Dokken is an American hard rock / heavy metal band that was formed in 1978.… Read Full Bio ↴Dokken is an American hard rock / heavy metal band that was formed in 1978. Having big success in the 80s with tracks such as "Dream Warriors", "It's Not Love", "In My Dreams", and others, they sold over ten million albums worldwide yet faced internal battles over their direction. The group split up in 1989, having accumulated numerous charting singles and earned a Grammy nomination, and they've had sporadic reunions since then.

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.

Night by Night
Dokken Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's bad enough being under control
Same thing every day
Then at night
There's a place we can go
Where nothing can stand in our way

Night by night
I can't keep it away

Night by night
Not living for the day
Night by night
It's now or never
So baby can't you see

We're living night by night
It's just you and me
Living night by night
We're living night by night
We never see the light of day
So baby can't you see
We're living night by night
Yeah, we're living it night by night
The night is all that we need

I got a lot
But i want to have more
Things just haven't been right
I'll show you to my paradise
And let you see the light

It's now or never
Gget out of the way
It's now or never
So baby can't you see

We're living night by night
It's just you and me
Living night by night
We're living night by night
We never see the light of day
So baby can't you see
We're living night by night
Yeah, we're living it night by night
The night is all that we need

When the shadows come
Might be no moon at all
You can never tell
When you're under the spell
The night is all that we need

It's now or never
Get out of the way
It's now or never
So baby can't you see

We're living night by night
It's just you and me
Living night by night
We're living night by night
We never see the light of day
So baby can't you see
We're living night by night
It's just you and me
Living night by night
We're living night by night
We never see the light of day

Night by night
We're living night by night
Night by night
We're living night by night
Night by night
We're living night by night

Night by night
We're living night by night

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dokken's song Night by Night appear to be a plea for escape from a mundane, controlled existence. The first verse describes the monotony of daily life: "Same thing every day". The second verse hints at a desire for material possessions ("I got a lot / But I want to have more"), which suggests that the singer is seeking fulfillment or excitement that cannot be found within the restrictions of their current circumstances. They long for a place "Where nothing can stand in our way".

The repetitive chant of "Night by night" serves as a declaration of the characters' commitment to living in the moment and seizing opportunities for pleasure or adventure. They are "not living for the day", indicating that they feel there is more to life than what can be accomplished within the parameters of a typical workday. The idea of escaping into the night is repeated throughout the chorus and closing lines, emphasizing the contrast between the confines of daytime and the freedom of the darkness. The final line, "We never see the light of day", underscores the level of detachment to which the singer is willing to go in order to find satisfaction.

Overall, the song seems to present a desire for escape, a longing for something more, and a willingness to embrace the nocturnal world as a means of achieving those goals.

Line by Line Meaning

It's bad enough being under control
Being under someone's control is tough enough

Same thing every day
Doing the same thing every day

Then at night
But at night

There's a place we can go
We have a place to go

Where nothing can stand in our way
A place where nothing can stop us

Night by night
Every night

I can't keep it away
I can't resist it

Not living for the day
Not living for the future

It's now or never
We have to act now

So baby can't you see
Do you see it too?

We're living night by night
We're only living at night