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.

Under the Gun
Dokken Lyrics

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D. Dokken/J. Norum/K. Keeling

So long baby bleed
Had more than enough time to burn it all
Down to the core
Of your bottomless soul
Thought you always wanted to be free

I won't miss you when you're gone
So hard to believe it went on for so long
But I'll carry on without you
Like before

You will have
Your day in the sun
Close your eyes it's gonna burn
Your day in the sun
Will you ever learn?

So long baby blue
Waited so long but you never came through
We dried all your tears
Thought you were the one I could believe in

I won't miss you when I'm gone
It's hard to believe this went on for so long

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dokken's song Under the Gun tell a story of an individual who has had enough of a toxic relationship. The opening line "so long baby bleed" establishes that this person has endured enough pain and suffering caused by their partner. They have even given their partner enough time to change their ways, but unfortunately, it seems that their partner has not changed at all. The line "had more than enough time to burn it all down to the core of your bottomless soul" emphasizes the damage that has been done to the individual's psyche.

The chorus "you will have your day in the sun, close your eyes it's gonna burn, your day in the sun, will you ever learn?" is a warning to the partner that their actions will have consequences. They may enjoy their time in the spotlight for now, but eventually, they will have to face the consequences of their actions. The second verse starts off with "so long baby blue, waited so long but you never came through." This person had put their trust in their partner, but they were let down once again. The line "we dried all your tears, thought you were the one I could believe in" reveals that the partner had been emotionally manipulative and had pretended to be something they were not.

The lyrics of this song emphasize the importance of standing up for oneself and not allowing toxic people to remain in one's life. The chorus serves as a reminder that everyone's actions have consequences and that justice will eventually be served. The song's overall message is empowering, and it encourages people to take control of their lives and not let others bring them down.

Line by Line Meaning

So long baby bleed
Farewell to you, dear one who is causing pain and suffering

Had more than enough time to burn it all
You had ample opportunity to wreck everything we had

Down to the core
All the way to the center of your being

Of your bottomless soul
Into the depths of your boundless consciousness

Thought you always wanted to be free
I believed you always desired independence

I won't miss you when you're gone
I won't feel a sense of loss after you depart

So hard to believe it went on for so long
It's difficult to comprehend the duration of our suffering

But I'll carry on without you
However, I'll persevere without your support

Like before
Just as I have done in the past

You will have
One day you will experience

Your day in the sun
The moment when you are on top