The Knocks were formed in 2008 by James "JPatt" Patterson and Ben "DJ B-Roc" Ruttner. Patterson and Ruttner met at New York City's New School and shared an apartment, where they set up small recording studios in their bedrooms. The loud noise coming from their apartment led to neighbors constantly knocking on their door in order to get them to pipe down, hence the duo's name. Early success as remixers, however, enabled them to build their own studio in Manhattan. During 2008 and 2009, Knocks remixes surfaced for Katy Perry ("I Kissed a Girl"), Britney Spears ("3"), and PRGz ("Soul Glo"). B-Roc and Andrew W.K. also released DAMN! The Mixtape Vol. 1 in 2009, featuring several Knocks productions.
In 2010, the Knocks released their first singles, the sunny "Dancing with the DJ" (which later appeared on their 2011 EP Magic) and the whistling "Make It Better." Over the course of the next few years, the duo's profile was magnified by additional remixes for Tegan and Sara ("Closer"), the 1975 ("Girls"), and Dragonette ("Let It Go"), among others, in addition to tours with Ellie Goulding, Dragonette, and Sleigh Bells. They also collaborated with Fred Falke for the Kitsuné Music release "Geronimo" in 2012, as well as Treasure Fingers for "DYWT," released on Fool's Gold Clubhouse in 2014. Also in 2014, the group released an EP, titled Comfortable and released on the Neon Gold label, that included collaborations with X Ambassadors and Ra Ra Riot.
Signed to Big Beat, the Knocks slowed it down a bit for the 2014 single "Classic," one of their funkier and more disco-indebted singles, featuring Powers. An EP titled So Classic appeared in April 2015, followed by a new version of "Classic" featuring a verse by Fetty Wap. The Knocks spent much of the year working on their long-delayed debut album, which was previewed by the singles "I Wish (My Taylor Swift)" (with Matthew Koma) and "New York City" (featuring Cam'ron). Finally, in March 2016, the duo released their first full-length, 55, which included additional guest appearances from Wyclef Jean, Walk the Moon, Carly Rae Jepsen, Alex Newell, and Semi-Precious Weapons' Justin Trantor. That July, the pair remixed selected tracks from the album on the 55.5 EP.
In early 2017, the Knocks released Testify, an EP of new songs featuring collaborations with MNEK, Delacey, and Tayla Parx. Later that year, the duo teamed up with Skylar Spence and released a future funk mixtape as Amelia Airhorn. They also formed the Mary Nixons, a group with Mat Zo, and issued the single "Adrian." They followed with the Captain Cuts collaboration "House Party." July 2018 saw the release of the single "Shades" which appeared later that year on the Knocks' second full-length, New York Narcotic. The album also featured contributions from Method Man, Sofi Tukker, and Foster the People.
2019 brought several singles, including the Kah-Lo collaboration "Awa Ni" and "Lucky Me" (with Great Good Fine Ok). Most of these were collected on the EP Summer Series: 2019. Several more singles arrived in 2020, including "One Fine Day" (with Idris Elba), "Bodies" (with MUNA), and "All About You" (featuring Foster the People). The following year, they released Melody & Silence, an EP with Foster the People that included a remix of the single, as well as covers of hits by Beck, Moby, and the Verve. Also in 2021, the Knocks released "R U High" (featuring Mallrat) and "Sound the Alarm" (featuring Rivers Cuomo and Royal & the Serpent), and were featured on Purple Disco Machine's "Fireworks." The following year saw the release of the full-length effort, HISTORY, which featured collaborations with Foster the People, MUNA, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Cold War Kids, Parson James, and Yoke Lore, among others.
Biography by Andy Kellman
Modern Hearts
The Knocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We stay here wishing for dark
Light comes above the river
Then we fade away
I need to know, will you wait for us?
To find the sun
I need to know, is there a place for love
Your eyes have seen our emotion
They're changing here in the dark
Soon we'll be in the open
And the day will start
I need to know
I need to know
I need to know
I need to know, will you wait for us?
To find the sun
I need to know, is there a place for love
And modern hearts?
I need to know, is there a place for us?
To find the sun
I need to know, is there a place for love
And modern hearts?
The Knocks's "Modern Hearts" is a dreamy, atmospheric song that explores the uncertainty and longing in a relationship. The opening lines set the scene of two people coming together at night, hoping for the darkness to obscure their insecurities and allow them to connect more intimately. However, as the light breaks over the river, they must confront the reality of the day and any potential obstacles that may lie ahead.
The chorus is a plea to the other person to reveal whether they share the same hopes and desires for their relationship. Will they wait together, even when the going gets tough, to find the "sun" or the positive aspects of their connection? Is there room for love and vulnerability in their "modern hearts," or are they too guarded to fully commit?
The verse takes on a more introspective tone as the singer reflects on the emotions they've shared with their partner. They note that their eyes have seen the depth of their feelings, but wonders whether they will remain true when faced with the challenges of the day. The repetition of "I need to know" in the chorus emphasizes the urgency of their search for clarity and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
The nights will bring us together
We hope that we will be reunited once again during the evening hours.
We stay here wishing for dark
We long for the night to come upon us so that we can reunite.
Light comes above the river
The sun rises and shines its light on the river.
Then we fade away
As the sun comes up, we must part ways once again.
I need to know, will you wait for us?
I must ask, will you wait for us to be reunited once again?
To find the sun
To find the light and love in our lives once again.
I need to know, is there a place for love
I must ask, is there a place for love in our modern world?
And modern hearts?
Is there a place for love in our ever-changing modern world?
Your eyes have seen our emotion
You have witnessed the depth of our feelings and love for each other.
They’re changing here in the dark
Our emotions continue to evolve and grow, even in the darkness of the night.
Soon we’ll be in the open
Soon we will be reunited and able to express our love openly and freely.
And the day will start
The day will begin, but our love will continue on.
I need to know
I must ask this question.
I need to know
I must ask this question once again.
I need to know
This question is of utmost importance to me.
I need to know, is there a place for us?
I must ask once more, is there a place for our love in this world?
To find the sun
To find the light and love that we both crave.
I need to know, is there a place for love
This question continues to weigh heavily on my mind.
And modern hearts?
Is there a place for love in our constantly changing world?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KAELYN BEHR, BENJAMIN RUTTNER, JAMES PATERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rafaaaaaaa1
The nights will bring us together
We stay here wishing for dark
Light comes above the river
Then we fade away
I need to know, will you wait for us?
To find the sun
I need to know, is there a place for love
And modern hearts?
Your eyes have seen our emotion
They're changing here in the dark
Soon we'll be in the open
And the day will start
I need to know
I need to know
I need to know
I need to know, will you wait for us?
To find the sun
I need to know, is there a place for love
And modern hearts?
I need to know, is there a place for us?
To find the sun
I need to know, is there a place for love
And modern hearts?
@saiferoth
the knocks are one of the most underrated groups out there. im surprised they havent blown up by now
@Mithoskrasnej
yeah still here :D
@skorrist.5208
Mark me as Blown Up, By Now.
@rafaniedzielski2250
Above comment is still valid in the end of 2022. Shame.
@maggiehill789
Just getting better
@Roro0708
This song will always remind me of the Covid lock down. Such a great song.
@natisquare2871
Who's still listening to this is 2023? 😅🤪🩵
@kaegengovender8791
Can't believe I'm only finding this song in 2023. This songs gives me such a throwback vibe to early 2010s
@ENPSAN
Still here...
@guilhermepinheiro5342
Me too