There is more than one band with this name.

(1) The Hippos were a th… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one band with this name.

(1) The Hippos were a third wave ska-punk band from Southern California. Unlike other typical bands of the genre, The Hippos employed heavy use of a Moog synthesizer.
The Hippos’s first full album release was Forget the World, released in 1996. Interestingly, many of the songs on Forget The World were written when Ariel Rechstaid, the band’s primary songwriter, was only 15 years old. This album employed traditional ska-punk songwriting, including upbeat tempos and heavy brass instrumentation. Additionally, various percussion instruments were used, such as bongos and wood blocks. The next album was Heads Are Gonna Roll, released in 1999. A transitional album, a balance of horns and synthesizers is found on this album. Commercially, this album was the band’s most successful; it is the only album to be fully produced by a large record label and thus is assumedly the most circulated and heard of the three albums.
The Hippos, a self titled final release, was released in 2003 after the band’s break-up. This album completed the gradual transition from traditional ska-punk to the unique, orginal synthpop sound exhibited here. Ties to the ska-punk scene from which they began had been all but completely severed. In fact, only one track from this album uses horns at all, an essential element of ska. Much of the Hippos’s fanbase was initially reluctant at such a different sound, but for the most part, this reluctance gave way to admiration. To many fans, the Hippos’s final album was their best written and most enjoyable, despite its limited commercial success.

(2) The Hippos are a blues band from Sydney, Australia. They enjoyed modest chart success with Dark Age in 1988, from the album Hippocracy.

Diane
The Hippos Lyrics

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I've been in this bind for a while,
I can't find a girl who's quite my style,
Ever since you walked out on me.
You were the one for me, we'd sit and watch our
MTV, why'd you have to walk out on me?
I'm reaching insanity.
Diane, come back
To me.

I can be anything that he can be!
Please tell me what wasn't right.

"Two Star crossed lovers" in the night,
why'd you have to walk our on me?

Overall Meaning

The Hippos's song Diane depicts a man's plea to a girl named Diane, asking her to come back to him as he has been in a bind for quite some time now. He says that ever since she walked out on him, he hasn't been able to find a girl who matches his style. The song portrays the man's frustration and how he's slowly losing his sanity because of the loneliness he feels. He recalls the times they spent together watching MTV and wonders why she had to walk out on him.

In the second verse, the man addresses Diane directly and expresses his willingness to change into the kind of person she desires. He pleads with her to help him understand what wasn't right in their relationship and how he can make things better. The third verse alludes to Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," where the two lovers face tragic fate despite their intense love for each other. Finally, the man begs Diane to come back to him, questioning why she left him in the first place.

Overall, the song Diane captures the emotions of a man who has been left heartbroken by the woman he loved, and how he is willing to do anything to win her back.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been in this bind for a while,
I've been stuck in a difficult situation for a long time,

I can't find a girl who's quite my style,
I haven't been able to find a girl who meets my preferences,

Ever since you walked out on me.
Since you left me, everything has been different.

You were the one for me, we'd sit and watch our MTV,
You were my soulmate, we'd spend hours watching MTV together,

why'd you have to walk out on me?
Why did you choose to leave me?

I'm reaching insanity.
I'm going crazy.

Diane, come back
Diane, please return to me

To me.
I need you.

I can be anything that he can be!
I am capable of being anything he is.

Please tell me what wasn't right.
Please explain what went wrong.

"Two Star crossed lovers" in the night,
"Two lovers whose fate was doomed from the start"