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.
Frustrated
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
frustrated do what you do to me
frustrated
she'll tell you grab it live it up
long as you can get it up
she'll make you shake and break your neck
feeling like a total wreck
oh no i don't deserve you
she's a teaser tonight
but you know she'll turn it off
just as you're turning down the light
she's gonna take you by the hand
lead you to the promised land
she'll make you weak and out of breath
feeling like you done to death
oh i wanna hold you
oh and bend and fold you
she'll be pulling the string
but she'll tie it in a knot
before she give you anything
you gotta get that get this
if you wanna get a kiss
she'll make you crazy in the head
better off if you were dead
oh i wanna lead you
oh i wanna feed you
call her chicken delight
but the flesh is on the bone
and she ain't giving you a bite
The Knack's song "Frustrated" is a classic example of the band's pop-rock sound and their theme of male sexual frustration. The song is about a woman who is consistently leading the male protagonist on and never fully satisfying his desires. The repetition of the word "frustrated" emphasizes the overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction the singer experiences as he tries to navigate this relationship.
The lyrics describe the woman as a "teaser" who will "make you shake and break your neck," leaving the singer feeling like a "total wreck." Despite his yearning to "serve" and "hold" her, he ultimately feels like he "doesn't deserve" her. The woman is depicted as being in control of the situation, "pulling the string" and "tying it in a knot" before giving anything to the singer.
This song tackles the difficult topic of objectification and the power dynamic between men and women in relationships. It portrays the woman as an object of desire who is in complete control of the singer's emotions, leaving him feeling frustrated and powerless. The catchy melody and upbeat tempo contrast with the lyrics, creating a sense of irony and highlighting the dark nature of the song's theme.
Line by Line Meaning
frustrated she's getting to me
I feel exasperated by her behavior.
frustrated do what you do to me
I am impatient with the way she's treating me.
frustrated
I am feeling irritated and agitated.
she'll tell you grab it live it up
She urges me to seize the day and enjoy the moment.
long as you can get it up
As long as I can maintain my stamina...
she'll make you shake and break your neck
She will make me feel overwrought and frazzled.
oh i wanna serve you
I wish to be of service to her.
oh no i don't deserve you
I do not feel worthy of her attention.
she's a teaser tonight
She's toying with me tonight.
but you know she'll turn it off
But I know she'll stop just as things get interesting.
just as you're turning down the light
Just as we're about to slow down the pace and relax...
she's gonna take you by the hand
She's going to lead me on.
lead you to the promised land
She will take me to a place of ecstasy.
she'll make you weak and out of breath
She will leave me feeling weak and out of breath.
feeling like you done to death
I'll feel as though I've been put through the wringer.
oh i wanna hold you
I want to embrace her.
oh and bend and fold you
I would love to twist and turn with her.
she'll be pulling the string
She will be the one in control.
but she'll tie it in a knot
But she will twist the situation to her advantage.
before she give you anything
Before she gives me anything in return.
you gotta get that get this
I have to work harder to win her affections.
if you wanna get a kiss
If I want to be intimate with her...
she'll make you crazy in the head
She will drive me wild and make me lose my cool.
better off if you were dead
I would be better off dead than dealing with her antics.
oh i wanna lead you
I want to take the lead with her.
oh i wanna feed you
I want to nourish and support her.
call her chicken delight
She seems easy to seduce.
but the flesh is on the bone
She is more complicated than she appears.
and she ain't giving you a bite
She is not about to give me what I want easily.
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@FUYT888
R.I.P. Doug Feiger. Thank you for the music.
@SuperDachshund
Call it chicken delight But the flesh is on the bone and she ain't givin' you a bite. HA! I listened to these guys as a kid and loved 'em back then. I had no idea how suggestive some of the lyrics were. These guys kicked ass! Ohh I wanna hold you Ohh and bend and fold you Heh. My God!
@eartant
Bruce Gary R.I.P. He was an awesome drummer.
@thecoug1544
I agree so underrated. Look what he did with Yiur number or your name The guy had a knack (no pun intended ) for creating great fills in every song.
@rizreid8670
What a band ! Doug, you are truly missed.
@tbone382001
This whole album was awesome. I would play it over and over, knew every song word for word
@deemavo
Wow. I totally remember tucking my leather tie into my shirt back in the early 80s. It wasn't fashion. It was just keeping your tie out of your food. 1979-1983 -- best five years EVER.
@RemodelingByRy
Agreed!!!
@MikeGervasi
This is the band that made me learn to play and write music. Burton is seriously underrated as a player. His solo on My Sharona is as good as any ever recorded.
@scrotor189
So very true, amazing guitarist!