They began recording during the mid-80s, picking up the name 'Baseball Boys' as a reference from a gang of hooligans from the cult film 'The Warriors'. Changing things around to 'The Outfield', perhaps a hint of their later American success due to their affinity for U.S. culture, they released their first album, titled 'Play Deep', in 1985 through Columbia Records. Picking up critical acclaim for their melodic rock sound, the album reached #9 on the Billboard 200 list and ended up reaching triple platinum status in America. As remarked by an Allmusic reviewer, the band had a knack for making "a harmonious chorus that is overly smooth and rock savvy." Their single "Your Love" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as #7 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, and it soon became their 'signature song. It has went on to be featured in a number of 80s-themed compilation albums, and over a thousand covers and remixes by other artists have been released physically and/or online. Other singles "Say It Isn't So" and "Everytime You Cry" also made it into the top 20 on Mainstream Rock chart.
Though possibly peaking too early, the band continued to record and tour through the 80s and then into the early 90s as the Anglo-American pop rock and power pop scenes evolved. While their second album, titled 'Bangin'', hit the top 20 on the Billboard 200 list had both singles hit the top 40 on the Mainstream Rock chart, the group began losing their popular audience by their third album, 'Voices of Babylon', came out in 1989. Though receiving critical acclaim, the rock mainstream seemed to have shifted considerably underneath them. Drummer Alan Jackman left, and, now as a duo, they recorded 'Diamond Days' in 1991. After the disappointing response to their 1992 album 'Rockeye', which represented a shift towards progressive rock and arena rock, the group essentially disbanded for much of the 90s.
They resumed touring in 1998, and thereafter the band released two live albums via their website. The group's comeback album, 'Any Time Now', was released by Sidewinder Records in March 2006 and constituted a comeback to their traditional pop rock sound. In mid-2009, the Outfield entered a London studio to begin recording their seventh studio album. Titled 'Replay', it saw a June 28, 2011 release, with the band's cult following enjoying deliberately retro sounding songs such as "California Sun". Their music popping up in various places (from Katy Perry recording a Outfield cover titled "Use Your Love" to the 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' video game using their music), the guys had somewhat of a resurgence of interest at the tail end of their career. Although popular interest in the band waxed and waned since their 80s musical heyday, their group maintained a devoted fan base among followers of the power pop genre for many years.
Guitarist and songwriter John Spinks died in July 2014, succumbing to liver cancer after a long and tough battle. He was 60. The group released a statement saying: “We are relieved that his passing was peaceful and painless.” After taking a few years off from music, lead singer/bassist Tony Lewis released a solo album in 2018 but died on 19 October 2020 in his house near London.
Bangin' On My Heart
The Outfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bet that's not a real surprise
I said I'd be forgetting about you
But now I know I'm wasting my time
You won't set me free
I guess I'll never get away
I can't beat that feeling inside you
You're bangin' on my heart again
B-B-B-Bangin'
Bangin' on my heart
B-B-B-Bangin'
Just another girl
Is all I thought you were and then
You went and proved me wrong
Now I'm in trouble
You're bangin' on my heart again
Numbers all I took
Figures still inside my head
And now I'm not sure that it's all over
I thought you were gone
You're back in my heart again
Heart again
Back in my heart again
Heart again
You've known all along
I jump whenever
You're bangin' on my heart again
Ooh I've been into you
More times than you've been into me
But this scar's gonna last forever
I know this feeling's something you'll never see
I know this feeling's something you'll never see
Bangin' on my heart again
Bangin' on my heart again
B-B-B-Bangin'
Bangin' on my heart
B-B-B-Bangin'
Bangin' on my heart
The Outfield's song "Bangin' On My Heart" is a heartfelt confession of a person who is struggling with moving on from an old love. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been lying to themselves by saying they are over their lover, but in reality, they are still hurting and can't seem to shake the feeling. The opening lines, "I don't tell the truth, I bet that's not a real surprise," indicate that the singer has been deceiving themselves for a long time. They had hoped that they could forget about their love, but now realize they have been wasting their time in trying to do so.
The chorus of the song, "You're bangin' on my heart again," further highlights the idea of the singer being unable to let go of their love. They know deep down that they need to move on, but they can't ignore the feelings that their old love stirs within them. The singer's use of repetition in the chorus adds to the overall emotional impact of the song, as it emphasizes just how deeply their love is affecting them. The bridge of the song, "I've been into you more times than you've been into me, but this scar's gonna last forever," conveys a sense of lasting hurt, suggesting that no matter what the future holds, the singer knows that their love for this person will always be a part of them.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't tell the truth
I have a tendency to lie or exaggerate things.
I bet that's not a real surprise
I'm not surprised if you already knew I'm not truthful.
I said I'd be forgetting about you
I told myself I'd forget about you and move on.
But now I know I'm wasting my time
I realize that it's pointless to try to forget about you.
You won't set me free
You are the reason I can't move on and forget about you.
I guess I'll never get away
I have come to accept that I'll never be able to escape these feelings for you.
I can't beat that feeling inside you
I can't ignore the way I feel about you.
You're bangin' on my heart again
You are making me fall for you all over again.
Just another girl
I initially thought of you as just another girl.
Is all I thought you were and then
I was wrong to underestimate you.
You went and proved me wrong
You surprised me and showed me that you were more than just another girl.
Now I'm in trouble
I'm in love with you and it's causing me pain.
Numbers all I took
I only paid attention to superficial things like your appearance or social status.
Figures still inside my head
I still remember those superficial traits and they affect my perception of you.
And now I'm not sure that it's all over
I thought I moved on, but I'm not entirely sure anymore.
I thought you were gone
I thought I had forgotten about you and that you had no power over me anymore.
You're back in my heart again
However, you managed to sneak back into my thoughts and feelings.
You've known all along
You're fully aware of the power you have over me.
I jump whenever
You can easily manipulate me and make me do things for you.
Ooh I've been into you
I've had feelings for you for a while now.
More times than you've been into me
I've been into you more than you've ever been into me.
But this scar's gonna last forever
Even if I try to move on, the pain and memories of you will always be with me.
I know this feeling's something you'll never see
You have no idea how deeply I feel for you and how much you affect me.
Bangin' on my heart again
You keep making me fall for you, even though I know it's not good for me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN FREDRICK SPINKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Your Love
Winter of '84, 4 feet of snow drops on Harrisburg, PA the night the Romantics are to play the local club The Metro, Called to find out the band were there. Took the girlfriend to a venue of a dozen people and the band. They played that song at least 6 times, once me sing it on stage. Best concert I was ever at.