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.
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The Knack Lyrics
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When you gonna give me some time, Sharona
Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run
Got it coming off o' the line, Sharona
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
I always get it up, for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!
Come a little closer, huh, a-will ya, huh?
Close enough to look in my eyes, Sharona
Keeping it a mystery, it gets to me
Running down the length of my thigh, Sharona
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
I always get it up, for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
When you gonna give to me, a gift to me
Is it just a matter of time, Sharona?
Is it d-d-destiny, d-destiny
Or is it just a game in my mind, Sharona?
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
I always get it up, for the touch of the younger kind
My, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!
M-m-m-m-m-m-m-my, my, my, aye-aye, whoa!
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Sharona
Ooooooo-ohhh, my Sharona
Ooooooo-ohhh, my Sharona
Ooooooo-ohhh, my Sharona
The Knack's "My Sharona" is a high-energy rock song about a man's obsessive desire for a young woman named Sharona. The song opens with the singer professing his attraction to Sharona and asking her when she will give him a chance. He describes how her presence excites him and compares it to the sensation of a powerful engine starting up. The chorus repeats the phrase "M-m-m-my Sharona," emphasizing the singer's desire for her.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more explicit in his desires. He asks Sharona to come closer to him and reveals that the mystery surrounding her only adds to his fascination. He also highlights the age difference between them, referring to Sharona as the "younger kind" and himself as having a "dirty mind" for being attracted to her.
The song has been interpreted as both a catchy pop tune and a controversial ode to pedophilia. When it was released in 1979, some critics raised concerns about the age difference between the singer and Sharona, who was reportedly only 17 at the time. The song remains a popular rock anthem and is often played at sports games and parties.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, my little pretty one, my pretty one
The singer addresses Sharona, calling her his 'little pretty one' and emphasizing his admiration for her beauty.
When you gonna give me some time, Sharona
The singer expresses his desire to spend time with Sharona.
Ooh, you make my motor run, my motor run
The singer states that Sharona is sexually attractive to him, using an automobile metaphor to describe his sexual arousal.
Got it coming off o' the line, Sharona
The singer continues the automobile metaphor, suggesting that Sharona's sexual appeal is like a car performing well off the starting line.
Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind
The singer acknowledges his own sexual desire and recognizes that some may view it as inappropriate or 'dirty.'
I always get it up, for the touch of the younger kind
The singer admits to being attracted to younger women and suggests that this is a consistent pattern for him.
Come a little closer, huh, a-will ya, huh?
The singer asks Sharona to physically move closer to him.
Close enough to look in my eyes, Sharona
The singer desires physical intimacy with Sharona, symbolized by eye contact.
Keeping it a mystery, it gets to me
The singer finds Sharona's aloofness mysterious and is intrigued by it.
Running down the length of my thigh, Sharona
The singer's sexual attraction to Sharona is so intense that he feels it physically, specifically in his thigh.
When you gonna give to me, a gift to me
The singer again asks Sharona for her attention, this time framing it as a gift.
Is it just a matter of time, Sharona?
The singer is unsure if Sharona will ever reciprocate his feelings, asking her if it's simply a matter of time before she does.
Is it d-d-destiny, d-destiny
The singer contemplates whether his attraction to Sharona is fated, using stuttering repetition to convey his uncertainty.
Or is it just a game in my mind, Sharona?
The singer questions whether his feelings for Sharona are real or just a figment of his imagination.
Ooooooo-ohhh, my Sharona
The song's chorus repeats, with the singer expressing his feelings for Sharona and his desire to be with her.
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: BURTON AVERRE, DOUG FIEGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind