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.
Let Me Out
The Knack Lyrics
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let me out come and get me out 'cause i've been stuck in for too long
let me out out come get me out baby maybe be where i belong
the time is right for stepping out in the light
my cup is full and i'll be pulling the wool tonight
let me out come get me out you know that she don't understand
it's getting tighter and i'm feeling the bite
but i don't care because i'm getting my share tonight
tonight tonight tonight whoo
let me out come get me out i'm just a prisoner of your love
let me out out come get me out baby i will never have enough
i guess i'm getting while the getting is right
she may be faking but i'm taking my chance tonight
let me out
The Knack's song Let Me Out is a high-energy, upbeat track that expresses a sense of restlessness and a desire for freedom. The song opens with a simple counting in of "one two three four" which establishes the track's energetic pace. The lyrics express a desire to break free from whatever circumstances are holding the singer back. The repeated refrain of "let me out, come and get me out" suggests a feeling of entrapment, while the line "baby maybe be where I belong" seems to suggest that the singer knows there's something better out there for him.
The song seems to focus primarily on a romantic relationship, with the singer feeling trapped and unfulfilled by his current partner. He longs to break free and live a life that feels more authentic to him. The line "she may be faking but I'm taking my chance tonight" suggests that he feels that his current relationship is phony and that he's ready to take a risk and see what else is out there.
Overall, Let Me Out is a classic rock song that captures a feeling of restless youthfulness and a desire for freedom and authenticity. The fast-paced guitar and drums drive the track forward, while the lyrics express a sense of urgency and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
let me out come and get me out 'cause i've been stuck in for too long
I've been trapped for a long time and I want someone to rescue me from this situation.
let me out out come get me out baby maybe be where i belong
I believe that I will finally find my place in the world if someone helps me escape from my current situation.
the time is right for stepping out in the light
It's the perfect moment for me to take action and be noticed by the world.
my cup is full and i'll be pulling the wool tonight
I am full of confidence and I will use it to deceive and manipulate others to achieve my goals tonight.
let me out come get me out you know that she don't understand
She doesn't understand my need for freedom, so I need someone else to help me escape.
let me out out come get me out baby i'm just living for the band
I'm passionate about music and I want to be free to pursue my dreams of being a musician.
it's getting tighter and i'm feeling the bite
The situation is becoming more difficult and I am starting to feel the consequences of my actions.
but i don't care because i'm getting my share tonight
I am willing to take risks and face the consequences as long as I get what I want.
let me out come get me out i'm just a prisoner of your love
I feel trapped by my love for someone and I want to break free from their hold on me.
let me out out come get me out baby i will never have enough
Even if I achieve what I'm looking for, I will always want more.
i guess i'm getting while the getting is right
I am taking advantage of this opportunity while I still can.
she may be faking but i'm taking my chance tonight
She may not be sincere, but I am still willing to take the risk and try to make the most of the situation tonight.
tonight tonight tonight whoo
I am excited and ready to take action tonight.
Contributed by Kaitlyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.