Trapped In A Box

Album: No Doubt (1992)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • When Gwen Stefani says "trapped in a box," the box she is talking about television. The song is about how people get really wrapped up in TV, and are very much influenced by actors, actresses, commercials, etc. The video has a really great representation of what the song is about. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Katie - Savannah, GA
  • "Trapped In A Box" was No Doubt's first single, released in 1992 six years after the band formed. The song got a promotional push from their label, Interscope, but couldn't find many takers for their California ska-pop sound. The No Doubt album sold about 30,000 copies, mostly due to airplay on the Los Angeles radio station KROQ.

    The group fared a lot better with their 1995 album Tragic Kingdom, which went on to sell over 10 million copies in America. About 300,000 more copies of the album were sold when fans looked into their back catalog.
  • The video for this song was the first that the band had done, and it only cost them $5,000. MTV never played it, but MTV2 did.
  • Gwen Stefani's brother, Eric, was still with the band at this time - he wrote the song along with Gwen, guitarist Tom Dumont, and bass player Tony Kanal. Eric left in 1994 to become an animator on The Simpsons.

Comments: 4

  • Lilly from Chicago, IlI love the guitar and vocals in this
  • Angelo from Las Vegas, NvGreat guitar solo!
  • Laura from Liverpool, Englandthis song was originally a poem written by tom, but band leader eric stefani turned it into a song
  • Michi-elle from S, MaThis song is about televison and how people get too caught up in what they see on it.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Dino Cazares of Fear Factory

Dino Cazares of Fear FactorySongwriter Interviews

The guitarist/songwriter explains how he came up with his signature sound, and deconstructs some classic Fear Factory songs.

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."

Yacht Rock!

Yacht Rock!Song Writing

A scholarly analysis of yacht rock favorites ("Steal Away," "Baker Street"...) with a member of the leading YR cover band.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."