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.
The Outsiders
Doves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can he become
Walk away
Don't jump a gun
Can it cost
Think it through
Making your own way
Making your own rules
What they say
Can he be cool in here
Can he become
Just the two of us
Making fools of us
Just the two of us
On our feet again
Kicking our heels again
Just the two of us
Nothing to lose
So nothing gets lost
Imagine the truth
Imagine the cost
Too much choice
You've no choice at all
In our universe
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
Just the two of us
Making fools of us
Making fools of us
One our feet again
Kicking our heels again
Two of us
The lyrics of Doves's song The Outsiders seem to address the idea of being an outsider, or feeling lost or out of place. The lines "Can he be lost, can he become" suggest that the subject of the song may be struggling with a sense of identity or purpose. The following lines urge caution and thoughtfulness when making decisions: "Walk away, don't jump a gun, think it through."
The chorus of the song repeatedly emphasizes the idea of "just the two of us," which could reference a close relationship or partnership that provides a source of support or comfort in difficult times. The lyrics seem to reject the norms and expectations of society ("Making your own way, making your own rules"), suggesting that the subject of the song is determined to forge their own path.
The repetition of the phrase "making fools of us" could be interpreted in different ways- perhaps as a self-deprecating statement about the chances of success when going against the grain, or as a defiant assertion that following one's own instincts is worthwhile even if others view it as foolish.
Line by Line Meaning
Can he be lost
Is it possible for him to become misguided?
Can he become
Is it possible for him to transform?
Walk away
Leave the situation without creating conflict.
Don't jump a gun
Don't make a quick and hasty decision.
Can it cost
Is there a price to pay?
Think it through
Mentally process and analyze every aspect of the situation.
Making your own way
Creating your own path and living by your own standards.
Making your own rules
Setting and adhering to your own principles.
Don't believe
Do not trust in or rely on what others say.
What they say
The things that others say or claim to be true.
Can he be cool in here
Is he capable of maintaining his composure in this situation?
Can he become
Is it possible for him to change or adapt?
Just the two of us
Only two people remaining in the relationship or situation.
Making fools of us
Our behavior and actions making us appear foolish.
On our feet again
Regaining our footing and standing once more.
Kicking our heels again
Feeling the powerful momentum and energy of the situation.
Nothing to lose
No risks or repercussions for our actions.
So nothing gets lost
Preventing any losses or damages.
Imagine the truth
Picturing what is actually true or factual.
Imagine the cost
Picturing the possible negative outcomes or consequences.
Too much choice
Having an abundance of options.
You've no choice at all
Feeling like there are no real choices.
In our universe
Within our individual or shared reality.
Just the two of us
Only two individuals remaining in the situation.
Making fools of us
Our behavior and actions making us appear foolish.
On our feet again
Regaining our footing and standing once more.
Kicking our heels again
Feeling the powerful momentum and energy of the situation.
Two of us
Only two partners or individuals remaining in the situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDY WILLIAMS, JEZ WILLIAMS, JIMI GOODWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jan Smith
This is so good. Do you really have to be of a certain age to get how good it is ?
BUTTERFLYLOVEHUGS
LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS... OUTSIDERS WILL AND CAN NOT WIN... LOVE WINS IN THE END ...DESTINY xx
david arrowsmith
BRILLIANT!!......
VaZ X
Only 4.6k views?! Dude....lol
Wtf