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.
She Says
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love is open
Follow, this is easy
Hiding inside
A heart has been lying alone
Hollow, in an empty space
I know, you could please me
Living a lie
And then
She says
Love's dangerous
Love burns
like acid and
She says
Love teaches you pain, pain
And then
She says
Love heals you and
love's touch is needed and
She says
You're never the same ,same, same ,same
Living a lie
A part of me turning to stone
And then
She says
Love's dangerous
Love burns
Like acid and
She says
love teaches you pain, pain
And then
She says
Love heals you and
Loves' touch is needed and
She says
You're never the same, same ,same ,same
And then
She says
Love's dangerous
Love burns
Like acid and
She says
Love teaches you pain, pain
And then
She says
Love heals you and loves' touch is needed and
She says you're never the same, same and then
She says love's dangerous, love burns like heroin
She says love teaches you pain, pain
The Knack's song She Says is about the contradictory nature of love. The singer begins by acknowledging the openness of love and the ease with which it can be followed. However, he goes on to describe his own struggle with love, as his heart has been "lying alone" and turning "to stone." The titular "she" then enters the picture, describing love as dangerous and filled with pain. Despite this, she also sees love as healing and necessary, something that changes a person forever.
The lyrics of She Says speak to the complex nature of love and the way it can simultaneously bring both joy and pain. The singer is torn between his desire for love and the fear that it will hurt him. She Says also touches on the idea that love is transformative, changing individuals in fundamental ways. Overall, the song suggests that while love may be dangerous, it is essential for living a full and meaningful life.
Line by Line Meaning
I know
The singer is confident in their comprehension of love
Love is open
Love is true and pure
Follow, this is easy
Love is easy to find and follow
Hiding inside
Love is often obscured or not easily accessible
A heart has been lying alone
The artist has been alone despite seeking love
Hollow, in an empty space
Love is absent and has left the singer feeling empty
I know, you could please me
The singer has certain expectations of love that have not been fulfilled
Living a lie
The artist has endured a false sense of love
A part of me turning to stone
The artist has become desensitized to love and its effects
And then she says, Love's dangerous
Love can be risky and have negative consequences
Love burns like acid and
Love can leave a painful and corrosive impact
She says, Love teaches you pain, pain
Love can teach valuable lessons, even through suffering
And then she says, Love heals you
Love can have a restorative and positive impact
and love's touch is needed and
Love can have a profound and necessary impact on one's life
She says, You're never the same, same, same, same
Love can be transformative and leave a lasting impression
She says love burns like heroin
Love can be addicting and have detrimental effects
She says love teaches you pain, pain
Love can teach powerful lessons through difficult experiences
Contributed by Adrian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Darìo Orlando ESCRIBANO
Excelente tema gran banda the Knack gracias por compartirlo 👍
Beverly Glover
I love Doug's voice.