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.
To Be With You
The Outfield Lyrics
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I hear you say that you'll be leaving soon
I know it's late but all that I can do
Is close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
I'd like to talk to you so much but I don't know your name
I bet there's not a man in here that doesn't feel the same
As you're walking out the door there's nothing I can do
Yeah it's once in my life
Wish that I wasn't alone with myself
I feel like a child
Seems that I can't think of anyone else
The night is over an' I guess you're gone
I try and tell myself forget it and just carry on
But as I walk these lonely streets with nothing else to do
I close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
I close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
I close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
The Outfield's "To Be With You" is a poignant love song about a man who has fallen for a woman he's never met. He sees her across the room and hears she's leaving soon; he knows it's too late to make a move, but can't help but imagine what it would be like to be with her. The song is replete with the kind of wistful longing that sums up the essence of unrequited love.
The first verse captures the moment of attraction perfectly: "I see your face across a crowded room / I hear you say that you'll be leaving soon." The man obviously feels drawn to this woman, but he doesn't know her name, and the moment seems lost. The second verse is equally poignant: "I'd like to talk to you so much but I don't know your name / I bet there's not a man in here that doesn't feel the same." This line captures the universal feeling of attraction that is often experienced in social gatherings and how it can be frustrating to long for someone you are not able to get to know.
In the chorus, the man expresses his regret and his desire: "Yeah, it's once in my life / Wish that I wasn't alone with myself / I feel like a child / Seems that I can't think of anyone else." The repetition of the phrase "I close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you" throughout the song serves to emphasize the unattainable nature of the woman and the longing the man feels for her.
Line by Line Meaning
I see your face across a crowded room
I notice you from a distance in a room full of people
I hear you say that you'll be leaving soon
I hear you mention that you'll be departing soon
I know it's late but all that I can do
I realize that it's late and I can't do much about it
Is close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
I dream about being together with you when I close my eyes
I'd like to talk to you so much but I don't know your name
I wish to converse with you, yet I am unaware of your name
I bet there's not a man in here that doesn't feel the same
I am sure that almost all the men here have the same sentiments as me
As you're walking out the door there's nothing I can do
I can't do anything as you exit through the door
Yeah it's once in my life
This only happens once in my life
Wish that I wasn't alone with myself
I desire to not be alone with my thoughts
I feel like a child
I feel like a young kid
Seems that I can't think of anyone else
It appears that I am incapable of thinking of anyone else but you
The night is over an' I guess you're gone
The night has ended and I presume you've departed
I try and tell myself forget it and just carry on
I attempt to persuade myself to forget about it and to proceed
But as I walk these lonely streets with nothing else to do
As I wander these desolate streets with no other activities to do
I close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
I envision myself being with just you when I close my eyes
I close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
I dream about being together with you when I close my eyes
I close my eyes and dream that I'm alone with you
I dream of having a moment alone with you when I shut my eyes
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.