Underneath It All
"Underneath It All" is a song by American ska band No Doubt from their fourth studio album Rock Steady (2001). It was written by the band's lead singer Gwen Stefani and David Stewart. The song features a reggae production from Sly and Robbie and guest vocals from Lady Saw. The song received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. "Underneath It All" was released as the album's third single in July 2002. It became No Doubt's highest-charting US single, but was less successful elsewhere. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 46th Grammy Awards. The song was featured in the 2004 film 50 First Dates. Background and writing The song was originally written by Gwen Stefani and David Stewart during Stefani's visit to boyfriend Gavin Rossdale in London. The two used backward string samples to write the song in only ten minutes. The song describes Stefani's relationship with Rossdale, and the line "You're really lovely underneath it all" comes from a journal entry that Stefani made after spending a day in the park with Rossdale. The band's guitarist Tom Dumont commented that Stewart's experience helped them keep the song