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.
You Gotta Be There
The Knack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and you don't gotta tell me that you care
you don't have to whisper loving words in my ear
you just gotta be there just be there
i know you want someone who'll be good for you
someone with a life for you to share
i could be that someone if you want me to
yeah you gotta be there just be there
take a moment to trust
take a moment to just be loving
you don't have to say that you're in love with me
or run your pretty fingers through my hair
you don't have to be what you don't want to be
but you gotta be there just be there
you don't gotta tell me what i want to hear
and you don't gotta tell me that you care
you don't have to whisper loving words in my ear
you just gotta be there just be there
yeah you just gotta be there just be there
you just gotta be there just be there
The Knack's song "You Gotta Be There" features lyrics that express a desire for a partner who is present and reliable, without needing to use words or grand gestures to declare their love. The singer acknowledges that they know what they want, but they don't need constant reassurance or showy displays of affection. Instead, they just need their partner to be there for them, to share life with them and offer their trust and love.
The lyrics highlight the importance of nonverbal communication and trust in a relationship. The singer doesn't need grand declarations of love, but rather a consistent and dependable presence in their partner's life. By emphasizing the power of being present, the song suggests that simply being there for someone can be a powerful way to express love and support.
Overall, "You Gotta Be There" is a love song that prioritizes trust, communication, and reliability over grand romantic gestures. It is a reminder that in any relationship, showing up for someone and being there for them is a powerful way to express love and build a lasting connection.
Line by Line Meaning
you don't gotta tell me what i want to hear
You don't need to say things just to please me.
and you don't gotta tell me that you care
You don't need to express your feelings for me.
you don't have to whisper loving words in my ear
You don't need to use sweet nothings to win my heart.
you just gotta be there just be there
All I need is your presence to make everything alright.
i know you want someone who'll be good for you
I understand you desire a partner who can be useful to you.
someone with a life for you to share
Someone who has experiences to share with you.
i could be that someone if you want me to
I am willing to be that partner for you.
but you gotta be there just be there
But you need to match my efforts and stick around.
take a moment to trust
Take some time to build trust.
take a moment to just be loving
Take some time to just express your love.
you don't have to say that you're in love with me
You don't need to confess your love for me.
or run your pretty fingers through my hair
You don't have to be physically affectionate to show you care.
you don't have to be what you don't want to be
Don't change yourself to try to impress me.
but you gotta be there just be there
But you need to be present in our relationship.
yeah you just gotta be there just be there
Yes, it's that simple- just be there for me.
you just gotta be there just be there
All I need is your presence to make everything alright.
Contributed by Isabella N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.