There are several bands called The Knack. For the less famous ones: see bel… Read Full Bio ↴There are several bands called The Knack. For the less famous ones: see below. The by far most famous and successful ones were the 'My Sharona' guys from Detroit, MI, United States.

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.

End Of The Game
The Knack Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

i didn't want to do it
i know i wasn't kind
there's really nothing to it
you could buy some time
you could change your name
you could even hop a train into spain
well you know it's the end of the game

you're just a little stupid
i know i wasn't nice
the memory of you kid
with your soul on ice
you could change your name
you could really drop your dream in the drain
well ya know it's the end of the game
ya know it's the end of the game

you'll never be a man
you'll never understand the plan
you oughta go away
you oughta leave today okay
yeah right away whoo

i didn't want to use it
it wasn't really right
you better not abuse it
on a moonlight night
with another name
while you're searching for a soul you can blame
then you'll know it's the end of the game
then you know it's the end of the game
it's the end of the game

it's the end of the game
it's the end of the game

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Knack's song "End Of The Game" seem to be about the end of a relationship, but one where the singer is not necessarily the "good guy." He admits to being unkind and not wanting to do what he did. He goes on to tell the other person that they could try to run away or change themselves, but it won't make a difference because it's already the end of the game. He insults them, calling them stupid and saying they will never understand the plan. He suggests they leave right away and not look for someone else to blame for their problems. Throughout the song, the singer seems bitter and resentful, yet he also seems to recognize his own faults and guilt.

Overall, the lyrics suggest that the relationship has run its course and both parties are to blame for its end. The singer regretfully acknowledges his role in the breakup, but also seems to be hurt and angry with the other person. The message seems to be that sometimes relationships end and there's nothing either party can do to salvage them.

Line by Line Meaning

i didn't want to do it
I didn't want to take this course of action

i know i wasn't kind
I am aware that I acted unkindly

there's really nothing to it
It's simple and straightforward

you could buy some time
You have the ability to delay the inevitable

you could change your name
You could start afresh with a new identity

you could even hop a train into spain
You have the freedom to make drastic changes and travel to a new place

well you know it's the end of the game
This is the conclusion, the final act

you're just a little stupid
You lack intelligence to understand the situation

i know i wasn't nice
I am aware of my unkind behavior

the memory of you kid
Your existence left an impact on me

with your soul on ice
You were emotionally reserved and cold