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.
Good Enough
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
how long before we tumble down
how much are you gonna give
your touch will teach me how to live
hidden places secret phases of the moon
your love chases and erases the gloom
that's good enough good enough for me
you shouldn't have given away the key
that's good enough good enough for me
how far are we gonna go
how long before you let me know
how deep will we sink in sin
to keep our love alive within
secret places where your taste is all i know
your embrace is etching traces on my soul
that's good enough good enough for me
that's good enough good enough for me
you shouldn't have given it up for free
that's good enough good enough for me
shine so bright you glow
wind it tight and let it go
how sad that you want so much
how bad do you want my touch
how good do i gotta be
you should have given it up to me
secret places where your taste is all i know
your embrace is etching traces on my soul
that's good enough good enough for me
that's good enough good enough for me
you shouldn't have given away the key
that's good enough good enough for me
good enough good enough
good enough good enough
good enough good enough
good enough good enough
The Knack's song Good Enough is a plea from a man to his loved one. He begs to know how long it will take for her to return, how deep their love can go, and how much she is willing to give. He understands that her touch will ignite a flame within him and teach him how to live. The lyrics describe the hidden places and secret phases of the moon where her love can chase and erase any gloom. Throughout the song, the singer repeats the phrase, "that's good enough for me," expressing his acceptance of her and their relationship despite any imperfections or uncertainties.
The chorus, "you shouldn't have given away the key," implies that his loved one may have given her heart to someone else before him, causing him to feel unworthy or insecure. He insists that her love, touch, and embrace are what he needs to be fulfilled. The final lines of the song, "how sad that you want so much, how bad do you want my touch, how good do I gotta be, you should have given it up to me," reveal his frustration and desperation for her love.
Overall, the song's lyrics are a testament to the human desire for love and acceptance. The singer is willing to overlook any flaws or mistakes to be with his loved one, and he understands that their love can overcome any obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
how long before you come around
Asking when the person will show interest in the singer
how long before we tumble down
Asking when the relationship will become intimate
how much are you gonna give
Asking how much effort the person will put into the relationship
your touch will teach me how to live
The person's touch will give the artist a new perspective on life
hidden places secret phases of the moon
Metaphorical description of the mysterious, unknown elements of the relationship
your love chases and erases the gloom
The person's love brings happiness and removes sadness
that's good enough good enough for me
Expressing satisfaction with the level of commitment and love in the relationship
you shouldn't have given away the key
The person should not have given too much too soon in the relationship
how far are we gonna go
Asking about the future of the relationship
how long before you let me know
Asking when the person will communicate their feelings and intentions
how deep will we sink in sin
Asking how much the singer and the person will compromise their values for the sake of the relationship
to keep our love alive within
The compromise is made to maintain the love between the artist and the person
secret places where your taste is all i know
The singer is familiar with only the person's essence and nothing else
your embrace is etching traces on my soul
The person's affection leaves a lasting impression on the singer
shine so bright you glow
The person shines with an attractive quality
wind it tight and let it go
Advice to keep the relationship tense and exciting
how sad that you want so much
The artist feels overwhelmed by the person's expectations
how bad do you want my touch
The person is asking how much the singer desires them physically
how good do i gotta be
The singer is questioning how much they need to do to please the person
you should have given it up to me
The person should have been more forward in expressing their feelings
good enough good enough
Repeating the phrase to emphasize satisfaction with the relationship
good enough good enough
Repeating the phrase to emphasize satisfaction with the relationship
good enough good enough
Repeating the phrase to emphasize satisfaction with the relationship
Contributed by Leah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.