Doves is an alternative rock band from Manchester, United Kingdom consistin… Read Full Bio ↴Doves is an alternative rock band from Manchester, United Kingdom consisting of Jimi Goodwin (vocals, bass) and twin brothers Jez Williams (guitar) and Andy Williams (drums). They are joined on stage by Martin Rebelski (keys). They are known for their large, epic sound, which combines dovetailing guitar lines with driving percussion and a penchant for atmospherics. Unusually, both Williams brothers have also contributed lead vocals.

Originally formed in 1988 as Sub Sub, a dance act who coincided with the rise of the Hacienda and the rave scene from Manchester expanding outwards, they enjoyed moderate success for seven years including the hit single "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)" (#3 UK), before suffering the disaster of their studio burning down in 1996, taking all their current recordings with them. The experience, tragedy and pressure of that would inspire their name-change, in 1998, to Doves, and ultimately their first full-length album, Lost Souls released in April 2000. "Lost Souls" was a dark, atmospheric effort, full of brooding keyboards and claustrophobic light grooves, yet charted at number 13, mainly due to the top 40 singles, "The Cedar Room", "Catch The Sun" and "The Man Who Told Everything".

Two years later, Doves enjoyed their commercial and critical peak with their second album, The Last Broadcast, which charted at number 1 in the UK charts, spawning a hit single, "There Goes The Fear", which reached number 3 in the chart. "The Last Broadcast" was characterised by huge, spacious recordings, and an overall feeling of euphoria and relief. Two more singles, "Pounding" and "Caught By The River" both charted inside the top 40, and in the summer of 2003, Doves headlined the Other Stage on the last night of the Glastonbury Festival.

Recording problems and writers' block delayed the emergence of their third album, Some Cities, until Spring 2005. This was a return to the more claustrophobic sounds of their debut, though still featured the top 10 single "Black & White Town". "Some Cities" sold well, debuting at #1 on the UK chart, and received some of the band's strongest reviews to date.

Jimi Goodwin and Jez Williams both contributed to other bands in the late 90's, Goodwin played bass for Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr's band Electronic on their 1999 album Twisted Tenderness and Williams played guitar on Saint Etienne's albums, 1998's Good Humor, 2000's Sound of Water and finally 2002's Finisterre.

2009 saw the release of 'Kingdom of Rust' and a tour to support, soon followed by 'The Places Between', a greatest hits album - also released as a double album with DVD compilation of singles, non-single releases and remixes.

The band is on a break from recording, according to an interview with The Daily Record. Jimi Goodwin stated: "It's nice just to have a bit of breathing space... We just wanted to get off that whole album-tour-album-tour treadmill. None of us are ready to face going into the studio for another two years. This is wiping the slate clean, we have nothing else in the vaults now. That is it. Whatever we do from now on will be a new start."

On 2 October 2012, EMI International released a Doves anthology titled 5 Album Set featuring all four studio albums from Lost Souls to Kingdom of Rust and the 2003 re-issue of Lost Sides.
It has been announced that Jimi Goodwin will support British band Elbow on their Spring 2014 tour of the United Kingdom.

Sky Starts Falling
Doves Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Who am I supposed to be?
I can't be sure that the next one will see me

And if the sky starts falling on the street outside
The only thing that satisfies
If the sky starts falling on the heads outside
The only thing that keeps me alive

If you see her again, be sure to say hello
Be sure to send my love
Did she seem like before
Could you seem above it all
Be sure to send my love

Wake up, waking up to see
It's a sign
That what will be will be

And if the sky starts falling on the street outside
The only thing that satisfies
If the sky starts falling on the heads outside
The only thing that keeps me alive

I swear I heard her call, call my name
I swear I heard her call, can I move on

If you see her again, be sure to say hello
Be sure to send my love
Did she seem like before
Can't you see above it all
Be sure to send my love

I swear I heard her call, call my name
I swear I heard her call, can I move on

Did she call herself a friend?
Don't call on me again, don't call on me again
Did she seem like before

Did she seem above it all
Be sure to send my love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Doves' song "Sky Starts Falling" are full of introspection and longing, with a hint of self-doubt and uncertainty. The singer grapples with his identity, wondering who he is supposed to be and whether he is visible to others. The fear of being ignored or overlooked is palpable, with the repeated refrain of "I can't be sure that the next one will see me". The only thing that seems to bring him solace and keep him going is the thought of love - whether it is the memory of a past love, or the hope for a future one.

The chorus of the song describes the singer's response to a catastrophic event - "if the sky starts falling on the street outside / the only thing that satisfies / if the sky starts falling on the heads outside / the only thing that keeps me alive". This can be interpreted in a literal sense as well as a more metaphorical one. It could be a commentary on the anxieties and uncertainties of the modern world, where the threat of disaster looms large. Alternatively, it could be a metaphor for the singer's personal demons - the only thing that gives him relief from his own mental or emotional "sky falling" is the idea of love.

The song bittersweetly ends with the singer struggling to move on from a past love, but still urging someone else to send his love. The final lines - "Did she call herself a friend? / Don't call on me again, don't call on me again" - hint at a painful separation, where the singer has been hurt and is unwilling to be hurt again.

Overall, "Sky Starts Falling" is a poignant reflection on the fragility of human existence, the search for identity and purpose, and the power of love to heal and console.

Line by Line Meaning

Who am I supposed to be?
I'm not sure of my true identity or purpose.

I can't be sure that the next one will see me
I'm afraid of being invisible or unrecognized by others.

And if the sky starts falling on the street outside The only thing that satisfies If the sky starts falling on the heads outside The only thing that keeps me alive
The chaos and destruction of the world is both terrifying and thrilling to me.

If you see her again, be sure to say hello Be sure to send my love Did she seem like before Could you seem above it all Be sure to send my love
If you encounter someone important to me, please give them my regards and check if they're doing well despite any challenges they may face.

Wake up, waking up to see It's a sign That what will be will be
The act of waking up is symbolic and reminds me that fate is unstoppable.

I swear I heard her call, call my name I swear I heard her call, can I move on
I'm haunted by someone or something from my past and I'm unsure if I can let go and move forward.

Did she call herself a friend? Don't call on me again, don't call on me again Did she seem like before Did she seem above it all Be sure to send my love
The person I'm thinking of may have betrayed me or caused me pain, and I'm not ready to reconnect with them yet. Please send my love regardless.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY WILLIAMS, JEZ WILLIAMS, JIMI GOODWIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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