The Knocks were formed in 2008 by James "JPatt" Patterson and Ben "DJ B-Roc" Ruttner. Patterson and Ruttner met at New York City's New School and shared an apartment, where they set up small recording studios in their bedrooms. The loud noise coming from their apartment led to neighbors constantly knocking on their door in order to get them to pipe down, hence the duo's name. Early success as remixers, however, enabled them to build their own studio in Manhattan. During 2008 and 2009, Knocks remixes surfaced for Katy Perry ("I Kissed a Girl"), Britney Spears ("3"), and PRGz ("Soul Glo"). B-Roc and Andrew W.K. also released DAMN! The Mixtape Vol. 1 in 2009, featuring several Knocks productions.
In 2010, the Knocks released their first singles, the sunny "Dancing with the DJ" (which later appeared on their 2011 EP Magic) and the whistling "Make It Better." Over the course of the next few years, the duo's profile was magnified by additional remixes for Tegan and Sara ("Closer"), the 1975 ("Girls"), and Dragonette ("Let It Go"), among others, in addition to tours with Ellie Goulding, Dragonette, and Sleigh Bells. They also collaborated with Fred Falke for the Kitsunรฉ Music release "Geronimo" in 2012, as well as Treasure Fingers for "DYWT," released on Fool's Gold Clubhouse in 2014. Also in 2014, the group released an EP, titled Comfortable and released on the Neon Gold label, that included collaborations with X Ambassadors and Ra Ra Riot.
Signed to Big Beat, the Knocks slowed it down a bit for the 2014 single "Classic," one of their funkier and more disco-indebted singles, featuring Powers. An EP titled So Classic appeared in April 2015, followed by a new version of "Classic" featuring a verse by Fetty Wap. The Knocks spent much of the year working on their long-delayed debut album, which was previewed by the singles "I Wish (My Taylor Swift)" (with Matthew Koma) and "New York City" (featuring Cam'ron). Finally, in March 2016, the duo released their first full-length, 55, which included additional guest appearances from Wyclef Jean, Walk the Moon, Carly Rae Jepsen, Alex Newell, and Semi-Precious Weapons' Justin Trantor. That July, the pair remixed selected tracks from the album on the 55.5 EP.
In early 2017, the Knocks released Testify, an EP of new songs featuring collaborations with MNEK, Delacey, and Tayla Parx. Later that year, the duo teamed up with Skylar Spence and released a future funk mixtape as Amelia Airhorn. They also formed the Mary Nixons, a group with Mat Zo, and issued the single "Adrian." They followed with the Captain Cuts collaboration "House Party." July 2018 saw the release of the single "Shades" which appeared later that year on the Knocks' second full-length, New York Narcotic. The album also featured contributions from Method Man, Sofi Tukker, and Foster the People.
2019 brought several singles, including the Kah-Lo collaboration "Awa Ni" and "Lucky Me" (with Great Good Fine Ok). Most of these were collected on the EP Summer Series: 2019. Several more singles arrived in 2020, including "One Fine Day" (with Idris Elba), "Bodies" (with MUNA), and "All About You" (featuring Foster the People). The following year, they released Melody & Silence, an EP with Foster the People that included a remix of the single, as well as covers of hits by Beck, Moby, and the Verve. Also in 2021, the Knocks released "R U High" (featuring Mallrat) and "Sound the Alarm" (featuring Rivers Cuomo and Royal & the Serpent), and were featured on Purple Disco Machine's "Fireworks." The following year saw the release of the full-length effort, HISTORY, which featured collaborations with Foster the People, MUNA, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Cold War Kids, Parson James, and Yoke Lore, among others.
Biography by Andy Kellman
Sound the Alarm
The Knocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
T-touch the pleasure
T-taste the pain
Turn it upside down as the world spins 'round
Would you make my day?
This is getting explosive
This is getting too hot
You're the type I need, you could murder me
In the name of rock
Maybe it's for the good of mankind
Sound the alarm
Sound the alarm
Going in hard
'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that
Sound the alarm
Sound the alarm
Get in the car
'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that
Ooh
Ooh
Clutch under pressure
Ice in my veins
Maybe all my flaws give me my powers
I was born this way
I go way too fast
Runaway car crash
Spitting out gas
Stars like the night pitch black
We tripped all the wires, lit all the fires
Sniffed out the liars, I wonder why
Maybe it's for the good of mankind (woo)
Sound the alarm
Sound the alarm
Going in hard
'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that
Sound the alarm
Sound the alarm
Get in the car
'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Maybe it's for the (maybe it's for the)
(Maybe it's for the good of man)
Maybe maybe it's for the (maybe it's for the)
(Maybe it's for the good of man)
Sound the alarm
Sound the alarm
Going in hard
'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that
Sound the alarm
Sound the alarm
Get in the car
'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
(Ooh)
The lyrics to The Knocks Weezer Royal & the Serpent's song Sound the Alarm seem to be about hedonism and the pursuit of pleasure despite the potential pain and consequences that may come with it. The opening lines ("T-touch the pleasure, T-taste the pain, Turn it upside down as the world spins 'round") suggest a reckless abandon and a desire to flip conventional ideas on their head. The lines "You're the type I need, you could murder me in the name of rock" speak to a willingness to fully embrace the rock and roll lifestyle, even if it may lead to self-destruction.
The chorus of the song ("Sound the alarm/Going in hard/'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that") suggests that the indulgence is worth the potential consequences and that the pursuit of pleasure is worth any risk. The lines "Maybe it's for the good of mankind" are interesting as they suggest that the pursuit of pleasure and hedonism may actually benefit society as a whole, perhaps by inspiring creativity or pushing boundaries.
Overall, Sound the Alarm seems to be a song that celebrates the pursuit of pleasure and the rock and roll lifestyle, even if it may come with pain and consequences. The chorus suggests that the desire for pleasure is worth any risk and that perhaps the pursuit of pleasure can even benefit society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
(Ooh)
Expression of excitement or anticipation
T-touch the pleasure
Experience the good things in life through touch
T-taste the pain
Experience the bad things in life through taste
Turn it upside down as the world spins 'round
Flip your perspective in a world that's constantly changing
Would you make my day?
Can you do something that will bring me joy?
This is getting explosive
Things are heating up and getting intense
This is getting too hot
Things are getting too overwhelming
You're the type I need, you could murder me
I need someone who is strong and passionate, even if it means they might hurt me
In the name of rock
In the spirit of greatness and rebellion found in the genre of rock music
Maybe it's for the good of mankind
Perhaps the actions or consequences of what we're doing will have a positive impact on humanity
Sound the alarm
Notify everyone that something is happening
Going in hard
Approaching the task with vigor and determination
'Cause we ain't too proud to be begging like that
We're humble enough to ask for help when we need it
Get in the car
Let's go, we need to act fast
Clutch under pressure
Thriving in stressful situations
Ice in my veins
Cool, calm, and collected under pressure
Maybe all my flaws give me my powers
Perhaps the things that make me imperfect also make me strong
I was born this way
I am who I am naturally, and that's okay
I go way too fast
Sometimes I move too quickly for my own good
Runaway car crash
My life can feel like a car that's out of control and headed towards disaster
Spitting out gas
I'm burning myself out and need to slow down
Stars like the night pitch black
The darkest moments in my life can sometimes bring unexpected beauty
We tripped all the wires, lit all the fires
We've caused chaos and destruction, intentionally or not
Sniffed out the liars, I wonder why
We've exposed those who are deceitful, but we're not sure why they act that way
Lyrics ยฉ Wixen Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benjamin Ruttner, James Patterson, Marky Style, Rivers Cuomo, Ross Clark, Ryan Jillian Santiago, Yoshi Flower
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind