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.
We Are Waiting
The Knack Lyrics
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you a different view
we are waiting for you
please let us into your soul
it's the least we can do
we are waiting for you
we love you
we'll hold you
we'll haunt you
we're willing
we're waiting
please let us into your home
it's the least you can do
we are waiting for you
oh we are eager to know
what you're willing to do
we are waiting for you
we like you
we want you
we'll hook you
we'll haunt you
we're willing
we're waiting
The Knack's song We Are Waiting is a call-to-action for the listener to open themselves to new experiences and let The Knack in. The repetition of "we are waiting" creates a sense of urgency and desire to connect with the listener. The lyrics also suggest that The Knack is willing to go to great lengths to be with and influence the listener, as they state "we'll hold you," "we'll haunt you," and "we'll hook you."
The song speaks to the universal human desire for connection and the need for new perspectives and experiences. The Knack is offering themselves as a potential solution to these desires, as they encourage the listener to let them into their soul and home. The repetition of "we love you," "we want you," and "we're willing" further emphasizes their desire to connect and influence the listener.
Overall, We Are Waiting is a persuasive and engaging song that encourages the listener to open themselves up to new experiences and connections.
Line by Line Meaning
oh we are waiting to show you a different view
We are excitedly anticipating the opportunity to present you with an alternate perspective or option.
we are waiting for you please let us into your soul
We anxiously await your permission to gain a deeper understanding of what makes you who you are on a fundamental level.
it's the least we can do we are waiting for you
Allowing us to get to know you on this deeper level is something we feel we owe to you.
we love you we want you we'll hold you we'll haunt you we're willing we're waiting
Our enthusiasm and passion for connecting with you is limitless and all-encompassing.
please let us into your home it's the least you can do we are waiting for you
Making your physical space available to us would be a simple gesture that would mean a lot to us and our desire to connect with you.
oh we are eager to know what you're willing to do we are waiting for you
We are interested in learning about your intentions and ambitions, and we eagerly await your next move.
we like you we want you we'll hook you we'll haunt you we're willing we're waiting
Our fondness for you and desire to make a connection runs deep and is persistent.
Contributed by Aubrey W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.