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.
Everything's Wrong
No Doubt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The bed is made, so is the cake
The frogs are swimming down in the lake
The chairs are stacked and the house is locked
The food is eaten and the boat is docked
The flowers are watered and the glass is filled
The chain is linked, the money's billed
What is wrong? Everything!
1, 2, 3, 4
Everything everything everything's wrong
Ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on
But if you look at me you laugh and you say
'Why just give me another thing, don't tell me this way'
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Your hat is sewn, the clock is set
The toilet's flushed and the sponge is wet
The lights are on and your shoes are tied
My posters are up and my hair is dyed
The house is built and the records scratched
Your dishes are dirty and your pants are patched
The chrome is shiny and the juice tastes like tang
What is wrong? Everything!
That's all I say, I say no more
So please don't ask for an encore!
1, 2, 3, 4
Everything everything everything's wrong
Ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on
But if you look at me you laugh and you say
'Why just give me another thing, don't tell me this way'
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
The lyrics of No Doubt's song Everything's Wrong present a list of ordinary things that have been done or are going as they should, but nevertheless, something is off in the singer's perception. The disconnection between the normality of the described situation and the claim of everything being wrong might suggest a deeper meaning for the song. It could be a commentary on the monotony of daily life and the feeling of emptiness that it can create. The list of tasks and objects has been fulfilled, but they do not seem to bring any satisfaction or fulfillment to the singer.
The second verse follows the same pattern but expands to mention the singer's personal life. Again, everything is described as it should be, but the sense of dissatisfaction that permeates the song persists. When the chorus repeats that "everything's wrong" and urges the listener to "ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on," it could be interpreted as a call to break with routine and strive for more meaning and purpose.
The song's lyrics were written by lead singer Gwen Stefani and the band's guitarist Tom Dumont. It was released in 1996 as part of No Doubt's third album, Tragic Kingdom, which was a commercial and critical success. The album sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and included hit songs such as Don't Speak, Spiderwebs, and Just a Girl. Tragic Kingdom's success allowed No Doubt to become one of the most prominent bands of the 1990s, and its influence can be heard in the music of subsequent bands like Paramore and Panic! at the Disco.
Line by Line Meaning
The bed is made, so is the cake
Everything seems perfect, but still something isn't right.
The frogs are swimming down in the lake
Nature follows its course as usual, yet things seem off.
The chairs are stacked and the house is locked
Things are in their proper place, but there's an underlying emptiness.
The food is eaten and the boat is docked
Everything is finished and settled, but something's still bothering.
The flowers are watered and the glass is filled
The basics are taken care of, but still cannot escape the feeling of unease.
The chain is linked, the money's billed
Everything seems to be connected, but something's missing.
The walls are painted and the bell has rang
A fresh start has been made, but still feeling troubled.
What is wrong? Everything!
Despite everything being supposedly right, it feels absolutely wrong.
Your hat is sewn, the clock is set
Daily tasks are done, but a sense of discontent persists.
The toilet's flushed and the sponge is wet
Even the minor, mundane things cannot escape the feeling of wrongness.
The lights are on and your shoes are tied
The day has started, but something feels off-kilter.
My posters are up and my hair is dyed
Everything seems to be a matter of appearance, but there's a deep sense of trouble.
The house is built and the records scratched
Everything has come together, but there's something inexplicably missing.
Your dishes are dirty and your pants are patched
Even minor imperfections catalyze a sense of utter incompletion and dissatisfaction.
The chrome is shiny and the juice tastes like tang
Something as seemingly inessential as taste and touch carries with it a sense of wrongness.
That's all I say, I say no more
There is absolutely no more to explain, yet the feeling persists.
So please don't ask for an encore!
The end has been reached, and the sense of disquiet remains. No more explanations are to be given.
1, 2, 3, 4
Beginning in earnest.
Everything everything everything's wrong
The central point of the song: despite everything apparently fitting into place, there is an uneasiness that persists.
Ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on
Underneath it all, there is a wistfulness and a yearning to move on from this sense of malaise.
But if you look at me you laugh and you say
Despite these feelings, other people may dismiss it as complaining or unnecessary worry.
'Why just give me another thing, don't tell me this way'
Others may not want to hear about the underlying sense of wrongness and might rather add something substantial to take the focus off that feeling.
Contributed by Samantha N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hahahaha
The bed is made, so is the cake
The frogs are swimming down in the lake
The chairs are stacked and the house is locked
The food is eaten and the boat is docked
The flowers are watered and the glass is filled
The chain is linked, the money's billed
The walls are painted and the bell has rang
What is wrong? Everything!
1, 2, 3, 4
Everything everything everything's wrong
Ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on
But if you look at me you laugh and you say
'Why just give me another thing, don't tell me this way'
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Your hat is sewn, the clock is set
The toilet's flushed and the sponge is wet
The lights are on and your shoes are tied
My posters are up and my hair is dyed
The house is built and the records scratched
Your dishes are dirty and your pants are patched
The chrome is shiny and the juice tastes like tang
What is wrong? Everything!
That's all I say, I say no more
So please don't ask for an encore!
1, 2, 3, 4
Everything everything everything's wrong
Ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on
But if you look at me you laugh and you say
'Why just give me another thing, don't tell me this way'
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Janan Attia
I had this album in 1989 (I was 15) and my parents threw it out and I'm still salty. I saw No Doubt perform it at The Roxy in LA back then and the crowd was small. I still remember Gwen was wearing a green sequin top with blue jean overalls and her hair was brown. Legendary
Michelle Eaton
Gwen is amazing on vocals like always. One of the most unique voices of all time.
Hahahaha
The bed is made, so is the cake
The frogs are swimming down in the lake
The chairs are stacked and the house is locked
The food is eaten and the boat is docked
The flowers are watered and the glass is filled
The chain is linked, the money's billed
The walls are painted and the bell has rang
What is wrong? Everything!
1, 2, 3, 4
Everything everything everything's wrong
Ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on
But if you look at me you laugh and you say
'Why just give me another thing, don't tell me this way'
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Your hat is sewn, the clock is set
The toilet's flushed and the sponge is wet
The lights are on and your shoes are tied
My posters are up and my hair is dyed
The house is built and the records scratched
Your dishes are dirty and your pants are patched
The chrome is shiny and the juice tastes like tang
What is wrong? Everything!
That's all I say, I say no more
So please don't ask for an encore!
1, 2, 3, 4
Everything everything everything's wrong
Ever quit your bitchin and you want to go on
But if you look at me you laugh and you say
'Why just give me another thing, don't tell me this way'
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Everything's wrong
Jennifer Ramirez
I bought this LP (Skaface) in 1988 and this was my favorite track on it. I love oldey timey No Doubt. Their first record was awesome.
From Hell
woow you are a longtime No Doubt fan
Patrick Basoco
It took some getting used to...it was so different from their live shows that it didn't get much traction at the time
Looch Incali
god i love the eerie sound to this. became a no doubt fan at tragic kingdom (cause of my age) but if i was older i would have totally listened to them prior. love their old stuff.
Benny BigIron
That sound to it could have something to do with this being their first released material immediately following their old singer and friend's suicide
skatoad
Been a ND fan for years, never heard this it's very good. Really can hear the Madness influence.
fetB
i wonder if they ever did a gig with madness. I haven't found a video on it yet