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.
Radiating Love
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The water is nice here
Please tell me what you've got to lose
Jump out of your skin we're dancing
And nothing is rhyming
But it's so easy when you choose
Take your time
Blow your mind
I'll be everything any would ever dream of
Radiating love
Climb out of your shell it's alright
'cause everyone's buzzing
Come up and see what's going on
Get up and get out get with it
'cause everything's humming
Just spinning round and round and round
This is your picture postcard
Your grand illusion
The perfect present from above
Radiating love
The Knack's song "Radiating Love" is all about living in the moment and letting go of your worries. The opening lyrics urge the listener to "step out of your shoes and dive in" to the water, meaning to let go of their own limitations and jump into the experience of life. The idea is to fully immerse oneself in the moment and not worry about what's to come. The chorus makes it clear that love is the key to happiness, as the singer promises to be everything anyone could ever dream of, "radiating love."
In the second verse, the lyrics urge the listener to "climb out of your shell," to come out of their comfort zone and "get up and get out." The message is to fully experience and live in the moment, not to let life pass by without fully taking it all in. The song also references the idea of a "picture postcard" and a "grand illusion," suggesting that what we see of the world is not always what it seems. But despite this, the song still encourages us to radiate love and find joy in life.
Overall, "Radiating Love" is an upbeat, uplifting song that encourages the listener to let go of their worries and experience the world with an open heart. It's a reminder to live in the moment and find joy in the simple things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Step out of your shoes and dive in
Leave everything behind and join me in this moment
The water is nice here
The situation we are in is pleasant and exciting
Please tell me what you've got to lose
Take a risk and don't hold back
Jump out of your skin, we're dancing
Let go of any inhibitions and join me in a carefree dance
And nothing is rhyming
Free yourself from any restrictions or expectations
But it's so easy when you choose
The possibilities are endless when you make a choice
Take your time, it'll be clear, it'll be there
Trust the process and everything will work out in the end
Blow your mind, I'll be everything any would ever dream of
Experience something amazing and beyond your expectations
Radiating love
Sharing positive energy and emotions with those around you
Climb out of your shell, it's alright cause everyone's buzzing
Leave your comfort zone and join in on the excitement and energy
Come up and see what's going on
Be a part of the scene and enjoy the moment
Get up and get out, get with it cause everything's humming
Join in and be a part of the excitement and positive energy
Just spinning round and round and round
Letting go and being swept up in the moment
This is your picture postcard, your grand illusion
This moment is special and unforgettable
The perfect present from above
A gift of happiness and positivity from a higher power
Radiating love
Sharing positive energy and emotions with those around you
Contributed by Nathan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.