Simple Kind of Life
| "Simple Kind of Life" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by No Doubt | ||||
| from the album Return of Saturn | ||||
| B-side | "Cellophane Boy" | |||
| Released | June 13, 2000 | |||
| Format | CD, cassette | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Writer(s) | Gwen Stefani | |||
| Producer(s) | Glen Ballard | |||
| No Doubt singles chronology | ||||
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"Simple Kind of Life" is a pop rock ballad written by Gwen Stefani for No Doubt's fourth album Return of Saturn (2000). The song contrasts Stefani's desire to settle down and start a family with her commitment to the band. It received positive reviews from music critics, who noted the song's somber melody and raw lyrics.
"Simple Kind of Life" was released as the album's second single in June 2000 (see 2000 in music, also "New" is a single from a soundtrack). It became the most successful American single from Return of Saturn, but had little international success. The accompanying music video illustrates the song's themes of marriage and family.
Singer Gwen Stefani wrote and composed the track during a last minute recording session. Stefani had been writing with bassist Tony Kanal that day, and she wrote the song late at night during what she referred to as "a PMS moment". Following "Suspension Without Suspense", "Simple Kind of Life" became the second song that Stefani wrote by herself. The song was recorded, with no rehearsals, the following Monday. Adrian Young's drum parts were mixed through low fidelity filters to get the feel of a lo-fi power ballad.
The lyrics of "Simple Kind of Life" also discuss Stefani's relationship with Gavin Rossdale. She describes wanting to settle down, get married, and have children. In the final verse, she even dreams about how her life would be if there were a mistake in her birth control and she became pregnant. However, she contrasts this with her commitment to music and No Doubt. Stefani describes her relationship as unhealthy because of this disparity, comparing herself to "a sick domestic abuser looking for a fight." She ultimately decides that settling down is just a fantasy for her since her freedom and independence is more important for her.
"Simple Kind of Life" is a pop rock song composed in the key of C major. It is written in common time and moves at a moderate tempo of 116 beats per minute. Stefani's vocal range in the song covers nearly an octave and a half, from G3 to C5.
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