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.
I Want Ya
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
why i would let you go
you'll never know
how i must feel
and now you cry
and now you wonder why
i ever said
my love was real
true love shows the way
i tried unsatisfied
to let you see my way
can't you see my way
cause i want ya
ooh you make me reel
you know i want ya
do you feel it too
because i want ya
surrender love today
love isn't fade away
you give me love
if you can call it love
or is it yours
or is it for me
you know it hurts
why won't you say the words
and if you won't
please let me be
i'm not trying
to say you're mine
you can walk away
i cried part of me died
when you turned away
why'd you turn away
can't you feel me tremble
at the touch of your skin
gimme gimme gimme something that i can believe in
ooh
The Knack's "I Want Ya" is a song about unrequited love and the pain that comes with it. The lyrics describe a relationship that has ended, leaving the singer feeling hurt and rejected. They express the confusion and frustration that comes with trying to understand why someone they loved would choose to leave them. The lyrics also hint at the idea that the singer had hoped for something more from the relationship and is struggling to come to terms with the fact that their feelings were not reciprocated.
As the song progresses, the lyrics reveal a sense of desperation as the singer tries to convey their feelings to the person they love. They express a desire for that person to feel the same way, to understand their pain and to return their love. The repeated refrain of "cause i want ya" emphasizes the intensity of the singer's feelings and their longing for the other person.
Overall, "I Want Ya" is a bittersweet and emotional song that captures the complexity of love and relationships. It speaks to the pain of loving someone who does not love you back and the struggle to move on from that loss.
Line by Line Meaning
you wanna know
You are curious to understand something
why i would let you go
You are questioning why I would end our relationship
you'll never know
You won't understand the depths of my emotions towards you
how i must feel
The intensity of my sentiments is indescribable
and now you cry
You are sad and tearful
and now you wonder why
You question the reasons for my actions
i ever said
I voiced my feelings to you
my love was real
I genuinely loved you
though my eyes are far from dry
I am also deeply affected by the situation
true love shows the way
Genuine love leads the way to understanding and compassion
i tried unsatisfied
I made an effort, but it wasn't enough
to let you see my way
To help you comprehend my perception of things
can't you see my way
Don't you understand my perspective?
cause i want ya
I desire you
ooh you make me reel
You make me feel dizzy with emotion
you know i want ya
You know that I have strong feelings for you
do you feel it too
Do you share these emotions with me?
because i want ya
The intensity of my feelings for you hasn't diminished
surrender love today
Let us come together and embrace our love today
love isn't fade away
Love doesn't fade away easily
you give me love
You show me affection
if you can call it love
It's questionable whether this is real love or not
or is it yours
Is this affection from you, or something else entirely?
or is it for me
Is this affection meant for me specifically?
you know it hurts
My emotions are causing me pain
why won't you say the words
I need you to vocalize your feelings
and if you won't
If you refuse to tell me
please let me be
At least leave me alone if you can't commit to me
i'm not trying
I'm not attempting to force you into anything
to say you're mine
To claim that you belong to me
you can walk away
You have the ability to leave if you wish
i cried part of me died
I was emotionally shattered
when you turned away
When you rejected me
why'd you turn away
Why did you reject me?
can't you feel me tremble
My body physically reacts to you
at the touch of your skin
When we touch each other
gimme gimme gimme something that i can believe in
I need something substantial and trustworthy from you
ooh
Exclamatory statement conveying strong feelings
Contributed by Jonathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.