The Knocks are a production and DJ duo who specialize in melodic, carefree … Read Full Bio ↴The Knocks are a production and DJ duo who specialize in melodic, carefree dance music that draws from soul, funk, disco, rap, and pop. Making their name with several singles and remixes, as well as EPs like 2011's Magic, they made their full-length debut in 2016 with 55, which featured a diverse array of guests such as Cam'ron, Carly Rae Jepsen, Wyclef Jean, and Walk the Moon. Following side project diversions that delved into future funk (Amelia Airhorn) and tropical house (the Mary Nixons), the Knocks presented another feel-good disco-house throwback with 2019's New York Narcotic. The duo subsequently released projects with artists like Gallant, Rivers Cuomo, and Foster the People, with whom they recorded the covers-heavy 2021 EP Melody & Silence. The collaboration-heavy full-length outing HISTORY appeared the following year.

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

The One feat. Sneaky Sound System
The Knocks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Have I never told you I love you
Have I never told you I care
Have I never told you how much I need you
Have I ever, ever not bein' there

If I never told you a care
Girl, I swear to you it's not because the feeling's not there
I'll promise to you from the top of my soul

The bottom of my heart, girl, don't you know
I love you then, I love you now and will forever more

Have I never (oh) told you I love you (told)
Have I never told you the words
Baby, I love you, you know I love you
Just know that I love you

Have I ever told you I miss you
Have I ever hurt your heart
Girl, I never ever meant to mistreat you
I could never knowingly break your heart

If I ever called you to feel
The words I speak straight from my heart are not very real
I promise to you from the tip of my heart
To the depths of my soul I pray that you know
I love you now, I love you then and will forever more

Have I never (Oh, ho) told you I love you [I love you, baby]
Have I never (Have I never, never) told you the words
Baby, I love you (Baby, I, you know I), you know I love you
Just know that I love you (Yeah)

Oh, baby (Baby), baby
You will always (Be my) be my lady
And I promise (Promise) I will never (Mmm) break your heart (Heart)
‘Cause I love you (I love you), I need you (I need you) and will forever

Have I never told you I love you (Oh, baby)
Have I never (I never, no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no, baby) told you the words
(I know that I love you, baby)
Baby, I love you (I want you to know that I love you, baby), you know I love you
Just know that I love you
(I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, love you, love you, I do)

Have I never (I never) told you I love you (I never, never, never, never)
Have I never (oh, oh, oh) told you the words (Baby, I)
Baby, I love you (You should know), you know I love you
Just know that I love you

No, no, no, no, baby

I love you
Oh, baby, just know that I love you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Knocks' song "The One" featuring Sneaky Sound System explore the singer's regret over not expressing their love and affection to their partner enough. The singer starts by questioning whether they have ever told their partner that they love them, care for them, or need them. The lyrics then move on to expressing the singer's feelings of remorse, admitting that they may have hurt their partner's heart and that they could never knowingly break it. The singer professes their love, promising that they have always loved and will continue to love their partner forever.

The song's message is about the importance of being open and communicative in a relationship, and not allowing fear or hesitation to get in the way of expressing love and affection. The lyrics are emotional and heartfelt, and the pairing of The Knocks' upbeat electronic beats with Sneaky Sound System's soulful vocals creates a powerful and uplifting anthem for love.

Line by Line Meaning

Have I never told you I love you
Do you not know that I love you?

Have I never told you I care
Have I not shown you that I care?

Have I never told you how much I need you
Have I failed to make it clear how much I depend on you?

Have I ever, ever not bein' there
Have I ever abandoned you or not shown up for you?

If I never told you a care
If I have not expressed my concern for you,

Girl, I swear to you it's not because the feeling's not there
It is not because my emotions for you do not exist,

I'll promise to you from the top of my soul
I vow to you from the depths of my being,

The bottom of my heart, girl, don't you know
That you have my wholehearted commitment girl, do not doubt it

I love you then, I love you now and will forever more
My love for you has always existed and will persist eternally

Have I ever told you I miss you
Have I not conveyed how much I long for you

Have I ever hurt your heart
Have I caused you emotional pain

Girl, I never ever meant to mistreat you
I never intended to mistreat you

I could never knowingly break your heart
I would never intentionally cause you heartache

If I ever called you to feel
If I ever summoned you to sense

The words I speak straight from my heart are not very real
The words I express genuinely spring from my heart and have veracity

I promise to you from the tip of my heart
I guarantee you from the very depths of my emotions

To the depths of my soul I pray that you know
I pray that you comprehend to the core of my spirit

I love you now, I love you then and will forever more
My adoration for you exists now and has persisted through time and will henceforth continue

Baby, you know I love you
It has always been evident to you that I love you

Oh, baby (Baby), baby
My dear (darling), my love

You will always (Be my) be my lady
You will perpetually (be mine) be the woman I cherish

And I promise (Promise) I will never (Mmm) break your heart (Heart)
And I vow (promise), with absolute certainty (mmm) to never devastate you emotionally (heart)

‘Cause I love you (I love you), I need you (I need you) and will forever
Because I love you (I adore you), I'm reliant on you (I need you) and will always be

You should know
You ought to comprehend

No, no, no, no, baby
No, no, no, no, my dear

I love you
I am deeply in love with you

Oh, baby, just know that I love you
Oh, my darling, just understand that my love for you exists eternally

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KENNETH EDMONDS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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