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.
Mystery Man
The Outfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But in between the lines - he don't understand
He's on a mission in Mozambique
The room is wired and I just can't speak
[Chorus]
In the middle of it all, he can waste no time
In the middle of it all, he just says goodbye, goodbye
Got to get there just as fast I can
A pink carnation on a mystery man
A rendezvous in Romania
Double agents in Australia
The song "Mystery Man" by The Outfield tells the story of a man who receives a letter from an unknown person, who he refers to as the "mystery man". However, the letter is not clear and the man cannot understand it. Meanwhile, the "mystery man" is on a mission in Mozambique, which is causing the man a lot of anxiety. The room is wired, meaning that the man cannot speak freely as he fears he may be monitored. The words "he just says goodbye" in the chorus show the man's desperation and helplessness as he is caught in the middle of a confusing situation.
The urgency of the song is highlighted by the lyrics, "Got to get there just as fast I can". The man is determined to uncover the truth, hence the mention of a pink carnation which is a symbol of intrigue and mystery. The man also anticipates a rendezvous in Romania where he may find some answers. The line "Double agents in Australia" adds to the complexity of the situation and leaves the listener wondering who is trustworthy in this story.
Overall, "Mystery Man" is a song that captures the tension and anxiety that can be felt when caught in a mysterious, confusing situation where the truth is not clear.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a letter from a mystery man
Received a correspondence from an unknown individual
But in between the lines - he don't understand
The message is confusing or unclear to the recipient
He's on a mission in Mozambique
The mystery man is currently undertaking a task in Mozambique
The room is wired and I just can't speak
The environment is under surveillance and the recipient is unable to communicate freely
In the middle of it all, he can waste no time
The mystery man is in a critical situation and cannot afford to procrastinate
In the middle of it all, he just says goodbye, goodbye
The mystery man abruptly ends the conversation and leaves the situation
Got to get there just as fast I can
The recipient must hurry to reach a destination
A pink carnation on a mystery man
The mystery man may be identifiable by the presence of a specific flower
A rendezvous in Romania
A meeting is planned to take place in Romania
Double agents in Australia
There are spies or informants who are working for opposing sides in Australia
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.