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.
Some Cities
Doves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think its time to settle the score,
Buildings how they stretch so tall,
Steal and brick no more,
No, no.
Can I make you see.
Id sooner just wreck em down,
Rows that came together,
Memory never severs, love will never sever for me.
Can't I make you see.
Some cities crush,some cities heal,
Some cities laugh while other cities steal,
Can I make you see,can I make you
Can I, can I make you see,
Can I make you
Some cities,
Some cities crush,Some cities crush
Some cities.
The lyrics to Doves' song Some Cities seem to describe a longing for redemption and a desire to correct past mistakes. The repetition of the phrase "Can I make you see" indicates a frustrated attempt to communicate and be understood. The first verse, with its images of tall buildings made of steel and brick, suggests an urban landscape and perhaps the overwhelming feeling of being lost in a city. The second verse takes a turn towards more figurative language, with mention of "wrecking" and "building on broads of ground" possibly referring to a need to tear down old ideas and beliefs in order to start fresh.
The chorus brings the focus back to the idea of different cities having different effects on people, with some crushing and others healing. This could be seen as a metaphor for the various experiences we have in life and how they shape us. The final repetition of "Some cities" leaves the listener with an open-ended question, as if the singer is still grappling with the complexities of life and the world around them.
Overall, the lyrics to Some Cities are open to interpretation and could be seen as a commentary on the state of modern society, the need for change, and the search for connection and meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I might have met you before,
The singer suspects that he and the subject may have crossed paths in the past.
I think its time to settle the score,
It seems like an opportune time for the singer to address any grievances between himself and the subject.
Buildings how they stretch so tall,
The singer marvels at the height of the buildings surrounding him.
Steal and brick no more,
He lets out a sigh and muses about the absence of antique architectural styles in the buildings compared to modern construction materials.
No, no.
The singer expresses a tinge of sadness.
Can I make you see.
With the use of the second person, the singer tries to persuade the subject to share his vision of the world.
Id sooner just wreck em down,
The singer suggests he would prefer if the modern buildings were destroyed.
Never build on broads of ground,
He advocates for the avoidance of building on leveled earth.
Rows that came together,
The singer recalls gentle moments.
Memory never severs, love will never sever for me.
Despite bad times, he refuses to forget the love that he had.
Can't I make you see.
The singer seeks validation from the subject about the relevance of his perspective.
Some cities crush,some cities heal,
He compares cities and their effect on people to illustrate how different a place can feel for different people.
Some cities laugh while other cities steal,
Not all cities are the same - some are peaceful, while others are riddled with crime.
Can I make you see,can I make you
He reiterates his wish for the subject to share his viewpoint.
Can I, can I make you see,
He repeats his question yet again, reminding the listener of his urgency.
Can I make you
The song ends with the singer still attempting to persuade the subject of the worthiness of his perception.
Some cities,
The idea that different places have different personalities comes full circle, as the singer reflects on the timeless and irreplaceable individuality of every city.
Some cities crush,Some cities crush
The conclusion is repeated twice for emphasis, with the singer reminding us that not all cities behave the same way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY WILLIAMS, JEZ WILLIAMS, JIMI GOODWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind