4 ms·

The idea of a massive pop hit being about male commentary about female achievement was very intriguing. So I actually looked up the lyrics and I am pretty sure

The idea of a massive pop hit being about male commentary about female achievement was very intriguing. So I actually looked up the lyrics and I am pretty sure it is about a breakup.

DoreenMichele 8y ago
I left a link to the video, not a link to the lyrics. Of course the song is about a breakup -- a very famous break-up. The lead singer Gwen Stefani is the only female member of the band. She initiated a relationship with Tony Kanal, another member of the band: During a party where No Doubt performed in mid-1987, Stefani tried to kiss Kanal when the two went for a walk. Kanal initially rejected her, later commenting, "It was pretty much an unspoken rule that nobody dates Gwen...almost like a bunch of brothers and our sister." He gave in, and the two began dating secretly. The band was suspicious of them, warning Kanal against dating her, but he denied the relationship. While the band was working on its third album Tragic Kingdom, Kanal broke up with Stefani. She later explained that he was feeling "claustrophobic" in the relationship since he did not have any previous experience being in one. She stated that the break-up "took ages" because the two were close friends and Kanal did not want to hurt her. After the break-up, he offered to leave the band, but Stefani replied that she wanted him to stay. Many of the songs on that album were written by Stefani about the breakup, most notably "Don't Speak". Many years later, Stefani co-wrote her song "Cool" about their relationship as friends for her 2004 debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kanal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kanal But if you watch the video closely, it shows the male band members being shoved aside while photographers make Gwen the focus of a photo shoot. Then it shows the guys whispering to each other and, at some point, the guys all hold up a hand as if voting in agreement. Gwen's body language clearly signals frustration, disagreement and defeat, like "Aw, come on!" Gwen got a lot of media attention as a female lead vocalist of an otherwise all male pop band. A lot of interviews (articles, other coverage) ended up focusing on her and ignoring the male band members. She became a star in her own right and household name, but a lot fewer people know the names of the other band members. In fact, I always have to look up Tony Kanal's name. I can never remember it.

The idea of a massive pop hit being about male commentary about female achievement was very intriguing. So I actually looked up the lyrics and I am pretty sure it is about a breakup.

DoreenMichele 8y ago

I left a link to the video, not a link to the lyrics. Of course the song is about a breakup -- a very famous break-up. The lead singer Gwen Stefani is the only female member of the band. She initiated a relationship with Tony Kanal, another member of the band: During a party where No Doubt performed in mid-1987, Stefani tried to kiss Kanal when the two went for a walk. Kanal initially rejected her, later commenting, "It was pretty much an unspoken rule that nobody dates Gwen...almost like a bunch of brothers and our sister." He gave in, and the two began dating secretly. The band was suspicious of them, warning Kanal against dating her, but he denied the relationship. While the band was working on its third album Tragic Kingdom, Kanal broke up with Stefani. She later explained that he was feeling "claustrophobic" in the relationship since he did not have any previous experience being in one. She stated that the break-up "took ages" because the two were close friends and Kanal did not want to hurt her. After the break-up, he offered to leave the band, but Stefani replied that she wanted him to stay. Many of the songs on that album were written by Stefani about the breakup, most notably "Don't Speak". Many years later, Stefani co-wrote her song "Cool" about their relationship as friends for her 2004 debut solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kanal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kanal But if you watch the video closely, it shows the male band members being shoved aside while photographers make Gwen the focus of a photo shoot. Then it shows the guys whispering to each other and, at some point, the guys all hold up a hand as if voting in agreement. Gwen's body language clearly signals frustration, disagreement and defeat, like "Aw, come on!" Gwen got a lot of media attention as a female lead vocalist of an otherwise all male pop band. A lot of interviews (articles, other coverage) ended up focusing on her and ignoring the male band members. She became a star in her own right and household name, but a lot fewer people know the names of the other band members. In fact, I always have to look up Tony Kanal's name. I can never remember it.