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.
Pay the Devil
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got to learn to give the devil his due
You′ve got it made
And you made it your way
Life's looking great
Now you′ve found the right game to play
Came a long way from the valley
Ooh baby ooh ooh baby ooh
Everybody's got to read the reviews
Ooh baby ooh even you
Got to learn to give the devil his due
I'm not alone
I′m lonely for you
Won′t use the phone
No i don't want to say it′s true
Still your frame hangs in the gallery
The paint is dry but the pain's still new
Ah love conquers all
When after all it was you
Just you you you you you
The Knack's song Pay the Devil is a song that is all about the consequences of choices and knowing when to give in. The lyrics in this song are clever and showcase the talent of the band's lyricist. The song begins with the chorus, which says "Ooh baby ooh ooh baby ooh, Got to learn to give the devil his due." This line of the chorus sets the tone for the rest of the song. It's as if the band is saying, "you need to be careful, because the devil is always lurking."
The verses in the song are a reflection of the choices that have been made. The tone of the song is somewhat somber and introspective. The band sings, "You've got it made, And you made it your way, Life's looking great, Now you've found the right game to play." It's clear that whoever is being referred to in the song is successful, but success has come at a cost. The band goes on to sing, "Came a long way from the valley, Aimed so high shot so true." This line seems to be a reflection on someone's journey to success. They've worked hard, but now they are at the top, and it's not all sunshine and rainbows.
The second verse of the song describes the loneliness that comes with success. The band sings, "I'm not alone, I'm lonely for you, Won't use the phone, No I don't want to say it's true." It's clear that whoever is being referred to in this song has lost someone they love, and no amount of success can fill that void. The band then sings, "Still your frame hangs in the gallery, The paint is dry but the pain's still new." This line seems to be a reflection on a painting or portrait that hangs in someone's gallery. It's a reminder of what was lost and serves as a stark reminder of the cost of success.
Overall, The Knack's song Pay the Devil is a balanced and reflective song. The lyrics are poetic and emotive, and the music is haunting and beautiful. It's a song that speaks to the human experience, and the struggle of making choices and living with their consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh baby ooh ooh baby ooh
The singer is calling out to the listener.
Got to learn to give the devil his due
One must realize the consequences of their actions and pay for their mistakes.
You've got it made
The listener has achieved success.
And you made it your way
The listener achieved success through their own means.
Life's looking great
The listener's life is going well.
Now you've found the right game to play
The listener has found the right path to success.
Came a long way from the valley
The listener has overcome obstacles to achieve success.
Aimed so high shot so true
The listener had high goals and accomplished them successfully.
Ooh baby ooh ooh baby ooh
The singer is still calling out to the listener.
Everybody's got to read the reviews
One must be aware of what others think or say about them.
Ooh baby ooh even you
The singer is addressing the listener specifically.
Got to learn to give the devil his due
One must be accountable for their actions and face the consequences.
I'm not alone
The singer is not alone in feeling this way.
I'm lonely for you
The singer misses the listener.
Won't use the phone
The singer is hesitant to call the listener.
No, I don't want to say it's true
The singer is holding back their true feelings.
Still your frame hangs in the gallery
The listener holds a special place in the singer's memories.
The paint is dry but the pain's still new
Time has passed, but the pain of missing the listener is still present.
Ah love conquers all
The power of love can overcome any obstacle.
When after all it was you
The listener was the source of the singer's happiness and success.
Just you, you, you, you, you
The listener was the most important person in the singer's life.
Writer(s): Berton Averre
Contributed by William P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.