Vocalist Doug Robb met with guitarist Dan Estrin in a high school battle of the bands competition and decided to form a band. They recruited Markku Lappalainen and Chris Hesse to form Hoobastank. In an interview with Yahoo's Launch, Doug Robb said the name had no particular meaning. "You're going to ask me what it means. It doesn't mean anything. And it's really cool, it's one of those old high school inside-joke words that didn't really mean anything." Rob Bourdon of Linkin Park attended the same high school as the members of Hoobastank.
Hoobastank started playing gigs in their local area and, with their unique saxophone section headed by Jeremy Wasser, recorded a self-released album called They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To in 1998. By this stage, they had developed a strong reputation in Southern California. This attracted interest from Island Records who signed the band in 2000. The bands reputation grew further on tours with the similar sounding band Incubus who come from the same area of Los Angeles and Alien Ant Farm.
Hoobastank released their self-titled debut in November 2001. The first single was Crawling in the Dark which was a breakthrough hit reaching #68 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on the modern rock chart, #8 on the mainstream rock chart and #1 on an MP3.com download chart in early 2002. The second single Running Away was even more successful reaching #44 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 on the modern rock chart, #9 on the mainstream rock chart and #3 on the MP3.com download chart. The Hoobastank album went platinum on the back of these hits and reached #25 on the Billboard 200 album charts and #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker chart. The album also achieved recognition internationally with the album touring in Europe and Asia in support of the record. Remember Me, the third single, was a moderate hit reaching #23 on the modern rock charts and #9 on the mainstream rock charts.
The band entered the studio in 2003 with producer Howard Benson who has produced records by P.O.D., Cold and The Crystal Method. However, recording was disrupted for a month when Dan Estrin was seriously injured in a freak minibike accident in August. Estrin had recovered by October and the band headed off on a Nokia Unwired Tour with The All-American Rejects and Ozomatli in November.
Their second album The Reason was released in December 2003. The first single Out of Control was made available for download on the band's website. Doug Robb says on the band's website: "A lot of it is about asking questions or questioning all that people see. It's not all about religion. 'Out of Control' is about that and about opening your eyes after being blinded by being devoted to anything." [2] "Out of Control" would reach #9 on the US modern rock chart, #16 on the mainstream rock chart and #16 on a composite world modern rock chart (based on the US, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Australia). The Reason initially reached a peak of #45 on the Billboard 200.
The title track was released as a single in the first half of 2004. It became a massive hit reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (chart proof), #1 on the US and world modern rock charts, #1 on a world airplay chart in May 2004, #10 in Australia and #12 in the UK. The Reason album received a new lease of life on the US album charts reaching #3 on the Billboard 200.
Additionally, on 15 June 2009, the band played a prank on Iranian protesters and their supporters during the 2009 Iranian election protests using the popular Web 2.0 service Twitter and the shock image Goatse, featuring a naked man stretching his anus to a large size with both hands, with the inside of his rectum clearly visible. While thousands of protesters used the Twitter service to rapidly spread information on street level protests and the shocking behavior of pro-government militias and security forces, Hoobastank allegedly spread links to the image disguised as relevant news items and twittered them to thousands of their fans and followers. The punk rockers have since announced their satisfaction with the number of the political enthusiasts having viewed the image unintentionally (over 2 million, according to the site's usage statistics). As of June 2009, Twitter's verification system for celebrities has not officially validated either twitter account.
Seven Amazingly Fascinating Things About Hoobastank
1) Guitarist Dan Estrin has a great story involving brain surgery and a catheter.
In 2003, during the band's tour for its multi-platinum second album The Reason, Estrin made a fateful purchase. "Everyone in the band rides street bikes and motocross bikes," says the guitarist. "I was fucking around on a mini-bike that I just bought. I was riding one around after a show ... and I smashed my head into concrete." The result? "They had to cut my head open. I just remember, before the surgery, I had two fears: they'd have shave my head and I'd wake up with a catheter in me. So I wake up, and lo and behold, my head's shaved and there's a tube in my dick."
2) There are flutes and seven minute songs on the new album (blame Pink Floyd).
If you liked the infectious pop-rock stylings of the last two Hoobastank albums, you'll enjoy Every Man for Himself just as much, if not more. That said, Every Man does offer up some variety, even while maintaining the band's core sound. The epic "More Than a Memory", for example, features flutes, accordion, chimes and trumpets. "I was listening to a lot of Pink Floyd at the time, especially The Wall," remembers Estrin. "I like albums, and songs, that take you on a journey, that almost come across as a movie. And that song definitely does - it's like Floyd, the Beatles, and even tails off like "Sir Psycho Sexy," that old Red Hot Chili Peppers song. I just like applying lessons from bands I admire."
3) Did we mention the Journey influence?
Listen to "Moving Forward" and prepare to recognize a very familiar classic rock refrain. "We wrote that song when Doug was driving one day and heard Journey's 'Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' on the radio," says Estrin. "We like Journey; we're not huge fans, but I really liked that 'na na na na' part of the song." He laughs. "I don't think it's stealing. We made it our own style."
4) Music critics despise them. The feeling is mutual.
"The album comes out in April. I expect we'll do some shows, meet fans, and have critics ready to tear it apart," says Robb. "Honestly, I want to go 'fuck it, it's not for you, it's for me and the guys in the band.' If we're happy with it, that's what counts. We get a lot of shit because we don't go out of our way to be 'different' ... we're just trying to be who we are. And that's actually the theme of the album - being yourself."
5) Speaking of message boards, you can find a lot of fun, weird stuff about Hoobastank on theirs... and some of it might be true.
* Dan used to be a roadie for Incubus.
* Chris worked in a plant nursery for 5 years.
* Doug and Dan used to be counselors at the YMCA.
* The name of the band? It's the "H" in Jesus H. Christ. At least, that's what Doug will tell you.
6) That's a real drill sergeant on the album. He's there for a reason.
"Born to Lead" features the barking cadence of Sgt. Dale Guy. "I wouldn't want him there all the time, but he was cool," says Robb. "The song was about people wishing and praying for things instead of doing something to accomplish their dreams. It's about getting off your ass, and I think the Sarge added a lot to the song's vibe."
7) They recorded Every Man for Himself in a really backward, inefficient, grueling kind of way.
The band started work on the album during Hooba's last mega-tour. Estrin would come up with musical ideas during sound checks, then record a demo later, hand it off to Doug for melodies and lyrics, and finally, fly home with the whole band to record the finished product during non-tour weekends. "It wasn't an ideal way of doing things," admits Robb. "But I think, strangely, it affected us in a positive way. Maybe it was the energy of being on tour, but I think the results came out far better than our previous two records."
Incomplete
Hoobastank Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But now I'm seeing why
You're always on my mind
No one else has ever made me open up my eyes
You're the one that made me realize, realize
I've been incomplete
Missing a part of me
But now I see
All along what's missing has been you
Try to find a missing piece
To fill a hole in me
A lonely mystery
Thought I had it figured out
But then you came along
And with just a look
I knew that I was wrong, I was wrong
I've been incomplete
Missing a part of me
Blinded by the fear of something new
But now I see
All along what's missing has been you
I'm feeling things I never knew existed
And now I know I'll never be the same
This changes everything
Haven't known you long enough
But now I'm seeing why
You're the one that's always on my mind
You're the one that made me realize
Realize
I've been incomplete
Missing a part of me
Blinded by the fear of something new
But now I see
You were all that's missing
And you're here with me
I'm no longer incomplete
I can see the clear and simple truth
For me to be
Complete I only have to be with you
For me to be
Complete I only have to be with you
Hoobastank's song "Incomplete" is about a person who realizes that they have been incomplete and missing a part of themselves until they meet someone who fills that missing piece. The lyrics are about self-discovery and the journey to find completeness. The song is also about how sometimes we are blinded by our fears and we don't see what is right in front of us until it's too late.
The first verse expresses the realization that the person has not known the other person for long but has realized that they are always thinking about them. This person has opened their eyes to new possibilities and made them see what they were missing. The chorus repeats the statement that they have been incomplete and missing something fundamental from their life, but with the new person, they can see what they have been missing all along. The verse that follows is about how the character was trying to fill the void in their life by searching for something missing. The pre-chorus is about how meeting this special person changed their perspective, and they knew that they were wrong about what they needed all along.
The second chorus repeats the first one but also includes the phrase "you're here with me," which means the person is no longer incomplete because they have found their missing piece, and that person is with them. The last two lines in the chorus express that the person can finally see what they were missing and what they needed to feel complete. Throughout the song, the lyrics express the significance of finding that special someone who completes us and how love can change everything.
Line by Line Meaning
Haven't known you long enough
I haven't known you for a significant amount of time yet
But now I'm seeing why
But I'm starting to understand the reasons behind my feelings towards you
You're always on my mind
I can't stop thinking about you
No one else has ever made me open up my eyes
You are the only one who has helped me see things clearly
You're the one that made me realize, realize
You are the one who made me understand the true meaning of things
I've been incomplete
I've been feeling like something is missing in my life
Missing a part of me
I've been feeling like a part of me is absent
Blinded by the fear of something new
I've been unable to move forward because of my fear of new experiences
But now I see
But thanks to you, I can see things differently
All along what's missing has been you
I've finally realized that you are the one I need in my life
Try to find a missing piece
I tried to find something that would make me feel complete
To fill a hole in me
To fill the emptiness that I felt inside
A lonely mystery
A feeling of loneliness and confusion
Thought I had it figured out
I thought I knew what I needed to feel complete
But then you came along
But then I met you
And with just a look
And with just a glance from you
I knew that I was wrong, I was wrong
I realized that I was mistaken about what I thought I needed
I'm feeling things I never knew existed
I'm experiencing emotions that I never knew I could feel before
And now I know I'll never be the same
And now I know that meeting you has changed me forever
This changes everything
My encounter with you has completely transformed my perspective on life
You were all that's missing
You were the only thing that I needed to feel complete
And you're here with me
And now that I have found you, I feel whole
I'm no longer incomplete
I don't feel like something is missing anymore
I can see the clear and simple truth
I can now see the truth, which is that I need you in my life
For me to be
In order for me to feel whole
Complete I only have to be with you
I only need you by my side to feel complete
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS LIGHT HESSE, DANIEL B. ESTRIN, DOUGLAS SEAN ROBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@theelitecreeper581
This song is the perfect expression for when you like someone and they like you back.
@vikneshwars4531
This song is something special for me. This Album released in Sep 2012, 8years ago. Around the same time when I just started seeing a girl. I knew she was the one. This song was new and once I sang this for her. She really loved it. I proposed to her. She said yes and we are now happily married for 4years.
@aldastinks
Yes! Me and my husband Pablo at 0:45, just in the center!! :D Thanks, thanks!!!!
@JWBWDAD
명곡입니다ㅠㅠ
자주 와서 들을게요~~♡
@mariogabriew
This song is soooo excitant!!!
@alinalagod
this lyric video is so amazing! i love it so much, it is definitely one of the best lyric video ever!!
@shareslimMx
exelente canción
@rip1904
brilliant editing
@nosd221
Great song!! Congratulations!
@eklavyamahajan
Wow! Me and my cousin, at 1:38 :D Came to know of it just today - on my Birthday... Thanks Hoobastank for the awesome gift!! ^_^