I hear whispers in the darkness
I begin to hear haunting whispers
From the voices that I locked away
The haunting whispers come from the emotions I suppressed
I tried to touch the sun, yeah
I aimed high with my aspirations
But it just kept getting colder
But the journey displaced me further
I tried to find my soul, yeah
I attempted to find my inner voice
But he said, son you ain't getting any closer
However, I struggled making progress to reach that goal
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON DOKKEN, GEORGE LYNCH, JEFF PILSON, MICK BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind