No Doubt's live act began to attract regional interest, and Interscope Records signed them in 1991. The band's debut a year later, an odd fusion of '80s and ska, sank without a trace in the wake of the grunge movement. As a result, Interscope refused to support No Doubt's tour or further recordings. The band responded by recording on their own during 1993-94; the result was the self-released The Beacon Street Collection, much rawer and more punk-inspired than the debut. Eric Stefani left just after its release, later working as an animator for The Simpsons. By late 1994, Interscope allowed recordings to resume, and Tragic Kingdom was released in October 1995. The album's third single, Don't Speak, which although originally written by Eric was later altered by Gwen to document her breakup with bassist Tony Kanal. Tragic Kingdom went platinum and has sold over 15 million copies to date. As Tragic Kingdom obtained success, the band toured furiously until late '97.
After a long break, the band had prepared a more mellow, and powerfully dramatic album entitled Return of Saturn. It emphasized Gwen's encounters with men, her biological clock, and miscellaneous topics. Although the album had a completely different approach to it, the band was making rock music with less of a punk/ska flare. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts in early April of 2000, and then declined to a flop. The public never did justice to the album, and it serves as a favorite for many die-hard fans.
While touring in Jamaica for Return of Saturn, the band wanted to try adding Reggae to their music, and making more of a dance rock record. 20 months after Return of Saturn debuted, the band was quick to jump on the creation of Rock Steady, released in December of '01. The singles Underneath It All and Hey Baby became international dance club symbols as top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. This album proved that No Doubt had not lost their potential with the public, and that they could appeal to various groups of people.
In 2004, No Doubt announced they would be going on hiatus after the release of the singles compilation The Singles 1992–2003, which contained one new song, a cover of experimental rock band Talk Talk's "It's My Life". Tony Kanal did several projects with Gwen and other artists. Adrian Young married and had a child; Tom Dumont formed a new band, Invincible Overlord, often plays with Matt Costa's band. Gwen embarked on a sucessful solo career which consisted of two albums - "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." and "The Sweet Escape". The first of these albums contains the single "Hollaback Girl", a song which was inescapable for most of 2005 and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won her a Billboard Award for first track to reach 1 Million legal downloads ever. The self titled track off "The Sweet Escape" went on to become her most notorious calling card.
With the hiatus officially over in late 2008 No Doubt announced tour plans for 2009, kicking it off in Atlantic City. The tour concluded with four dates in Irvine, CA. In May, 2009, the band was featured as a fictional 80's band, "Snowed Out", on CW Network's "Gossip Girl" The band performed their cover of Adam and the Ants 'Stand and Deliver.'
The group entered the studio in May 2010 to start recording on their sixth studio album: Push and Shove which will be release on September 25, 2012 and its first single will be "Settle Down". Their first music video for the new album will also be for "Settle Down" and it will be directed by Sophie Muller (who previously has done numerous music videos for No Doubt). The whole album has been recorded with producer Mark "Spike" Stent (who worked on their previous album Rock Steady) but they have also collaborated with Major Lazer (now Diplo's solo project). No Doubt previously revealed they are taking influence from ska, 80s new wave and Jamaican reggae music for the new record.
Dear John
No Doubt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someday I hope we meet again
I look unto the left and then I look unto the right
I see your faded figure almost every single night
Is my imagination playing tricks on me
But in my heart you see, you will always be
Someday I hope we meet again
You're singing in a band with a mic on in your hand
The way that you would sing really made me feel all grand
You left your friends alone right upon this earth
I wish that would've seen how much life was worth
My friend, yeh yeah, you're gone
Someday, someday, someday, now, I hope we meet again
Yeah iyeah, I hope we meet again, now
Hey yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah oh
Well, Johnny made us laugh but now he made us cry
It couldn't have been that bad to make him want to die
Now it's too late to find your destiny
I wish you would've waited longer here with me
My friend, yeah yeah, you're gone
Someday I hope we meet again
My friend you're gone
Someday, someday, someday, now, I hope we meet again
I hope we meet again
John my friend hey yeah
I hope, please, yeah I know we'll meet again, yeah
I'm missing you my friend, I hope we meet again
I'm missing you my friend, I hope we meet again
Well I'm missing you my friend, I hope we meet again
Well I'm missing you, oh ah yeah
Well I'm missing you, oh ah yeah
Hey, I'm missing you my friend, I hope we meet again
Well I'm missing you
The lyrics of No Doubt's song Dear John are a tribute to a friend who has passed away. The song is about the singer's friend, John, who has departed from this world. The song expresses the longing to meet John again, to hear him sing, to laugh with him, and to feel grand again. In the song, the singer talks about how every night she sees John's faded figure and wonders if her imagination is playing tricks with her. The lyrics reflect the pain of losing a friend and not being able to meet them again until after death.
The song is about the impact that John has left on the singer's life. She remembers him singing in a band and how his voice made her feel grand. She talks about how John left his friends alone on Earth and how she wishes he could have seen how much life was worth. The lyrics also mention that Johnny made them laugh but now he has made them cry, and it could not have been that bad to make him want to die. The song ends with the singer expressing how much she misses John and how she hopes they will meet again.
Overall, the lyrics of Dear John is a heartfelt tribute to a friend who has passed away. The song expresses the pain of losing a friend and the longing to meet again, to hear the friend's voice, to laugh with them, and to feel grand again.
Line by Line Meaning
My friend you're gone
I lost a dear friend and now they are gone from this world
Someday I hope we meet again
I am hopeful that one day I will reunite with my friend in the afterlife
I look unto the left and then I look unto the right
I am searching for any signs of my friend's presence
I see your faded figure almost every single night
I continue to see glimpses of my friend, but they are slowly disappearing as time goes on
Is my imagination playing tricks on me
I am questioning whether my mind is playing tricks on me and creating false sightings of my friend
But in my heart you see, you will always be
Regardless of whether I actually see my friend, they will always hold a special place in my heart
You're singing in a band with a mic on in your hand
I remember my friend's passion for music and performing on stage
The way that you would sing really made me feel all grand
Listening to my friend sing brought me immense joy and happiness
You left your friends alone right upon this earth
My friend's sudden departure has left those of us still on earth feeling alone and missing them deeply
I wish that would've seen how much life was worth
I regret not being able to show my friend how much their life and presence meant to all of us
Well, Johnny made us laugh but now he made us cry
My friend's death has caused a great deal of sadness and heartache for all who knew and loved them
It couldn't have been that bad to make him want to die
I am struggling to understand why my friend would want to end their own life
Now it's too late to find your destiny
My friend's untimely death has prevented them from fulfilling their future potential and discovering their true destiny
I wish you would've waited longer here with me
I wish my friend had not given up hope and had chosen to stay with us for longer
I'm missing you my friend, I hope we meet again
I am filled with grief and longing for my friend and remain hopeful for a reunion in the future
Hey, I'm missing you my friend, I hope we meet again
I continue to mourn and miss my friend, but still hold onto hope for a future reunion
Well I'm missing you, oh ah yeah
My feelings of grief and longing for my friend are overwhelming
Contributed by Brody E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@EeliusAstaroth
Lyrics:
My friend you're gone
Someday I hope we meet again
I look unto the left and then I look unto the right
I see your faded figure almost every single night
Is my imagination playing tricks on me
But in my heart you see, you will always be...
My friend, you're gone
Someday I hope we meet again
You're singin' in a band with a mic on in your hand
That way that you would sing really made me feel all grand
You left your friends alone right upon this earth
I wish that would've seen how much life was worth
My friend, yeahhh, you're gone
Someday, someday, someday, now I hope we meet again
Yeahhh I hope we meet again now hey yeahh yeaah yeahh yeahhh yeahhhohhh
Well, Johnny made us laugh but now he made us cry
It couldn't have been that bad to make him want to die
Now it's too late to find your destiny
I wish you would've waited longer here with me
My friend yeaahh you're gone
Someday I hope we meet again
My friend you're gone
Someday someday someday now I hope we meet again
I hope we meet again
John my friend hey yeah
I hope pleease yeah I know we'll meet again yeahhhh
I'm missing you my friend I hope we meet again
I'm missing you my friend I hope we meet again
Well I'm missing you my friend well, I hope we meet again
Well I'm missing you my friend well, I hope we meet again
I'm missing you yeah hey I hope we meet again
@mile4mile212
His spirit gave Gwen the passion she needed to become a great writer…..no doubt
@JjM91084
most people's explanation of his suicide here are saying "the pressure of being the lead singer" which might be the case since they started getting good gigs when he died. I read an article from his high school newspaper shortly after his death that it was because of heavy "emotional and family problems too complicated to overcome" stated by his close friends. He left a 2 page suicide note and no one will know (or should assume) why he committed suicide unless you were close friends/family member. But we all can agree he was an essential part of the ska uprising and his legend will forever be remembered through No Doubt. RIH John
@afterthought55
The pressure of being a lead singer?? How does that make sense? All he would have to do is leave the band.
@flaysol7719
Yea never made much sense to me that official story of band pressure. I knew it had to be much more deeper than that. Just by sayi g family problems is much more understandable.
@flaysol7719
Btw does anyone know if the two page suicide note is posted somewhere? I would like to read it?
@scottcharney1091
There's an article somewhere regarding No Doubt's rise, and Gwen says a little bit about how John Spence was in some sort of dysfunctional situation, familial or otherwise. He was in and out of school a lot, that sort of thing. She's pretty vague.
Gwen's solo song "Wonderful Life" is about him. It seems also that she co-wrote it with Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, who plays some of the guitar parts on it.
@fearbot69
Can't imagine the struggles he was going through. RIP John Spence.
@EeliusAstaroth
Lyrics:
My friend you're gone
Someday I hope we meet again
I look unto the left and then I look unto the right
I see your faded figure almost every single night
Is my imagination playing tricks on me
But in my heart you see, you will always be...
My friend, you're gone
Someday I hope we meet again
You're singin' in a band with a mic on in your hand
That way that you would sing really made me feel all grand
You left your friends alone right upon this earth
I wish that would've seen how much life was worth
My friend, yeahhh, you're gone
Someday, someday, someday, now I hope we meet again
Yeahhh I hope we meet again now hey yeahh yeaah yeahh yeahhh yeahhhohhh
Well, Johnny made us laugh but now he made us cry
It couldn't have been that bad to make him want to die
Now it's too late to find your destiny
I wish you would've waited longer here with me
My friend yeaahh you're gone
Someday I hope we meet again
My friend you're gone
Someday someday someday now I hope we meet again
I hope we meet again
John my friend hey yeah
I hope pleease yeah I know we'll meet again yeahhhh
I'm missing you my friend I hope we meet again
I'm missing you my friend I hope we meet again
Well I'm missing you my friend well, I hope we meet again
Well I'm missing you my friend well, I hope we meet again
I'm missing you yeah hey I hope we meet again
@TheRegart
It's so sad that he ended his life. We can only wonder what great things he could have done.
@AngelicTroubleMaker-LaVooDoo
This song has a dope groove. He's so cute, the original lead singer for NO DOUBT. The grp's name is coined after his Fav expression,"NO DOUBT". When people ask, Why did sm1 commit suicide? My response: B/C They wanted to die! 😔 No point of us wrecking our minds to figure it out. RIP John. 🙏🏽