1. The Knack was an American new wave/power pop band from Detroit, Michigan, based in Los Angeles. They rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", which was an international hit in 1979. The power pop of "My Sharona", coupled with the band's retro 60s look, earned the band comparisons to The Beatles (though the band members themselves viewed the 'New Beatles' label as tongue-in-cheek). Many music critics hated disco, which dominated the music industry at the time, and were, at best, coolly receptive to other developing trends like punk, electronica, and heavy metal.
The Knack's hard rock influences earned them some critical credibility and massive commercial success with their debut album, 1979's 'Get The Knack'. The band had formed in May 1978, known at first as '20/20', and, after shopping their demo tape to various record labels without success, they began playing the local club circuit. Quickly gaining a following as musicians such as Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen praised them, they finally signed with Capitol Records in January 1979. Reaching #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, 'Get The Knack' has earned praise for decades, with Kurt Cobain in particular claiming it as one of his top fifty albums of all time.
While fans praised their new wave and power pop fueled sound, many critics still found issues with the group's in-your-face image in their lyrics, with accusations of misogyny popping up. After subsequent releases, the social backlash against the Knack (similar to that of The Monkees a generation earlier) was strong. Dave Marsh of 'Rolling Stone' in particular wrote, "In Fieger's lyrics, women are literally commodities whose chief purpose is to be brutalized." A 'Knuke the Knack' campaign emerged based on that as well as the perceived corporate-based over-hype. With their second album, '...But the Little Girls Understand', getting less commercial success (doing well, but not up to expectations), the band broke up mid-tour on New Year’s Day 1982. Besides the turmoil around the group, they also faced near total burnout among themselves, particularly given Fieger's drugs-heavy lifestyle, and the band members reportedly hadn't the energy to do much of anything after their third album, 'Round Trip', came out.
They re-united sporadically several years later and released a new album on January 16, 1991, titled 'Serious Fun'. A comeback accompanied by a public reunion and tour, it failed to reach either commercial or critical success but resulted in the hit single "Rocket O' Love", which reached #9 in Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart. They continued playing through the 90s and into the new millennium, with 2003's 'Re-Zoom' (or 'Zoom') being their last studio album. Commercial airplay mostly eluded the group over the 90s, but a generation of new fans who loved 80s-era new wave music provided a devoted cult following. Lead singer and main songwriter Doug Fieger was diagnosed with cancer in 2005. Fieger battled the disease until his death on Valentine's Day 2010.
Fieger, a native of Detroit, Michigan, had previously played in a country rock band called Sky. Of the three other original members of the Knack (Berton Averre - Guitar, Prescott Niles - Bass, and Bruce Gary - Drums), Averre and Niles remained with the group as it ended. Gary died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2006. Several drummers had played for the group over the years, including Billy Ward (Serious Fun album), Terry Bozzio (Zoom album), and David Henderson as 'Holmes Jones' (Normal as the Next Guy and Live at the Rock N Roll Funhouse albums). Pat Torpey (Mr. Big) played the drums for the group right before they ended.
There are other artists with the same name:
2. The Knack was a short-lived 1960s American psych/garage band from Los Angeles, CA. They recorded for Capitol Records. Formed in 1965, the band comprising Mike Chain (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dink Kaplan (lead guitar, backing vocals), Larry Gould (bass, backing vocals) and Pug Baker (drums), formally débuted at The Ice House in October 1966 and released four singles in total, of which Time Waits For No One was the best-seller. They toured throughout the U.S. but worked most frequently in Hollywood.
3. The Knack was a mid-60's British band originally known as The Londoners, a moniker they adopted whilst paying their beat group dues in the clubs of Germany in the early 60s. Upon returning to the UK in 1965 and changing their name to the rather hipper The Knack (after the recently released Richard Lester film), they recorded half a dozen singles for Decca and Piccadilly including the mod R&B ravers "She Ain't No Good", "Time Time Time" and "Stop!". Their final single, "(Man From The) Marriage Guidance And Advice Bureau", featured a more mature acoustic sound, which nodded towards both The Kinks and the impending psychedelic explosion. They broke up in 1967 and leader Paul Gurvitz formed the band The Gun.
Can't Put A Price On Love
The Knack Lyrics
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i was burned i was cast aside
now you knew what you couldn't get
so you settled for my pride
but it's all right
it's cool baby tonight
when push comes to shove
ooh baby you gave me enough
but you can't put a price on love
now you can fly like you'll never fall
what you touch maybe turn to gold
and you can talk 'til you've said it all
it's just the greatest story ever told
right down the line
ooh baby it's fine
when push comes to shove
ooh baby you gave me enough
and i'll pay when the price is right
but you can't put a price on love
now you can give what you wanna give
i won't consider that you might be lying
you live a life that you wanna live
but it's deeper when it's love you're buying
i'll pay when the price is right
but you can't put a price on love
make up your mind
ooh maybe it's time
when push comes to shove
ooh baby you gave me enough
and i'll pay when the price is right
but you can't put a price on love
yes i will pray for another night
but you can't put a price on love
The Knack's song "Can't Put A Price On Love" is a passionate and heartfelt song about the value of love and the consequences of not valuing it. The lyrics speak of a past relationship where the singer was mistreated and discarded by their lover, but now the lover has realized what they lost and wants to come back. The singer acknowledges that their pride was the only thing left for the lover to settle for, but the singer believes that love cannot be bought or sold, and that it is priceless.
The song speaks to the idea that love is the most valuable thing in life, and that no amount of material possessions or wealth can replace it. The singer urges the lover to make up their mind and decide whether they truly value love or not, because in the end, it is the only thing that truly matters.
The song's catchy melody and upbeat tempo contrast with the somber lyrics, creating a bittersweet and reflective mood. The Knack's use of harmonies and guitar riffs give the song a 60s/70s throwback sound, making it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
you smoked me like a cigarette
You used me up and discarded me like a used cigarette
i was burned i was cast aside
I was hurt and abandoned by you
now you knew what you couldn't get
You realized that you couldn't have what you wanted from me
so you settled for my pride
You took advantage of my unwillingness to be seen as weak
but it's all right
Despite what you did to me, I am okay
it's cool baby tonight
I am fine with letting go of the past and moving on
when push comes to shove
When the going gets tough
ooh baby you gave me enough
Despite everything, I feel satisfied with what you gave me
and i'll pay when the price is right
I am willing to compensate you fairly for what you did for me
but you can't put a price on love
However, there is no amount of money that can buy love
now you can fly like you'll never fall
You are soaring high with confidence and success
what you touch maybe turn to gold
Everything you do seems to turn out successful
and you can talk 'til you've said it all
You can talk for hours on end and still have more to say
it's just the greatest story ever told
Your life seems like a storybook fairy tale
right down the line
All the way through
ooh baby it's fine
Congratulations, everything is going well for you
now you can give what you wanna give
You can do whatever you want to do
i won't consider that you might be lying
I trust that you are telling the truth
you live a life that you wanna live
You are living the life that you have always wanted
but it's deeper when it's love you're buying
However, true love is not something that can be bought
make up your mind
Decide what you really want
ooh maybe it's time
Perhaps it is time to choose what you really value
yes i will pray for another night
I will hope for one more chance at love
Contributed by Kylie P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.