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.
Too Late
No Doubt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And keep you stashed under my pillow
And then I'd take you out simply for my own pleasure
And wear you when the occasion's special
Then I'd put you on like a diamond
So I can sparkle and be the envy of my friends
I'd proudly hold the leash that I'd have you on
So you can't stray and follow me around all day
It's too late now
I don't think it can fade
It's too real now
Fulfillment just adds fuel to the blaze
Compulsion has stained me
I'm nervously cradling our young love
Without known limits love
Like a butterfly cupped in my hands
I peek in to see beauty trapped
Confined it flutters
Then it leaves behind colorful dust
To remind me of the special times we've spent
But of course it has to leave my clutch
But enough's never enough to make a dent
It's too late now
I don't think it can fade
It's too real now
Fulfillment just adds fuel to the blaze
(Too late)
(Too late)
(Aah)
(Aah)
And in time it will end
And there really isn't hope for the two of us
But right now I give in
It's too late now
I don't think it can fade
It's too real now
Fulfillment just adds fuel to the blaze
Fulfillment just adds fuel to the
Fulfillment just adds fuel to the blaze
(It's too late)
(It's too late)
(It's too late)
(Too late)
(It's too late)
(Too late)
(Aah, aah)
The lyrics to No Doubt's song Too Late describe the intense and possessive relationship that a person is in with someone they love. The person declares that they want to keep their love interest hidden away from the world, under their pillow, and only show them off when they feel like it. They use their love interest like a precious diamond, a symbol of their status and pride. The person even imagines themselves holding a leash to their love interest, to prevent them from straying and to keep them by their side all day long. While it may seem intense and unhealthy to some, the person in the song views their love interest as something precious that they don't want to lose, something that they want to hold onto with all they have.
As the song progresses, the person acknowledges that their love is all-consuming and has stained them like a compulsion. They hold onto their love interest nervously, like they're cupping a butterfly in their hands, not wanting to damage it but also not wanting to let it go. The person realizes that despite the beauty and special moments they've shared with their love interest, it will eventually come to an end. They acknowledge that there isn't hope for the two of them in the long run but for now they give in to the intensity of their feelings.
The lyrics of Too Late seem to reveal a complicated relationship that is full of strong emotions, conflicting desires, and uncertainty. The person in the song struggles with their possessiveness and admits that their love may be too intense for them to handle. Despite this, they continue to hold on to their love interest, unable to let them go. The song's chorus reinforces the idea that it's too late to back out now, the emotions are too real, and any fulfillment will only add fuel to the burning passion between them.
Line by Line Meaning
I just want to take you away from everyone
I want to keep you hidden from the world
And keep you stashed under my pillow
I would keep you close to me at all times
And then I'd take you out simply for my own pleasure
I would enjoy having you around just for me
And wear you when the occasion's special
I would show you off when it benefits me
Then I'd put you on like a diamond
I would treat you as if you were a precious jewel
So I can sparkle and be the envy of my friends
I would use you to enhance my status among my peers
I'd proudly hold the leash that I'd have you on
I would want to control you completely
So you can't stray and follow me around all day
I wouldn't let you leave my side
It's too late now
There's no going back
I don't think it can fade
This feeling is too strong to go away
It's too real now
This situation has become very serious and intense
Fulfillment just adds fuel to the blaze
Anything that satisfies me just increases my obsession with you
Compulsion has stained me
My need for you has tainted me
I'm nervously cradling our young love
I'm scared of losing what we have
Without known limits love
My love for you has no boundaries
Like a butterfly cupped in my hands
I'm holding onto something that's delicate and can slip away easily
I peek in to see the beauty trapped
I'm obsessed with the image of you that I've created in my head
Confined it flutters
You're trapped, but your spirit is still free
Then it leaves behind colorful dust
Your memory stays with me in a vivid way
To remind me of the special times we've spent
I hold onto what we had to feel less alone
But of course it has to leave my clutch
I have to let it go eventually
But enough's never enough to make a dent
Even though I'll try, letting go will never be enough
And in time it will end
Our story will come to a close
And there really isn't hope for the two of us
We don't have a future together
But right now I give in
I'm not ready to let go yet
(Too late)
It's too late for us
(Aah)
Sigh of sadness and regret
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gwen Renee Stefani, Thomas Dumont, Tony Ashwin Kanal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind