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.
Sign Of The Times
Dokken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leaves me no consolation
Life fades like distant waves
Return again
No need to hide
Soon you'll be born again
A new chance to live
And walk that road to the end
Now I surrender the day
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
And I hope that you feel the same
Love is a mystery
That gives up no secrets
Embraces everyone
No hesitation
We try to find religion
How many books can we read
We look for love and romance
How hard can it be
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
Now I surrender the day
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
And I hope that you feel the same
In a way - we lost our innocence
In a day - we'll walk that road to the end
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
Now I surrender the day
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
In the way I look at you
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
I can feel that there's been a change
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
And I hope that you feel the same
The lyrics to Dokken's song "Sign of the Times" speaks to the fleeting nature of life and the longing for love and understanding. The opening lines, "Life is a mystery, leaves me no consolation," suggests a sense of confusion and a lack of satisfaction with the uncertainties of life. However, the song also acknowledges the cyclical nature of existence, as represented by the metaphor of waves returning before disappearing again.
The second verse alludes to the human search for meaning and purpose through religion and love. Despite our efforts to find answers, the lyrics suggest that these mysteries may never be fully revealed, and that the search itself is often difficult and unfulfilling. The final verse speaks to a loss of innocence, perhaps in reference to the challenges and disappointments that come with growing up and facing the realities of life.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of surrender and acceptance, as the singer acknowledges the power of the "signs of the times" and hopes that others may share in his understanding. Ultimately, the song grapples with the complexities of existence and the hopeful belief that love and understanding can bring some measure of comfort and meaning to our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is a mystery
Life is an inexplicable phenomenon
Leaves me no consolation
Does not offer any comfort or solace
Life fades like distant waves
Life gradually disappears like faraway waves in the ocean
Return again
Begin anew
No need to hide
Do not have to conceal yourself
Soon you'll be born again
You will have another chance at life
A new chance to live
A fresh opportunity to experience life
And walk that road to the end
Complete the journey of life
It must be the sign of the times how I feel
The emotions I am experiencing are influenced by the current events and circumstances
Now I surrender the day
I confess defeat and resign myself to the day's events
And I hope that you feel the same
I hope that you are experiencing similar emotions
Love is a mystery
Love is an enigmatic force
That gives up no secrets
Withholds its secrets from us
Embraces everyone
Encompasses every individual
No hesitation
Without any doubt or reluctance
We try to find religion
We attempt to discover our spiritual beliefs
How many books can we read
How much knowledge can we acquire from books
We look for love and romance
We search for affection and passion
How hard can it be
How difficult could it be
In a way - we lost our innocence
We, in a sense, have lost our naivety
In a day - we'll walk that road to the end
We will complete our life's journey in one day
In the way, I look at you
The manner in which I observe you
I can feel that there's been a change
I can sense that something has altered
And I hope that you feel the same
And I wish that you feel it, too
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: ANDREI NOSOV, PAUL BROWN, RYAN SPENDLOVE, TOM BAILEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Vincent
I love this song! Don really should write more material like this. Why the hell does he hide great tracks like this from his fans by putting it on some Japanese import? The lyrics are amazing!
Jamison Dean
Amen!...I love this song just like "Upon your lips"...But some bands have a bigger following in other countries, like Dokken and TOTO and the record company decides to include bonus tracks to them while leaving us American fans out...
VolatileDisposition
Jamison Dean why can’t Spotify license it for AirPlay
Spartan Squid
@Jamison Dean Can't be helped though, the difference in the US and Japanese fanbase can't even be compared.
Kirsi
I was thinking the same thing! Definitely one of their best tune 💞 🙏
Kirsi
Simply amazing and emotional tune! I love it ❤
mercedes lobo
Una hermosa canción que conocí hace poco! Amo Dokken!
Boletodecinecom2011
Great song. Classic Dokken.
IMurderdTheDevil
Great song.
VolatileDisposition
this doesnt show up on the playlist of the erase the slate album on spotify>>?? or itunes-this is on the japanese import only