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.
Hey Baby
No Doubt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girls say, boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey
Hey baby baby
I'm the kinda girl that hangs with the guys
Like a fly on the wall with my secret eyes
Taking it in, try to be feminine
With my makeup bag, watching all the sin
Misfit, I sit, lit up, wicked
Everybody else surrounded by the girls
With the tank tops and the flirty ways
I'm just sipping on chamomile
Watching boys and girls and their sex appeal
With a stranger in my face who says he knows my mom
And went to my high school
All the boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Girls say, girls say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Hey baby baby
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Boys say, boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
All the boys get the girls in the back
I'm the one they feed upon
Give a bit, a star is born
And if you had enough you'll get the pass
And you can tell your friends how you made it back
No matter what they say I'm still the same
Somehow everybody knows my name
And all the girls wanna get with the boys
And the boys really like it
All the boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Girls say, girls say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Hey baby baby
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Boys say, boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
All the boys get the girls in the back
Check it out, it's Bounty Killer, and No Doubt
Jump on the stage makes me going crazy
Afterwards myself and one of them gorgeous ladies (that's right)
There is no need to be acting shady
Come on baby, hey hey baby
Jump on the stage makes me going crazy
Afterwards myself and one of them gorgeous ladies (yeah man)
There is no need to be acting shady
Come on baby, hey hey baby
When you rock your hips you know that it amaze me
Got me off the hook and nothing else don't phase me
Can you be my one and only sunshine lady
If no, no maybe, hey
I'm just sipping on chamomile
Watching boys and girls and their sex appeal
With a stranger in my face who says he knows my mom
And went to my high school
(That's right)
All the boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Girls say, girls say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Hey baby baby (hey baby)
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Boys say, boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Can you be my one and only sunshine lady
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Girls say, girls say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
When you rock your hips you know that it amaze me
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
Boys say, boys say
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
All the boys get the girls in the back
The lyrics to No Doubt's song Hey Baby are all about the experience of being a girl who hangs out with the guys. The lyrics are told from the perspective of a girl who is trying to be feminine, but is also trying to stay true to herself. She is sipping on chamomile and watching boys and girls and their sex appeal when a stranger approaches her and says he knows her mom and went to her high school. The chorus repeats the phrase "hey baby" with both boys and girls saying it back and forth.
The song tells the story of a girl who is trying to stand out in a group dominated by boys. She observes everyone and takes it all in, but she is always just on the outside looking in. It highlights the fact that girls can be outsiders in male-dominated spaces and the challenges that come with it. The song is upbeat and catchy, with a punk-rock energy that mirrors the rebellious nature of the lyrics.
Overall, Hey Baby is a song about navigating gender politics and finding your place in the world. It is a tribute to girls who dare to defy norms and walk their own path, even when it is difficult. The lyrics and music combine to create an empowering message that urges listeners to embrace their own uniqueness and be proud of who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
A repeated call for attention
Girls say, boys say
Both genders use the phrase to address and engage with others
Hey baby baby
Another way of calling for attention or endearment
I'm the kinda girl that hangs with the guys
The artist is a female who socializes predominantly with males
Like a fly on the wall with my secret eyes
Observing carefully and discreetly without drawing attention to herself
Taking it in, try to be feminine
Trying to maintain her femininity despite spending time with a mostly male group
With my makeup bag, watching all the sin
Paying attention to everyone's behavior and quietly assessing what's going on
Misfit, I sit, lit up, wicked
The artist feels like an outsider despite being present in social situations
Everybody else surrounded by the girls
Other people seem to be enjoying themselves with a different gender dynamic
With the tank tops and the flirty ways
Describing the behavior and dress of the other girls present
I'm just sipping on chamomile
Trying to relax and calm down
Watching boys and girls and their sex appeal
Observing the physical attributes and behavior of both genders
With a stranger in my face who says he knows my mom and went to my high school
Encountering someone she doesn't know who is trying to connect with her through prior knowledge
All the boys say Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
The boys in the room all use the same phrase to address the singer
Girls say, girls say Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
The girls in the room all use the same phrase to address the singer
Boys say, boys say Hey baby, hey baby, hey!
The boys in the room all use the same phrase to address each other
All the boys get the girls in the back
Suggesting that the boys present are successful with the opposite gender
I'm the one they feed upon
The singer is the center of attention for those around her
Give a bit, a star is born
By engaging with and entertaining others, the singer is becoming a star of sorts
And if you had enough you'll get the pass
If someone has had enough of the artist's company, they are allowed to leave
And you can tell your friends how you made it back
If you have spent time with the artist, you can share your experience with others later
No matter what they say I'm still the same
Others may judge or criticize her, but the artist remains true to herself
Somehow everybody knows my name
The singer is well-known in certain social circles
And all the girls wanna get with the boys
The females present are interested in the males
And the boys really like it
The males respond positively to the attention from females
Check it out, it's Bounty Killer, and No Doubt
Mentioning the performers on the track
Jump on the stage makes me going crazy
Excitement from performing on stage
Afterwards myself and one of them gorgeous ladies
The artist interacts with attractive women after performing
There is no need to be acting shady
Urge for people to be honest and direct
When you rock your hips you know that it amaze me
The singer is impressed by someone's dancing ability
Got me off the hook and nothing else don't phase me
Being released from a situation does not create any additional stress
Can you be my one and only sunshine lady
Looking for a primary female companion
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Thomas Dumont, Gwen Stefani, Rodney Price, Tony Kanal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@themadrapper101
The kids that grew up in the 90's and early 2000's lived the best era
@darkangel07_
themadrapper101 I agree 100 percent!
@dannyhayes1305
gotta say I agree. We were lucky!
@mikethelegendarygamer4581
I agree!!!!
@alessandrofrancisquini6570
So many great memories from this era
@traviskarnes6825
Amen
@annie_xo
Gwen was (and still is) so gorgeous.
@solaire8723
Looks dont mean much compared to character and you bet these media people are lacking. Likely rite terrified about having to face reality when this experience ends
@kevinmcnally8076
She kinda looks like Emma Watson here, the eye area especially
@rantallaboutit
@@kevinmcnally8076 I was with you on the first seven words of your statement, though I found it a weird response to someone simply complementing another person. The rest of what you said was just stereotyping and presumptuous. None of us know these celebrities and people seem to forget that they're also human beings, very privileged human beings, but still human like the rest of us. It's very strange to me that people will form opinions about the personalities, or character, of someone they've never met and believe it as fact. Gwen Stefani is beautiful on the outside, I believe, and if her work is any reflection of who she truly is, which art usually is, she's beautiful on the inside too but that's not really for us to know or speculate about... we're all just here because we like the music.