Formed in 1978 in Winston-Salem, NC, the original lineup of the band featured Chris Stamey (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Gene Holder (bass), and Will Rigby (drums). All three members had spent time in Stamey's legendary group, Sneakers. After relocating to New York, the dB's released their debut single, "(I Thought) You Wanted to Know," b/w "If and When" for Stamey's Car label. Guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Peter Holsapple, who had worked with Stamey in the band Rittenhouse Square in the early '70s, joined the band by the end of 1978. Holsapple and Stamey shared the songwriting chores during the band's early years.
The dB's were unable to secure a U.S. recording contract, so they signed to the British Albion label. They released two albums on Albion: Stands for Decibels (1981) and Repercussion (1982). Both records received rave reviews but little sales. Stamey left in 1983 to resume a solo career. Rick Wagner was added on bass but was replaced shortly by Jeff Beninato. With Holsapple fronting the group, they signed to Bearsville in 1984 and released Like This, a more conventional jangle pop album with strong country leanings. Bearsville's internal problems doomed the album despite its obvious hit potential. They eventually left to sign with I.R.S. Records in 1987, where they released The Sound of Music. The album managed to break the Top 200 and college radio support was strong. The dB's received some crucial exposure when they opened for R.E.M. on their Document tour in the end of 1987, but by the end of 1988, the band decided to break up. In 1994, Paris Avenue, a collection of demos for the band's never-recorded fifth album, was released on Monkey Hill.
Holsapple and Stamey reunited in 1991 for a duo project, releasing Mavericks later that year. Mavericks was the only album the duo ever released (although they have been working sporadically on a followup in recent years). Following its release, Stamey continued with solo projects; he also continued to contribute to the Golden Palominos, work as a sideman for Bob Mould, and become an acclaimed producer for bands like Whiskeytown and Le Tigre and artists like Caitlin Cary. Holder went on to join the Wygals and worked as a producer and guest musician for other artists. Will Rigby released one solo album, Sidekick Phenomenon, in 1985, and a second, Paradoxaholic, in 2002. He also joined Steve Earle's band as drummer. Holsapple joined R.E.M. as an occasional touring member in 1991 and formed his own band, the Continental Drifters, with then-wife Susan Cowsill. He went on to serve as a sideman to Hootie and the Blowfish.
In late 2004, the original lineup of the dB's reformed. They have been playing occasional shows while working on a new album, and have released a couple of new songs through their web site, www.thedbs.com.
The band's latest work is 2012's 'Falling Off the Sky', which has attracted serious critical praise. For example, 'The Chicago Tribune' ran an article stating that he release "sounds like the work of a band still very much at the top of its game." 'Falling Off the Sky' was created by the group's classic line-up of Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Gene Holder, and Will Rigby,
I Feel Good
The dB's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, saying nothing, you walked into the room
It felt bad just to hear you say
I feel good, good today
Vividly, you and the lipstick blur
Lawn soiree, crashing the Thunderbird
It felt bad to try to pretend
Running jumping in the air
Running jumping everywhere
Lazy bones laissez affaire
Regel 'round the singles blare
All of us may be confused
But is that bad (I won't say)
Maybe we should (I can't say)
I feel good
I feel good
Running scared, out of a long, cold sweat
We were running scared, out of a long, cold sweat
It felt bad, lost on the parkway
I feel good, good today
Running jumping in the air
Running jumping everywhere
Lazy bones laissez affaire
Regel 'round the singles blare
All of us may be confused
But is that bad (I won't say)
Maybe we should (I can't say)
I feel good
I feel good, good, good
It felt good, you walked into the room
Oh, saying nothing, I walked out of that room
It felt bad in my disarray
I feel good, good today
I feel good, good today
I feel good, good today
I feel good, good today
The song "I Feel Good" by The dB's has a feeling of nostalgia and regret mixed with a strange sense of joy. The opening line, "It felt good, you walked into the room," portrays this feeling of nostalgia and perhaps the hope of rekindling a lost love. The next lines, "saying nothing, you walked into the room" imply that the relationship ended on a bitter note and that even small talk is uncomfortable. The line "It felt bad just to hear you say, I feel good, good today" adds to the feeling of regret, as the singer is hurting, but the other person seems to be moving on.
The second verse continues with the same feelings of mixed emotions, as the singer remembers a lawn soiree where the other person showed up with lipstick stained on her lips, implying that she had been with someone else. The line "It felt bad to try to pretend, I feel good, good again" shows the singer's hesitancy to move on and his struggle to pretend that everything is okay when it is not.
The final part of the song repeats the same lines about running and jumping, perhaps showing that the singer is trying to distract himself from the pain he feels. The last verse, "It felt good, you walked into the room, oh, saying nothing, I walked out of that room" portrays a sense of finality or closure in the relationship, even though it still hurts. The chorus "I feel good, good today" could be a way for the singer to convince himself that he is moving on or perhaps a way to mask his pain to the outside world.
Line by Line Meaning
It felt good, you walked into the room
The person who entered the room brought joy and happiness to the singer.
Oh, saying nothing, you walked into the room
The person entered without saying anything, but their presence alone made the singer feel good.
It felt bad just to hear you say
Hearing the person speak made the singer feel bad.
I feel good, good today
Despite feeling bad from hearing the person speak, the artist still feels good today.
Vividly, you and the lipstick blur
The person and their actions were very memorable to the artist.
Lawn soiree, crashing the Thunderbird
The person attended a fancy outdoor party and arrived in a Thunderbird car.
It felt bad to try to pretend
The singer felt bad about pretending to feel good around the person.
I feel good, good again
Despite feeling bad about pretending, the artist still feels good again.
Running jumping in the air
The artist is excited and energetic, jumping and running around.
Running jumping everywhere
The artist continues to express their joy by running and jumping everywhere.
Lazy bones laissez affaire
The singer calls themselves lazy and advises themselves to let things be.
Regel 'round the singles blare
The artist is dancing and moving around to the music.
All of us may be confused
The singer acknowledges that everyone may be confused about something.
But is that bad (I won't say)
The singer is unsure if confusion is a bad thing or not.
Maybe we should (I can't say)
The singer is unsure if they should do something about their confusion.
I feel good
Despite everything, the artist still feels good.
Running scared, out of a long, cold sweat
The artist is scared and anxious, sweating profusely.
We were running scared, out of a long, cold sweat
The singer and others were all scared and anxious.
It felt bad, lost on the parkway
The singer feels bad for being lost on the parkway.
I feel good, good today
Despite feeling lost, the artist still feels good today.
I feel good, good, good
The artist emphasizes how good they feel with multiple 'good's.
Oh, saying nothing, I walked out of that room
The artist leaves the room without saying anything due to feeling bad.
It felt bad in my disarray
The singer feels bad due to their own disorganized state.
I feel good, good today
Despite feeling bad about leaving and their disarray, the artist still feels good today.
I feel good, good today
The singer repeats that they feel good today, emphasizing their positive feelings.
I feel good, good today
The singer continues to emphasize their positive feelings.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JACOB LEE WILLIAMS, THOMAS JOIN LAMBERT, THOMAS BROUSSARD, LEA ANNA GALLIMORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kiernanthomas6006
The dB's are The most under rated and over looked band in Rock history.