Influenced by 60s British Invasion music (such as the songs of The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles, The Hollies, and The Rolling Stones), 70s Detroit garage rock and hard rock (as represented by such performers as Iggy Pop, The Stooges, and the MC5), and the classic punk of Ramones, the Romantics play a hook-based form of rock known as power pop. The band is also commonly classified into the category of "new wave" (probably due more to the band's image and era than the sound of its music) by pop music historians.
The Romantics' original lineup consisted of rhythm guitarist/harmonica player/singer Wally Palmar, lead guitarist Mike Skill, bassist Rich Cole, and drummer/singer Jimmy Marinos. All four band members made songwriting contributions to the group, but Palmar and Skill were considered the band's primary tunesmiths. After a few years of playing local and regional gigs in Detroit and the Midwest, this lineup of the Romantics recorded the band's self-titled debut album for Nemperor Records in 1980. The album yielded the hit "What I Like About You," which reached #48 in the US, and #12 in the Netherlands, where the band was especially popular. "What I Like About You" would become much better known later in the 1980s, when its placement in television commercials and other high profile media made it an evergreen power pop anthem. The band became as well known (if not better known) for its flashy and audacious fashion sense as it did for its exciting music. The Romantics' signature look featured bouffant hairdos and skin-tight red leather suits, as worn by the band members on the cover photo of their debut album.
Mike Skill left the band after the release of its second album, National Breakout, in 1981. He was replaced by lead guitarist Coz Canler. This lineup of the band recorded the album Strictly Personal in 1982 before Rich Cole left the band that year and was replaced by a returning Mike Skill, who then became the band's bassist.
The Romantics achieved their greatest commercial success in 1983/84 with the release of the album In Heat. The first single taken from In Heat, "Talking In Your Sleep", rose to Number Three on the Billboard charts, and was also a substantial international hit. A second single, "One In A Million", charted as high as Number Thirty-Seven during the following year. The Romantics' music videos were frequently shown on the cable television network MTV during this period, solidifying the band's popularity. Also during 1983, the Romantics played well received U.S. and international concert tours in support of In Heat, and appeared on such pop music-themed television shows as Solid Gold, American Bandstand, and Soul Train.
In 1984, drummer Jimmy Marinos, dissatisfied with the artistic direction of the band (which was quickly abandoning its power pop roots in favor of more generic mainstream pop rock) and convinced that he could find success as a solo act, left the Romantics. He was replaced by David Petratos, who would serve as the band's drummer until 1990. This lineup recorded one album, Rhythm Romance, in 1985. On Rhythm Romance, the Romantics eschewed much of the energetic electric guitar- and drums-based modern rock 'n roll sound that had come to define the band's music in favor of the synthesizer pop that had won commercial success for such contemporary bands as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Culture Club, and other similar New Wave bands during the early 1980s. By 1985, however, synthesizer pop was beginning to fall out of popular favor. Moreover, the style was not the Romantics' strength. As a result, Rhythm Romance was not a commercial success and was also regarded as an artistic nadir by the band's fans.
In the late 1980s, the Romantics discovered that their managers had been misappropriating the profits earned by the band from its hit records and live performances. Additionally, the Romantics' best known song (the aforementioned "What I Like About You") had been licensed for use in television commercials without the band's knowledge or approval. Consequently, the Romantics filed a lawsuit against their management in 1987, and the legalities involved prevented the band from recording new music until the mid-1990s.
Former Blondie drummer Clement (Clem) Burke replaced David Petratos as the Romantics' drummer in 1990. For much of the 1990s, the Romantics played obscure performances in small venues, largely forgotten and out of the public spotlight.
The Romantics' fortunes began to rise again in the middle of the 1990s, as the band's success in its lawsuit against its former management freed the band to record again (and ensured that future earnings from the licensing of Romantics songs would go to the band). The first fruit of the band's new recording activity was the 1993 EP Made In Detroit. Several Romantics greatest hits packages were issued during the 1990s, as was the live album The King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: The Romantics Live In Concert, a 1996 release of an October, 1983 recording of a Romantics concert in San Antonio, Texas at the height of the band's popularity.
Jimmy Marinos, the Romantics' original drummer, temporarily returned to the band for a series of performances in 1996-1997 (with Clem Burke returning to the Romantics' drumstool after Marinos departed again), and late 1990s nostalgia for 1980s pop culture caused a minor resurgence of interest in the band. In 2003, twenty years after the release of their most commercially successful album, In Heat, the Romantics released 61/49 - a more roots rock and blues-oriented record than the band's previous efforts. The album was not a great commercial success, but won the Romantics a newfound critical respect that they had not enjoyed during their popular and commercial heyday in the early 1980s. 61/49 also offered proof that despite the band's years out of the public spotlight, the Romantics remain a potent musical unit.
A fourth drummer, Brad Elvis, replaced Clem Burke as the Romantics' regular drummer in 2004 after Burke returned full time to a reactivated Blondie. The Romantics continue to play live concerts today (with occasional guest performances by previous members Jimmy Marinos, Rich Cole, and David Petratos). The band is said to currently be working on a follow up to 61/49.
When I Look In Your Eyes
The Romantics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get a feeling that I can't describe
It can't be wrong
No, no
Not when a feelin's comin' on this strong
Now I'm wonderin' why
I feel so good inside
When you tell me your mine
You send a shiver runnin' up and down my spine
Could this be love
Cause you're the girl I've been dreamin' of now
I'm wonderin' why
I feel so good inside
When I look in your eyes
When I look in your eyes
When I get you alone
It's so much different from the telephone
Don't let me go
no no
Just want to hold you like I told you so now
I'm wonderin' why
I feel so good inside
When I look in your eyes
When I look in your eyes
The Romantics' song "When I Look In Your Eyes" is a love song about the indescribable feeling that comes with falling in love. The song describes the intense emotions that arise when the singer looks into their lover's eyes. The lyrics talk about how the singer feels so good inside and is wondering why that is. It's clear that the singer is infatuated with the person they are singing to and they are feeling the thrill of new love.
The first verse of the song talks about the feeling that the singer gets when they look into their lover's eyes. They are unable to describe the feeling, but they know it can't be wrong. The second verse talks about how the singer's lover makes them feel when they are together. The person's words send shivers down their spine, and they wonder if it could be love.
The chorus is the most important part of the song. It's where the singer expresses his emotions the most. The chorus talks about how the singer feels so good inside when they look into their lover's eyes. They describe the feeling as indescribable and wonder why they feel this way. The chorus confirms that the singer is in love with the person they are singing to and they are amazed at how good they feel when they are with the one they love.
Overall, "When I Look In Your Eyes" is a song about the euphoric feelings of falling in love. The lyrics express the intense emotions that come with the beginning of a new relationship and the thrill of discovering new love.
Line by Line Meaning
When I look in your eyes
The singer is talking about the deep feeling he has when he looks into the eyes of someone he loves or is attracted to.
I get a feeling that I can't describe
The singer is feeling a strong emotion that he cannot put into words when he looks into the eyes of the person he loves or is attracted to.
It can't be wrong
The singer believes that his feelings for the person are true and genuine, and therefore cannot be wrong.
No, no
The singer is emphasizing that his feelings are not wrong, and he is confident in his love for the person.
Not when a feelin's comin' on this strong
The singer is saying that his feelings are so intense and powerful that he knows they must be real.
Now I'm wonderin' why
The singer is questioning why he feels so strongly when he is with the person he loves or is attracted to.
I feel so good inside
The singer is expressing how happy and content he feels when he is with the person he loves or is attracted to.
When you tell me your mine
The singer is referring to when the person tells him that they belong to him, either through words or actions.
You send a shiver runnin' up and down my spine
The singer feels a physical reaction when he hears the person tell him that they are his, indicating the strength of his feelings for the person.
Could this be love
The singer is questioning whether the emotions he feels for the person are indeed love.
Cause you're the girl I've been dreamin' of now
The singer is admitting that the person he loves or is attracted to is someone he has dreamed of and longed for.
When I get you alone
The singer is talking about being alone with the person he loves or is attracted to.
It's so much different from the telephone
The singer is pointing out that being alone with the person he loves or is attracted to is very different from talking to them on the phone.
Don't let me go
The singer is expressing his desire to hold onto the person he loves or is attracted to and not let them go.
Just want to hold you like I told you so now
The singer is reiterating his desire to hold onto the person he loves or is attracted to, as if to say 'just like I promised you I would'.
Contributed by Charlotte B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joemartin1253
One of the most extremely underrated rock bands ever.
@sonias9722
Joe Martin I just found them and wondered how I've never heard of them
@beavis408
Any band that uses Hiwatt amplifiers has to be good... .!
@Fretslayer2003
agree 100%
@brittanymichelle203
Sonia S , it depends on your age. Their commercial peak was 1983. They were good but hardly lionized like the Beatles
@danelogan1532
Don't forget The Smithereens
@gordonmills2748
I feel sad for the people who only know this band for "What I Like About You," and the people who never knew how great the Detroit rock scene was back in the day.
@thedraytonking6730
I knew this band because of the radio 😂 lol 😅
@stephennetherton9818
Yeah I do I was there they captured the planet by storm
@cementkite9151
For me, this was the song that got me hooked. I still think it's their best, their signature song to me.