# Trapped in a Box > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Trapped_in_a_Box > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Trapped_in_a_Box.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapped_in_a_Box > Source revision: 1307087280 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1992 single by No Doubt "Trapped in a Box" Single by No Doubt from the album No Doubt Released February 25, 1992 (1992-02-25) Genre Ska punk Length 3:24 Label Interscope Songwriters Eric Stefani Tom Dumont Gwen Stefani Tony Kanal Producers Dito Godwin No Doubt No Doubt singles chronology "Trapped in a Box" (1992) "Squeal" (1994) Music video "Trapped in a Box" on YouTube "**Trapped in a Box**" is the debut single of American rock band [No Doubt](/source/No_Doubt). It was released on February 25, 1992, from their debut album *[No Doubt](/source/No_Doubt_(No_Doubt_album))*. Despite failing to chart on the US [*Billboard* Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100), it was included on their greatest hits album *[The Singles 1992–2003](/source/The_Singles_1992%E2%80%932003)*. ## Background Within the booklet of *The Singles 1992–2003* is a blurb on each song. The short paragraph on "Trapped in a Box" states: The oldest track in this collection, "Trapped in a Box" is the sole representative of No Doubt's eponymous major label debut and a good barometer for their development. Beginning as a poem Tom wrote for school, bandleader at the time Eric Stefani then shaped the arrangement with everyone contributing lyrics. Together for six years when recorded, the band had moved beyond their ska roots. The horn section and quasi-ska rhythms remain inspired by those early Madness/Fishbone influences, while the emerging sense of flow and pop bounce makes the track a benchmark for the time and a notable milestone today. Ostensibly their first official single, "Trapped" was admittedly too out there for the radio of the time. It wasn't aggressively promoted and largely fell upon deaf ears in a world enthralled with an "alternative revolution" mainly centered on male aggression. That changed soon enough.[1] The song is based on a poem that guitarist [Tom Dumont](/source/Tom_Dumont) wrote about being addicted to television and how it can control one's way of thinking.[1] 19.5degs described the song as "skiffling" and "the weakest track [on *The Singles 1992-2003*] in the way of singing, but [with] smart lyrics".[2] Music OMH, however, described the song as a "kooky, almost novelty single"[3] and CD Universe described the song as a "rhythmic workout".[4] [Rhapsody](/source/Rhapsody_(online_music_service)), in a positive review, described it as "one of the album's highlights" and [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic) called it "as exciting" as two of No Doubt's more successful singles, "[Hella Good](/source/Hella_Good)" and "[Just a Girl](/source/Just_a_Girl)".[5] ## Music video After the disappointing sales of *No Doubt*, Interscope did not wish to finance the release of a [single](/source/Single_(music)) from the record. However, the band financed the shooting of a video for the song "Trapped in a Box" out of their own pockets. Roughly $5,000 was spent on it. The video got local airplay in Orange County. It was also aired on [MTV](/source/MTV), but it was never aired on [VH1](/source/VH1), although it was played on [MuchMusic](/source/MuchMusic) in Canada. It failed to achieve status on any chart. In 2003 the song was released on No Doubt's [greatest hits](/source/Greatest_hits) compilation album *[The Singles 1992-2003](/source/The_Singles_1992-2003)* and the video was released on the companion DVD of music videos, *[The Videos 1992–2003](/source/The_Videos_1992%E2%80%932003)*. This is the only music video to feature original keyboardist [Eric Stefani](/source/Eric_Stefani), who left in 1994. The video was directed by Mike Zykoff. ## Track listing **CD single** 1. "Trapped in a Box" – 3:24 ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-notes_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-notes_1-1) Montoya, Paris; Lanham, Tom (2003). The Singles 1992-2003*(liner notes) - Trapped in a Box*. No Doubt. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Singles reviews"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070822201327/http://www.19.5degs.com/album/singles/22128). 19.5degs. Archived from the original on August 22, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** McDonnell, Sarah. ["No Doubt - The Singles 1992-2003 (Interscope)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090207050734/http://www.musicomh.com/albums/no-doubt.htm). Music OMH. Archived from [the original](http://www.musicomh.com/albums/no-doubt.htm) on February 7, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["No Doubt Singles 1992-2003"](http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6453471/a/Singles+1992-2003.htm#). CD Universe. Retrieved September 16, 2009. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. ["The Singles 1992-2003"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-singles-1992-2003-mw0000693873). Allmusic. Retrieved September 16, 2009. ## External links - [Trapped in a Box official video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DccmKKnizFY) on [YouTube](/source/YouTube_video_(identifier)) v t e No Doubt Gwen Stefani Tony Kanal Tom Dumont Adrian Young Eric Stefani Studio albums No Doubt The Beacon Street Collection Tragic Kingdom Return of Saturn Rock Steady Push and Shove Compilations The Singles 1992–2003 Boom Box Everything in Time Video albums Live in the Tragic Kingdom Rock Steady Live The Videos 1992–2003 Singles "Trapped in a Box" "Squeal" "Doghouse" "Just a Girl" "Spiderwebs" "Don't Speak" "Excuse Me Mr." "Sunday Morning" "Happy Now?" "Hey You!" "New" "Ex-Girlfriend" "Simple Kind of Life" "Bathwater" "Hey Baby" "Hella Good" "Underneath It All" "Running" "It's My Life" "Settle Down" "Looking Hot" Promotional singles "Making Out" "Stand and Deliver" "Push and Shove" Concert tours Summer Tour 2004 2009 Summer Tour Seven Night Stand Related articles Discography Awards Songs Dreamcar Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Trapped in a Box](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapped_in_a_Box) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapped_in_a_Box?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.