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
Purple Eyes
The Knocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could never give it up
Oh, what have I become?
(What have I become?)
Tossing and turning in my bed
There's a devil in my head
Oh, what have I become?
(What have I become?)
That dark and stormy kind of pain
Yes I am the one to blame
Oh, what have I become?
I want to be a ghost
And disappear when I am broken
Oh, what have I become?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
Sometimes I wake up on the floor
No one calls me anymore
Oh, what have I become?
I'm spinning like a hurricane
I think my friends are all afraid
Of what I've become
What I've become
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes at night
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
The Knocks’s song “Purple Eyes” is a reflection on the dark, destructive side of having fun. The singer expresses that he is tired of the endless partying and the devil in his head. He is plagued by guilt for the choices he has made that have led him to where he is today. He wants to be a ghost, to disappear when he is broken. He has lost touch with reality and his friends are afraid of him. He wakes up alone and no one calls him anymore. The purple eyes in the morning and at night represent the distorted, drug-induced view of the world that he has.
The repetition of the line “Oh, what have I become?” emphasizes the regret and self-reflection of the singer. He is struggling to come to terms with his choices and the consequences that came with them. He knows that he has made mistakes and is living a life that is unhealthy and unsustainable.
Overall, “Purple Eyes” paints a picture of the dark side of party culture and the consequences that can come with it. The singer reflects on the pain and destruction that comes with indulgence and addiction, and the difficulty of finding a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so sick of having fun
I'm tired of pretending and putting on a front for others to maintain a happy persona.
I could never give it up
Despite being worn out from pretending, I can't afford to stop now.
Oh, what have I become? (What have I become?)
I barely recognize myself and I'm not sure how I got here.
Tossing and turning in my bed
I'm struggling to get sleep due to the weight of my problems.
There's a devil in my head
I feel like I'm being haunted by my negative thoughts and emotions.
That dark and stormy kind of pain
I'm experiencing deep emotional distress that's hard to express in words.
Yes I am the one to blame
I take responsibility for my situation and how I feel about it.
I want to be a ghost
At times, I feel like disappearing and not having to face reality.
And disappear when I am broken
I long to escape from my problems when I feel overwhelmed.
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
I'm questioning the meaning and purpose of my existence, and whether or not I'm making the most of it.
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
I've been living a life of deceit, and that's starting to wear on me. I can't see things clearly anymore due to my perspective being tainted by falsehoods.
Sometimes I wake up on the floor
No one calls me anymore
I feel isolated and alone, and it's affecting my physical and mental well-being.
I'm spinning like a hurricane
I think my friends are all afraid
Of what I've become
What I've become
I'm in a chaotic state, and my friends have started to distance themselves due to my negative energy and behavior.
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
My eyes have taken on a purple hue, which may be a metaphor for being worn out, sad or defeated.
Contributed by Jacob O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alankoyuk1123
I'm so sick of having fun
I could never give it up
Oh, what have I become?
(What have I become?)
Tossing and turning in my bed
There's a devil in my head
Oh, what have I become?
(What have I become?)
That dark and stormy kind of pain
Yes I am the one to blame
Oh, what have I become?
I want to be a ghost
And disappear when I am broken
Oh, what have I become?
[Chorus]
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
[Verse 2]
Sometimes I wake up on the floor
No one calls me anymore
Oh, what have I become?
I'm spinning like a hurricane
I think my friends are all afraid
Of what I've become
What I've become
[Chorus]
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
[Bridge: Instrumental Break]
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes at night
[Chorus]
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
[Outro: Instrumental Break]
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
@bunneyrice8792
Why isn't this popular I been waiting for this to blow up for a 2 years now 😭
@misterdani4988
same here!!
@alankoyuk1123
I'm so sick of having fun
I could never give it up
Oh, what have I become?
(What have I become?)
Tossing and turning in my bed
There's a devil in my head
Oh, what have I become?
(What have I become?)
That dark and stormy kind of pain
Yes I am the one to blame
Oh, what have I become?
I want to be a ghost
And disappear when I am broken
Oh, what have I become?
[Chorus]
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
[Verse 2]
Sometimes I wake up on the floor
No one calls me anymore
Oh, what have I become?
I'm spinning like a hurricane
I think my friends are all afraid
Of what I've become
What I've become
[Chorus]
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
[Bridge: Instrumental Break]
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes at night
[Chorus]
Oh one, two, three, four
Lives I've been given
What's the limit?
Oh one, two, three, four
Lies I've been living
With purple vision
[Outro: Instrumental Break]
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
Purple eyes in the morning
Purple eyes at night
@karaleelikely1108
I legit wear purple eye contacts so I felt inclined to look up related music
I wasn't disappointed this song is amazing
@goawayaway
I heard this in the mall last week and haven’t stopped listening to it 😭💜
@RiotShieldMan
One of the diamonds in the rough that I discovered through the in-store radio at my job.
@brian_fynesse
Sounds 80s'ish, I love it!! 😍
@robertcastro3935
Melhor música, cara. Beijos do Brasil
@KarenFlores-bd6mx
suena muy bien 🎧🎶😉
@ryosaeba4117
Love it