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.
Tell Me You're Mine
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
face it you're fine
now you know i don't need the complication
tell me you're mine
no i don't fear it when you're near me
sends a shiver running up my spine
oh let me hold you now i've told you
what you wanna hear i wanna know you're near
how you spend your time
now you know i don't need the aggravation
tell me you're mine
here you come telling me your reservation
handing me the line
don't be dumb with your silly hesitation
tell me you're mine
oh please don't tease me if you please me
i will please you that's the bottom line
no don't you doubt it live without it
and you'll really live i know you wanna give me
all your love all your deepest admiration
all your precious time
when you're done with your misinterpretation
tell me you're mine
tell me you're mine
whoa ho ho ho ho ho ho
now i know there's another connotation
there's another rhyme
if you go for a re-evaluation
tell me you're mine
tell me you're mine
tell me you're mine
The Knack's song, "Tell Me You're Mine," is a captivating love song that is both romantic and endearing. The lyrics are an expression of the singer's desire to be with the one he loves and to have her all to himself. It starts by the singer admitting to having palpitations because of the girl's presence, but he also admits he doesn't need any complications. He then asks her to tell him if she's finally his, and he fears nothing when she's near him. The chorus repeats this desire to be hers, and how he doesn't care about her reputation or how she spends her time as long as she tells him she's his.
The next verse shows the singer's impatience and frustration at the girl's hesitation. He pleads with her not to tease him and not to be silly with her reservations. He assures her that he will please her too, and they will both be happy. The bridge acknowledges that there may be another meaning to the song, but the singer stays committed to the original purpose, which is to have the girl tell him she's his.
Overall, the song is an expression of the simple yet intense desire to be with the one you love. It's a catchy and upbeat song that captures the feeling of infatuation perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
there you go giving me the palpitation
You make my heart race with excitement.
face it you're fine
You are attractive, no need to deny it.
now you know i don't need the complication
I do not want any unnecessary complexities in our relationship.
tell me you're mine
Let me know that we are exclusive.
no i don't fear it when you're near me
I feel safe and comfortable when I am with you.
sends a shiver running up my spine
Your presence gives me an intense feeling of excitement.
oh let me hold you now i've told you
Now that I have expressed my feelings, please let me hold you.
what you wanna hear i wanna know you're near
I want to hear you reciprocate my feelings and confirm your presence.
no i don't know nothing about your reputation
I am not judging you based on rumors or hearsay.
how you spend your time
I am curious about what you do with your time.
now you know i don't need the aggravation
I do not want to deal with any unnecessary stress or frustration.
here you come telling me your reservation
You are expressing your doubts and concerns about our relationship.
handing me the line
You are using cliché or insincere phrases to express yourself.
don't be dumb with your silly hesitation
Do not act foolish by delaying telling me your true feelings.
oh please don't tease me if you please me
I do not want to be led on if you are not serious about me.
i will please you that's the bottom line
I am willing to make you happy and satisfy your needs.
no don't you doubt it live without it
Do not doubt our potential love and life together.
and you'll really live i know you wanna give me
You can truly live life and experience love with me, I can tell you desire to be with me.
all your love all your deepest admiration
I want you to give me all of your love and admiration.
all your precious time
I want to spend all of your valuable time with you.
when you're done with your misinterpretation
When you are finished misunderstanding me or our situation.
tell me you're mine
Confirm that you are mine and want to be with me.
whoa ho ho ho ho ho ho
Expressing excitement and joy.
now i know there's another connotation
I have realized there is another layer of meaning to your actions and words.
there's another rhyme
There is another interpretation or explanation.
if you go for a re-evaluation
If you reconsider or reexamine our relationship.
tell me you're mine
Let me know that you belong to me and want to be with me.
tell me you're mine
Reiterating the importance of confirming our exclusivity and love for each other.
Contributed by Emily W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.