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,
We Were Happy There
The dB's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl, I've never been so tired of living in my life
And now the end is here in sight
'Cause we were happy there
It was a long, long time ago we were happy there.
Girl, they say the time has come for me to be replaced
'Cause we were happy there
It was a long, long time ago we were happy there.
And we're going to go back home so
Are you happy now ?
Are you happy now ?
Are you happy now ?
Are you happy now ?
We were happy there
It was a long, long time ago but we were happy there.
And we're going to go back home so
Are you happy now ?
Are you happy now ?
Are you happy now ?
Are you happy now ?
Yeah, are you happy now ?
Are you happy now ?
And we're going to go back home.
In the song, "We Were Happy There," Holsapple sings about a tired, replaced person who longs for the past where he was happy. The lyrics are a reflection of the past and the regret that comes with missing out on the happiness that was once present in the person's life. Using "girl" as a reference to this person, it's clear that whoever the song is directed towards is someone Holsapple has a connection with, someone he shared those happy moments with. The chorus is accompanied by the repetition of, "Are you happy now?" as if he is searching for an answer, wanting to know if they still hold onto that happiness they once had together.
The verses suggest a feeling of hopelessness and failure, represented by the statements, "now the end is here in sight" and "they say the time has come for me to be replaced." These lines could be interpreted in many different ways, but the general feeling is that Holsapple is at a crossroads in his life where he feels like he's run out of options. However, he also points out that this feeling of despair is recent and that "a long, long time ago we were happy there."
From the lyrics, it's clear that the song is a lament for a past relationship that was once happy but has now become distant. The message in the song is about the fragility of happiness and how it can slip away if we don't hold onto it. It seeks to encourage listeners not to take happiness for granted and to work towards maintaining it.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, I've never been so tired of living in my life
I am exhausted and fed up with my current life situation.
And now the end is here in sight
I can see everything coming to an end soon.
'Cause we were happy there
I remember a time when we were happy in a specific place or situation.
It was a long, long time ago we were happy there.
That time was a distant memory, long in the past.
Girl, they say the time has come for me to be replaced
I am being replaced or losing my place in something or someone's life.
And now I just can't show my face
I am ashamed or embarrassed to face people because of this situation.
And we're going to go back home so
We plan on returning to the place where we were happy.
Are you happy now ?
I am asking if the person is currently happy.
Yeah, are you happy now ?
An additional question asking if the person is truly happy now.
And we're going to go back home.
We are determined to return to our previous happy place.
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Rebstock
dB's were one of the most under-rated bands of the 1980s.....too bad they never hit it BIG....this is one of my favorites: my other favorites are Black & white, Neverland, Big Brown eyes, Bad reputation, JUDY , Espionage and Ask for Jill
Nick Perkins
I'm so glad you posted these incredible dbs records; many years ago I had all of these songs on mixed cassette tapes. I'm dowlnloading these two records from itunes now; I especially love the Big Star-ish tune Nothing is Wrong.
Andrea Suemi
I still have this album. I don´t have a record palyer nowadays. LOL. /greetings from Brazil.
T.Speakman
Owed every album.
Nick L
what are the chords for this song? i got the G, E intro and the A but the rest is just hard for me
Segi gise
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