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.
In My Head
No Doubt Lyrics
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When it gets bad
You got to think about something
To keep from going mad
I try to think about big fat roses
When the ship starts going down
But my head is wicked jealous
Long distance, don't talk about
Ex-girlfriends, don't talk about
You without me, don't talk about
The past
In my head, it's only in my head
In my head, it's only in my head
There's just something about you
That gets me in a twist
And sometimes I think that cupid
Is just taking the piss
It only takes one though or idea
To send me in real deep
So if you think you're clever
Use the right words when you talk to me
Long distance, don't talk about
Ex-girlfriends, don't talk about
You without me, don't talk about
The past
In my head
It's only in my head (only in my head)
In my head
It's only in my head (only in my head)
In my head
It's only in my head (only in my head)
In my head
It's only in my head (only in my head)
I really think I have a problem
I really can't control myself
Why do I get so suspicious?
Do you want someone else?
'Cause everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
(Only in my head)
It's only in my head
In my head
It's only in my head (only in my head)
In my head
It's only in my head (only in my head)
Long distance, don't talk about
Ex-girlfriends, don't talk about
You without me, don't talk about
The past
Lets talk about the future
Lets talk about the wedding
Lets talk about Gwen Stefani
Let's talk about how much you like me
And all that
The lyrics of No Doubt's "In My Head" is about the struggle of trying to maintain a relationship while dealing with jealousy and suspicion. The song starts by Gwen Stefani singing about trying to think about happy thoughts like rainbows and big fat roses to help cope when things get tough. However, the constant worry and jealousy that arises when thinking about their partner's past relationships or the possibility of them wanting someone else is too much to bear. Stefani expresses that all the feelings are only in her head, but it does not make them any less real or significant.
The second verse mentions Cupid and how it does not take much for someone to get her "in a twist." This suggests that Stefani falls in love easily but is at constant odds with herself about whether it's justified. She expresses a desire for her partner to use the right words because even a small misunderstanding can send her spiraling.
The pre-chorus highlights the things that Stefani does not want to hear about in conversation with her partner. She does not want to discuss long-distance, ex-girlfriends, or how they were before they were together. She wants to focus on their present and future together. The chorus repeats a few times as she reiterates that everything is happening only in her head.
Line by Line Meaning
I try to think about rainbows
When it gets bad
When things get tough, I try to focus on positive things like rainbows, to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
You got to think about something
To keep from going mad
It's important to have something to distract you or focus on when life gets difficult.
I try to think about big fat roses
When the ship starts going down
Even in the most dire of situations, it's important to try to remain positive and focus on the good things in life, like big, beautiful roses.
But my head is wicked jealous
Don't want to talk about it right now
I'm feeling very jealous, and it's hard to talk about my feelings at this time.
Long distance, don't talk about
Ex-girlfriends, don't talk about
You without me, don't talk about
The past
There are certain topics that are off-limits for discussion - anything related to past relationships or events, and anything that might make our current relationship feel more distant.
In my head, it's only in my head
In my head, it's only in my head
These thoughts I'm having are only in my head - they're not real events that are happening in our relationship.
There's just something about you
That gets me in a twist
And sometimes I think that cupid
Is just taking the piss
You drive me a little bit crazy sometimes, and it feels like even Cupid is messing with our relationship.
It only takes one though or idea
To send me in real deep
So if you think you're clever
Use the right words when you talk to me
I'm easily affected by what people say to me, so it's important that you choose your words carefully around me.
I really think I have a problem
I really can't control myself
Why do I get so suspicious?
Do you want someone else?
I'm struggling with my own feelings of jealousy and suspicion, and I'm not sure why I'm feeling this way.
'Cause everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
Everybody wants everybody else
It feels like everyone is always looking for something better than what they currently have - including myself.
Lets talk about the future
Lets talk about the wedding
Lets talk about Gwen Stefani
Let's talk about how much you like me
And all that
Instead of dwelling on the negative, let's talk about our future together and all of the things we love about each other.
(Only in my head)
It's only in my head
I need to remind myself that these thoughts and feelings are all in my head.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gwen Renee Stefani, Thomas Dumont, Tony Ashwin Kanal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind