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.
Just Wait And See
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
if you should stumble she'll walk on
she doesn't need you oh you sad fool
just turn your head and she'll be gone
some girls will tell you anything
for the things you bring
cars and diamond rings
but it's not guaranteed
that she can be believed
and now you tell me oh no not me
but you'll find out just wait and see
it doesn't matter what you do
she won't be there for you
when she sees someone new
and now you tell me oh no not me
but you'll find out just wait and see
The Knack’s song “Just Wait and See” is a warning to a man who thinks he’s found true love with a particular woman. The singer acknowledges that the man "knows" the woman is his, but suggests that he'll "find out" soon enough that her feelings are not what he thinks. The woman in question is portrayed as someone who won’t hesitate to walk away from the man, regardless of how much he has done for her. The singer tells him to just "turn [his] head," and she’ll be gone.
The song goes on to explain that certain women will do anything or say whatever it takes to access a man’s resources, be it cars, diamond rings or similar trinkets. Yet this particular woman may give the man what he needs, but it’s not guaranteed that she will keep her word. The singer suggests that regardless of whatever the man thinks, he will eventually find out for himself that the woman he loves isn’t quite as loyal and trustworthy as he hoped.
In essence, the song is warning the man that he should be cautious and think twice about putting his heart in the woman's hands because if she finds someone else or someone better, she won't hesitate to leave him. The lyrics, coupled with the upbeat tempo of the song, make the message rather clear.
Line by Line Meaning
i know she's yours now oh you'll find out
You currently have this woman, but you will soon realize that she is not loyal to you.
if you should stumble she'll walk on
If you make a mistake or show weakness, she will not stand by your side and will abandon you.
she doesn't need you oh you sad fool
Do not be fooled into thinking that she requires your presence, as she can easily live without you.
just turn your head and she'll be gone
Be cautious, as she will leave you behind in the blink of an eye.
some girls will tell you anything
Many women will say anything to receive materialistic items from men.
for the things you bring
They are willing to say anything to receive monetary and valuable gifts.
cars and diamond rings
Such gifts include automobiles and diamond jewelry.
this girl will give you what you need
This particular woman may fulfill your desires for a time.
but it's not guaranteed
However, there is no guarantee that she will continue to do so.
that she can be believed
Be cautious because she may not always speak the truth.
and now you tell me oh no not me
The listener denies the possibility of falling victim to the woman's manipulations.
but you'll find out just wait and see
The artist implies that soon the listener will discover the truth about this woman's nature.
it doesn't matter what you do
No matter what actions you take or choices you make, she will not stay loyal in the end.
she won't be there for you
In the future, she will not support or stand by your side when you require it.
when she sees someone new
Attracted to someone new, she will leave you behind.
and now you tell me oh no not me
The listener continues to deny the possibility that this woman's behavior will affect him.
but you'll find out just wait and see
The artist insists that the listener will eventually experience the truth for himself.
Contributed by Keira G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.