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.
Les Girls
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the beach in St. Tropez
Sweet-smelling perfume fills the air
Sitting in some small cafй
With the women all just waiting there
Les girls
Les girls
Les girls
Summer sun and streaks of blonde
Shimmer in their shining hair
Sipping wine with such elan
So sweet so soft so fine so fair
Les girls c'est tres jolie
Les girls les belles jeune filles
Les girls c'est sens unique
Les girls c'est magnifique
Ooh la la la ooh
Ooh la la la la
Your heart starts pounding
Vous dit q'est ce que c'est
What is this crazy feeling anyway
Hollywood new york paris
This jet set life can seem so strange
Strolling down the rue de vie
It's funny some things never change
Les girls c'est tres jolie
Les girls les belles jeune filles
Les girls c'est sens unique
Les girls c'est magnifique
Les girls ooh la la
Les girls i gotta have one
Les girls ooh la la
Les girls gimme gimme gimme
Les girls ooh la la
Les girls or maybe two
Les girls ooh la la
Les girls aah ooh
Les girls ooh la la
Les girls i want one now now now
Les girls ooh la la
Les girls
The Knack's song Les Girls, written by Doug Fieger, is a celebration of the beauty and allure of women, specifically those in St. Tropez. The opening verse sets the scene, describing the sweet-smelling perfume that fills the air on the beach, and the women waiting in a small cafe. The chorus, with the repeated refrain of "Les girls," emphasizes the beauty and desirability of these women. The second verse adds to the glamour of the scene, describing the women's shimmering blonde hair and the way they sip their wine with such elegance. The bridge, with its mix of French and English lyrics, enhances the song's exotic mood, and emphasizes the cosmopolitan nature of the jet set lifestyle. The final chorus, with its repeated calls of "ooh la la" and "gimme gimme gimme," fully captures the song's playful, confident tone.
Line by Line Meaning
On the beach in St. Tropez
The singer is describing a beautiful location that he is in.
Sweet-smelling perfume fills the air
The air is filled with the fragrance of sweet-smelling perfume.
Sitting in some small cafй
The singer is sitting in a little café.
With the women all just waiting there
There are many women around, waiting for something or someone.
Les girls
The singer is admiring the beautiful women around him.
Summer sun and streaks of blonde
The women have beautiful blonde hair and the sun is shining down on them.
Shimmer in their shining hair
The women's hair shines and shimmers in the sunlight.
Sipping wine with such elan
The women are drinking wine and doing so with grace and style.
So sweet so soft so fine so fair
The women are sweet, gentle, beautiful, and fair.
Les girls c'est tres jolie
The women are very pretty.
Les girls les belles jeune filles
The women are young and beautiful.
Les girls c'est sens unique
The women are unique and special.
Les girls c'est magnifique
The women are magnificent and breathtaking.
Ooh la la la ooh
The singer is excited and exclaiming his admiration.
Ooh la la la la
The singer is still excited and exclaiming his admiration.
Your heart starts pounding
The singer's heart is beating faster due to the excitement.
Vous dit q'est ce que c'est
The singer is asking himself what this feeling is.
What is this crazy feeling anyway
The singer is trying to understand his intense emotions.
Hollywood new york paris
The singer is experiencing the high life in these famous cities.
This jet set life can seem so strange
The singer is acknowledging how unusual and different this life can be.
Strolling down the rue de vie
The singer is walking down a street in a French city.
It's funny some things never change
The singer finds it amusing how certain things remain the same even in different places.
Les girls ooh la la
The singer is still enchanted by the beautiful women.
Les girls i gotta have one
The singer desires to be with one of the women.
Les girls gimme gimme gimme
The singer is being playful and asking for a woman to be given to him.
Les girls or maybe two
The singer is considering the possibility of being with two women.
Les girls aah ooh
The singer is still excited about the women.
Les girls i want one now now now
The singer's desire to be with one of the women is growing more urgent.
Les girls ooh la la
The singer is still captivated and enchanted by the beautiful women around him.
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Knuckles & Knuckles & Knuckles
The Knacklz - Les Rouge