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.
Under Construction
No Doubt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And pressures at the door
Broken promise debris
Lie around from my mind war
And my accomplishments interrogating me
Today's become tomorrow before I wanted it to be
Desperate discussions
I assigned in my mind
I'll be find, I'll be fine
'Cause I'm under construction everyone
So you'll have to mind the mess
I'm under some construction
I always had to try harder
I never really could keep up
Sitting in the corner
With my illness and bad luck
But in this humble place
I'm feeling like red wine
And I hope to get better with some time
I'll be fine, in some time I'll be fine
'Cause I'm under construction everyone
So you'll have to mind the mess
I'm under some construction
Correction
Modification
Alteration
Construction
And the rituals that soothe and disgust me
Will be gone in some time, I'll be fine
In some time I'll be fine, I'll be fine
'Cause I'm under construction everyone
So you'll have to mind the mess
I'm under some construction
Construction
Feel better with some construction
The lyrics of the song "Under Construction" by No Doubt reflect the struggles of an individual trying to achieve success while grappling with self-doubt, anxiety, and the pressure to maintain their achievements. The singer laments the broken promises in their mind and the debris of their failures that surround them. They find themselves interrogating their own accomplishments while desperately trying to find a way to cope with their insecurities.
The chorus of the song, "I'm under construction everyone, so you'll have to mind the mess" suggests that the singer is still a work in progress and that they are constantly striving to improve themselves. The verses highlight the constant struggle the individual goes through in their journey of self-improvement. They are battling their inner demons while also facing the external pressures of life.
The song serves as a reminder that growth is a process and that it is okay to be imperfect. The message of the song is to embrace our flaws and work towards becoming the best version of ourselves. The song is a great example of No Doubt's ability to blend rock, reggae, and ska to create a unique sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Success serenades me
Success has become a recurring theme in my life
And pressures at the door
However, there are still constant expectations and demands from others
Broken promise debris
The aftermath of broken commitments is scattered around, causing a mess
Lie around from my mind war
These fragments of unfulfilled promises are the remnants of the mental conflicts I've experienced
And my accomplishments interrogating me
Even my own achievements make me question if they are enough
Today's become tomorrow before I wanted it to be
Time is moving quicker than I anticipated
Desperate discussions
My frantic thoughts and conversations
Disturb the destruction
Are disrupting the chaos that already exists in my mind
I assigned in my mind
That I had previously given permission to exist
I'll be find, I'll be fine
Despite my struggles, I will be okay
'Cause I'm under construction everyone
I am a work in progress and constantly evolving
So you'll have to mind the mess
Others will have to be patient and understanding while I work through my issues
I'm under some construction
I am undergoing change and transformation
I always had to try harder
Striving for success has always required more effort from me
I never really could keep up
I have struggled to meet the expectations placed on me
Sitting in the corner
I have dealt with feeling isolated and alone
With my illness and bad luck
Which has been further complicated by my own physical and emotional challenges
But in this humble place
Despite all of this, I have found peace and contentment in my current state
I'm feeling like red wine
Referring to the phrase 'like a fine wine', meaning that I am maturing well with time
And I hope to get better with some time
I am optimistic that I will continue to improve
Correction
I am working to correct past mistakes
Modification
Modify my behavior as necessary
Alteration
Alter my habits and routines to become a better version of myself
Construction
And continue to work on building a better life
And the rituals that soothe and disgust me
Referring to the habits and routines that comfort me, but also may be unhealthy or destructive
Will be gone in some time, I'll be fine
I am working to eliminate these negative habits and replace them with positive ones
Construction
Working towards building a better, healthier version of myself
Feel better with some construction
I am confident that I will feel better as I continue to work on myself
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gwen Renee Stefani, Tony Ashwin Kanal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind