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.
No Fear
The Outfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living is long than again
I used to think it was simple enough
Just goes to show how I've changed
Nobody makes it forever
Let's make a deal with the pain
If you wanna hold on to love
If you wanna enjoy the laughter
You got to ignore the fears
And if we're gonna make it together
We're got to make it through the years
Nobody knows all the answers
There ain't no rules in this game
Love was still lost I still can't take the cost
Over and over again
They've all get a little temptation
No matter how hard they prayed, so
If you wanna hold on to love
You got to endure the tears
If you wanna enjoy the laughter
You got to ignore the fears
And if we're gonna make it together
We're got to make it through the years
I hear my conscience calling
That I don't need to know
I see the future out there
But which way should I go?
If you wanna hold on to love
You got to endure the tears
If you wanna enjoy the laughter
You got to ignore the fears
And if we're gonna make it together
We're got to make it through the years
The Outfield's song "No Fear" is a ballad about the difficulties of love and the need to persevere through tough times in order to keep a relationship strong. The opening lines, "Nobody said this was easy, Living is long than again, I used to think it was simple enough, Just goes to show how I've changed," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer realizes that life is complex and difficult, and that even great love stories have their ups and downs.
The chorus urges listeners to hold on to love despite the pain it can bring. It is important to endure the tears and ignore the fears if we want to enjoy the laughter and make it through the years. The lines "Nobody knows all the answers, There ain't no rules in this game," speak to the reality that relationships are not easy and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to making them work. The final verse deals with the confusion that can come with decision-making, as the singer hears their conscience calling but is unsure which path to take.
Overall, "No Fear" is a reflective and introspective song that encourages listeners to value and cling to love even when it is difficult. It acknowledges that relationships are not easy, but also emphasizes the importance of putting in the effort and taking the risk to make it work.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody said this was easy
Living life is a challenge
Living is long than again
Life is longer than we think
I used to think it was simple enough
Life seemed simple in the past
Just goes to show how I've changed
Growth and experience changes our perspective
Nobody makes it forever
We all face mortality
Let's make a deal with the pain
We must accept and deal with the difficult parts of life
If you wanna hold on to love
You got to endure the tears
Love is accompanied by pain and hardship
If you wanna enjoy the laughter
You got to ignore the fears
Fear can prevent us from experiencing joy
And if we're gonna make it together
We're got to make it through the years
To sustain a relationship, we must overcome challenges over time
Nobody knows all the answers
We cannot know everything
There ain't no rules in this game
Life has no set rules or guidelines
Love was still lost I still can't take the cost
Over and over again
The painful aftermath of failed relationships can be repetitive
They've all get a little temptation
No matter how hard they prayed, so
We all face temptation and struggle to resist it
I hear my conscience calling
That I don't need to know
Our conscience can guide us even when we lack certainty
I see the future out there
But which way should I go?
The future is uncertain and can be daunting
Writer(s): Arlis Albritton, Chad Warrix, Krista Robusto
Contributed by Lila V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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.