Different People

Album: Tragic Kingdom (1995)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • After frontman Eric Stefani left No Doubt in 1994, his co-vocalist sister, Gwen, took over as the lead singer. Her brother had been the principal songwriter as well, so even though Gwen had never been particularly musical, she and the rest of the band needed to come up with some tunes.

    This slice of ska/pop was the first song Gwen Stefani ever wrote. The singer told The Daily Telegraph November 27, 2012 that the moment she started writing, she became a different person. "Before that, there was nothing I was good at, and, all of a sudden, here was something I felt really passionate about," she said. "I remember my dad listening to the first songs we recorded on his way into work and him saying, 'This is really good. You need to keep doing it.'"
  • A lot of the lyrics on the Tragic Kingdom were informed by Gwen Stefani's breakup with the band's bass player, Tony Kanal, but not this one. The song is a celebration of the wide range of people who come together in a natural world filled with wonders.
  • This fast-paced celebration of human diversity is apparently one of President Barack Obama's favorite songs. "How bizarre is that?" said Stefani to The Daily Telegraph. "The first song I wrote - which, when I read the lyrics today, seems so naive and young - and it ends up being one of the President's favorites."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."