Amii Stewart's father signed her up for singing and dancing lessons from the age of four. There already was an Amy Stewart registered with Actor's Equity, so she changed the spelling of her name to Amii when she signed there. This eventually led to her break into the music industry, recording Disco music. Before being signed onto Ariola Records, Stewart appeared in the stage production Bubbling Brown Sugar on Broadway in 1975.
Her first single, a disco cover version of the Eddie Floyd hit "Knock On Wood", reached number one in the U.S. in April 1979, and earned her a platinum record and a Grammy Award nomination. It was her only Top 10 American hit single, and she was dismissed there as a one hit wonder. She fared better on the R&B charts and Dance charts where Stewart continued to chart singles into the 1980s.
However, in Europe she established herself as a popular performer during the disco era of the late 1970s, scoring her highest chart placing in the UK singles chart with another disco cover version, of The Doors' "Light My Fire" (released as "Light My Fire/137 Disco Heaven"), which reached number five in 1979. Further singles such as "Jealousy", which was a mix of the fading out disco and the New Wave and Hi-NRG hititng the dancefloors, continued her chart run in continental Europe and proved very popular in European discos, but as disco began to lose popularity she branched into other contemporary musical styles such as R&B and Pop. During this period she worked with such producers as Giorgio Moroder and Ennio Morricone. Her 1984 single, "Friends" reached number one in several European countries, and peaked at number 12 in the UK in early 1985. The follow-up single "That Loving Feeling" received good reviews but failed to make the UK Top 40. Both singles were lifted from her highly acclaimed album "Try Love", which highlighted a new downtempo and soulful sound. A year later, a remixed version of "Knock On Wood" would take her back into the UK Top 10, also topping the UK dance charts.
Stewart has resided in Italy since the mid 1980s, and in her adopted homeland has become a respected performer of a wide range of musical styles. In 1993 and 1994 she was one of several singers invited to perform at the Vatican before the Pope in Christmas pageants. In 2000, Stewart toured Italy, playing the part of Mary Magdalene, in the revival of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. The play also starred Carl Anderson, who revived his role of "Judas Iscariot" from the 1971 movie.
In 2003, Stewart starred in the musical "Lady Day", in the role of Billie Holiday; the musical was written and produced by her. In Autumn 2010, Stewarts back catalogue of albums from 1984's "Try Love" to her most recent album, "Here's To You" were all released on MP3 Download format.
Knock on Wood
Amii Stewart Lyrics
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That I got 'cause if I do
I will surely
Surely lose a lot
'Cause your love is better
Than any love I know
It's like thunder, lightning
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
Baby
I'm not superstitious about ya
But I can't take no chance
You got me spinnin', baby
You know I'm in a trance
'Cause your love is better
Than any love I know
It's like thunder, lightning
The way you love me is frightening
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
Baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock knock, knock, knock
It's no secret about it
'Cause we're this lovin' touch
He sees to it
That I get enough
Fell his touch all over
You know it means so much
It's like thunder, lightning
The way you love me is frightening
You better knock, knock, knock on wood, baby
Baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood
In this song, Amii Stewart sings about the fear of losing the love of her life. She starts off by acknowledging the greatness of their love, and expresses her fear that if it were to end, she would lose out on something truly incredible. She compares their love to thunder and lightning, which is a powerful and uncontrollable force, and a way that she feels about being loved by this person. She encourages her lover to "knock on wood," which is an old superstition that knocking on wood will ward off bad luck or prevent something negative from happening. Though she is not superstitious, she wants to take every action to ensure that their love stays strong, as it is the best love she has ever known. She feels like she is in a trance, constantly spinning in love and happiness, and she doesn't want that to end, so she implores her lover to knock on wood and keep their love safe.
The song's message is one that many people can relate to, the fear of losing a great love. The use of thunder and lightning as a metaphor for love is a potent one as well, invoking the idea of nature being out of our control, just as love can often feel like something we can't control. Stewart's sultry voice and the upbeat disco rhythm make this a catchy and danceable song that still resonates today.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to lose you, this good thing
That I got 'cause if I do
I will surely
Surely lose a lot
'Cause your love is better
Than any love I know
I value our relationship and I don't want to lose it. If I do, I'll lose something important. Your love is the best I've ever experienced.
It's like thunder, lightning
The way you love me is frightening
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
Your love is intense and powerful, it's like a force of nature. It scares me a bit, hence the saying 'knock on wood' to avoid bad luck.
Baby
I'm not superstitious about ya
But I can't take no chance
You got me spinnin', baby
You know I'm in a trance
'Cause your love is better
Than any love I know
I don't usually believe in superstitions, but with you, I can't take any chances. Your love has me feeling dizzy and hypnotized, and it's the best I've ever experienced.
It's no secret about it
'Cause we're this lovin' touch
He sees to it
That I get enough
Fell his touch all over
You know it means so much
Everyone knows that we're in a loving relationship. He makes sure that I'm satisfied and cared for. His touch is so important to me and I cherish it.
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock on wood, baby
You better knock, knock knock, knock, knock
Again, I'm urging you to knock on wood to avoid any bad luck. It's important that we keep our love strong and enduring.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Anthem Entertainment, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eddie Floyd, Steve Cropper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind