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.
In Blue Tonight
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
summer used to move so damn slowly
it was like an eternity
coming out of the silence
mission bells in the distance
are they ringing for you and me
no it's your restless heart beating double time
as you drown your pain in wine
as you dream about some day
maybe then it'll be alright
but you're dressing in blue tonight
i remember the first time
you consented to be mine
all around us the lightning played
i can still hear the thunder
and the feeling was so wonderful
wonderful and so frightening babe
but you froze your heart and you closed your mind
and you drowned your pain in wine
trying to make it through one day
as you dream about some day
maybe then it'll be alright
but you're dressing in blue tonight
blue the color of midnight covered in frost
it will never replace the love you have lost
it's just your restless heart beating double time
as you drown your pain in wine
trying to make it through one day
as you dream about some day
maybe then it'll be alright
but you're dressing in blue tonight
The Knack's "In Blue Tonight" is a song about a person drowning their pain and trying to make it through each day, but always dreaming of a better tomorrow. The opening lines "tell me where did the years go, summer used to move so damn slowly" indicate a sense of nostalgia and longing for a simpler time. The lyrics then go on to talk about the sound of mission bells in the distance, questioning whether they are ringing for the listener and their lover. The repeated phrase "it'll be alright" is contrasted with the image of the listener "dressing in blue tonight," implying that they are still struggling with their pain and inner turmoil.
The song also touches on the beginnings of the listener's relationship with their lover, with references to thunder and lightning adding an element of intensity and passion. However, the lyrics suggest that the listener's lover has closed themselves off emotionally and drinks to numb their pain. The use of the color blue as a motif throughout the song represents sadness and loss, with the line "blue the color of midnight covered in frost, it will never replace the love you have lost" summing up the overall feeling of the song.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a person struggling with their emotions and trying to find hope for the future despite their difficult present situation.
Line by Line Meaning
tell me where did the years go
Asking about the time that has passed
summer used to move so damn slowly
Feeling that the summer used to last forever
it was like an eternity
Expressing how long the past felt
coming out of the silence
Breaking free from the quietness
mission bells in the distance
Hearing church bells ringing in the vicinity
are they ringing for you and me
Wondering who the bells are for
no it's your restless heart beating double time
The sound isn't the bells, but it's her own anxious heartbeat
as you drown your pain in wine
Drinking to suppress the pain
trying to make it through one day
Struggling to make it through another day
as you dream about some day
Hoping for a better future
maybe then it'll be alright
Possibly everything will be alright one day
but you're dressing in blue tonight
Despite the hope, still feeling sad and lonely
i remember the first time
Recalling a special moment
you consented to be mine
When she agreed to be his partner
all around us the lightning played
Lightning flashing around them
i can still hear the thunder
The sound of thunder still echoes in his memories
and the feeling was so wonderful
Recalling a great feeling
wonderful and so frightening babe
It was terrific, but also intimidating
but you froze your heart and you closed your mind
She shut down emotionally
blue the color of midnight covered in frost
Describing a cold, dark blue hue
it will never replace the love you have lost
No other love can replace what was lost
it's just your restless heart beating double time
Reiterating that her anxious heartbeat is the only sound she hears
as you drown your pain in wine
Continuing to use alcohol to numb the pain
trying to make it through one day
Struggling to survive another day
as you dream about some day
Still hoping for a better future
maybe then it'll be alright
Repeating the hope that everything will be okay in the future
but you're dressing in blue tonight
However, still feeling the sadness and wearing blue to show it
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.