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.
Taking My Chances
The Outfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so afraid cos there's nobody near me
All that I've got are memories of Tuesday
I can't remember anything she said
Then in a moment my head starts spinning
Around in a circle no end or beginning
And just when I think that the whole world's turning
Burning down but this man stands his ground
For when there's nothing left I'll fight for every breath
[Chorus]
Don't turn your back on me baby
I'm taking all my chances
Why can't you hear what I'm saying
I'm taking all my chances
And when you're alone with nobody to turn to
You look in the mirror and think that it's untrue
In your reflection are you sure that you see
The person that you've always wanted to be but
You never were because you feared yourself
And in your deepest thoughts, you looked for someone else
The Outfield’s Taking My Chances is a song that talks about fear, isolation, and self-discovery. The opening lines, “I’m calling out but there’s no one to hear me, I’m so afraid cos there’s nobody near me” set the tone for the song’s subject matter. The singer is alone, and no one is there to listen to his pleas or offer him any support. He only has memories of a past love, and even then, he can’t remember anything she said. The line “All that I’ve got are memories of Tuesday” is intriguing because it implies that the memories are not necessarily happy ones; they are just all he has left.
In the verse’s second half, the singer experiences some kind of an existential crisis. His head starts spinning, and he feels as if his world is turning, but when he opens his eyes, he realizes that life is just “burning down.” Despite this, he remains steadfast, “this man stands his ground,” and he will fight for every breath when there’s nothing left. The chorus is a call to his lover to not turn their back on him because he is taking all of his chances. He wants her to hear him and understand him.
The bridge explores the theme of self-doubt and self-discovery. When the singer is alone and has nobody to turn to, he looks in the mirror and wonders if he is who he has always wanted to be. The line “In your reflection, are you sure that you see the person that you’ve always wanted to be but you never were because you feared yourself” is thought-provoking. It suggests that sometimes we hold ourselves back from becoming the people we want to be because we are afraid of being ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm calling out but there's no one to hear me
I am trying to get someone's attention, but no one is available to listen to me
I'm so afraid cos there's nobody near me
I am experiencing fear because I am alone with no one around to comfort me
All that I've got are memories of Tuesday
The only things I have left are memories from a past event
I can't remember anything she said
I cannot recall any details of what was said
Then in a moment my head starts spinning
Suddenly, my mind becomes disorientated and overwhelmed
Around in a circle no end or beginning
My thoughts are constantly circulating with no clear starting or ending point
And just when I think that the whole world's turning
When I perceive that everything around me is turning, and I am in a state of confusion
I open my eyes and discover that life is just
Upon regaining my senses, I realize that my life is stuck or going nowhere
Burning down but this man stands his ground
As everything falls apart, I remain determined and resilient
For when there's nothing left I'll fight for every breath
Even when I have nothing and life seems overwhelming, I will keep pushing and fighting for survival
Don't turn your back on me baby
Do not ignore me, darling
I'm taking all my chances
I am taking every opportunity that comes my way
Why can't you hear what I'm saying
I am frustrated that my message isn't getting through to you
And when you're alone with nobody to turn to
When you are alone and have no one to rely on
You look in the mirror and think that it's untrue
You stare at yourself in the mirror and question what you see because it does not align with your ideal self-image
In your reflection are you sure that you see
Are you completely confident that the person you see in the mirror is who you want to become?
The person that you've always wanted to be but
A person you have always envisioned yourself as
You never were because you feared yourself
However, you have never become that person you want to be because you were too scared
And in your deepest thoughts, you looked for someone else
Instead, you kept relying on others to make you the person you wanted to be
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.