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.
Smilin
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but you come once and then you're done
when you're with me you say you're slumming
you must believe that i'm really dumb
but pretty soon the tune you're humming
is gonna change and you'll be bummed
and it's gonna strip
the curl right from your lip
yeah you were smilin' smilin' smilin'
all the while inside i'm dyin'
laughin' i'm laughin'
gone without a trace
the smile from off your face
since i left you
i used to wanna be your lover
i used to think that you were cool
i bet you thought you hooked another
now you know i'm not your fool
'cause soon enough you will discover
the price you pay for being cruel
and it's gonna smear
the lipstick from your sneer
yeah you were smilin' smilin' smilin'
all the while inside i'm dyin'
laughin' i'm laughin'
gone without a trace
the smile from off your face
since i left you
leonardo could never do
any justice to one like you
those eyes that guile
those lies that smile
and now i'm smilin' smilin' smilin'
all the while inside you're dyin'
laughin' i'm laughin'
gone without a trace
the smile from off your face
since i left you
The Knack’s song “Smilin” is about a guy who realizes he was never really loved by the girl he thought he was in love with. She played games with him, used him, and was never really invested in the relationship. The song speaks to the idea of hidden emotions and the façade people put on for the world to see. The guy is hurt and frustrated by the situation, but in the end, he is the one who gets the last laugh.
The first stanza of the song is about the guy’s realization that the girl he thought he loved is not who he thought she was. She claimed to be the second coming, but as soon as she got what she wanted from him, she was done. She played the role of the girl who was slumming with him, but secretly believed him to be dumb. The chorus of the song talks about her outward demeanor of smiling, but inside, the guy is dying.
In the second stanza, the guy recognizes that he was fooling himself into thinking he was in love with her. He thought she was cool, but in reality, she was just using him as a pawn. The guy sees through her façade and realizes that she will pay the price for being cruel to him. In the end, he gets the last laugh as he sees her real emotions and the smile from her face is gone.
Overall, the song “Smilin” is a relatable experience of hidden emotions and playing the role of the person you think you should be. It speaks to the idea of realizing the truth about the people you surround yourself with and the freedom that can come from leaving those who are not true to themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
you tell me you're the second coming
You claim to be something great and important.
but you come once and then you're done
You don't stick around or put in effort, leaving me unsatisfied.
when you're with me you say you're slumming
You act like you're lowering yourself to spend time with me.
you must believe that i'm really dumb
You underestimate me and think I'm gullible.
but pretty soon the tune you're humming
Your attitude will change and you'll be regretful.
is gonna change and you'll be bummed
You'll be disappointed with the inevitable consequences of your actions.
and it's gonna strip
Your behavior will lead to the removal of something important to you.
the curl right from your lip
Your arrogant smile will disappear.
yeah you were smilin' smilin' smilin'
You pretended to be happy and content.
all the while inside i'm dyin'
But underneath the surface, I was suffering and unhappy.
laughin' i'm laughin'
Now I'm able to find humor and enjoyment in the situation.
gone without a trace
I've moved on and left you behind.
the smile from off your face
Your once smug expression has disappeared.
i used to wanna be your lover
I wanted to be in a romantic relationship with you.
i used to think that you were cool
I once thought highly of you.
i bet you thought you hooked another
You assumed you had me in your grasp like others before me.
now you know i'm not your fool
I'm not easily deceived or taken advantage of anymore.
cause soon enough you will discover
You'll learn the hard way about the consequences of your actions.
the price you pay for being cruel
You'll suffer the consequences for treating others poorly.
and it's gonna smear
Your actions will result in something negative and impactful.
the lipstick from your sneer
Your smug and sneaky behavior will be exposed and discredited.
leonardo could never do
Even an artist like Leonardo Da Vinci couldn't capture your true nature.
any justice to one like you
No one could truly depict your manipulative and deceptive nature.
those eyes that guile
Your eyes hold deceit and trickery.
those lies that smile
Your charming facade is built on lies and manipulation.
and now i'm smilin' smilin' smilin'
I'm finally happy and content without you in my life.
all the while inside you're dyin'
Meanwhile, you're struggling and unhappy with your own actions.
laughin' i'm laughin'
I can now find joy and humor in the situation.
gone without a trace
I've completely moved on from you.
the smile from off your face
You can no longer maintain your deceptive and manipulative facade.
Contributed by Jayce G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.