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.
Sweet Life
Dokken Lyrics
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Where all of my friends - now they're gone forever
How they love the sweet life
I'm destined to run with the holy
I must wait
Dying inside ever slowly
I'll be on my way
I danced with my friends 'til they had to go
My spirit stayed -give me no relief
My spirit stayed -gave me no release
How they loved the sweet life
I'm destined to run with the holy
I must wait
Dying inside ever slowly
I'll be on my way
Sitting alone in a darkened room
Trail of smoke and warn out mind
Mister depression overstayed his welcome
Something inside took me away
Take me along to a place i remember
All of my friends -thought i knew them better
How they loved the sweet life
The lyrics to Dokken's song Sweet Life are nostalgic and introspective, telling a story of a person who longs to escape from the present and revisit a time in the past where they were happy and surrounded by friends. The first stanza sets the tone of the song, asking to be taken on a journey back to a time when things were better. The line "Where all of my friends - now they're gone forever" emphasizes the loneliness that the person currently feels. The chorus repeats the line "How they love the sweet life" as a reflection on the happier times the person had with their friends. They express a desire to join the "holy", perhaps meaning the people they used to look up to or the better version of themselves that they once were. However, the person is held back by inner turmoil and a sense of futility, as demonstrated in the lines "I must wait, dying inside ever slowly".
Throughout the song, there is a contrast between past and present, joy and sorrow. The second verse describes a moment of despair, where the person is alone and overwhelmed by negative thoughts, represented by the "trail of smoke and worn out mind". Then, suddenly, "something inside" takes the person away, perhaps a glimmer of hope or a sudden realization. The final stanza brings the listener back to the original theme, with the person still yearning for the past and feeling disillusioned with their current situation.
Overall, the lyrics to Sweet Life evoke a sense of wistfulness and longing, with themes of regret and the passage of time. The words are poetic and introspective, and the melody of the song adds to the melancholy mood.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me along to a place I remember
The singer wishes to revisit a place from his past.
Where all of my friends - now they're gone forever
The singer's old friends have left and can never return.
How they love the sweet life
The singer reminisces about the enjoyable times his friends had.
I'm destined to run with the holy
The singer feels as though he has a higher purpose in life.
I must wait
The singer needs to be patient before he can undertake his destiny.
Dying inside ever slowly
The singer is slowly losing himself and his former self.
I'll be on my way
The singer is resolved to move forward with his life.
I saw the flame of the candle burning down so low
The singer observed an image of the inevitability of death.
I danced with my friends 'til they had to go
The singer socialized with his friends until they had to leave.
My spirit stayed -give me no relief
Even after his friends left, the singer's old lifestyle still haunts him and gives him no comfort.
My spirit stayed -gave me no release
The singer's old lifestyle continued to burden him.
Sitting alone in a darkened room
The singer is by himself in a dimly lit environment.
Trail of smoke and warn out mind
The singer has been smoking and his mind is weakened.
Mister depression overstayed his welcome
The singer is feeling down for an extended period of time.
Something inside took me away
The singer diverted his energy from his negative thoughts and emotions.
All of my friends -thought I knew them better
The singer regrets not knowing his friends more intimately.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, Mick Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind