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
Trouble
The Knocks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
The trouble with you
That's the trouble with you
Doctors say that blood is pumpin' through you just fine
Pulsin' tempo on the neon light
They can't tell you why you don't feel right
They don't know why you can't sleep at night
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
So-called friends with the bad advice
Smile through the day, tryin' to seem nice
They don't care if you feel like this
And they don't know what the trouble is
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble
That's the trouble with you
Listen to it, no, no
The trouble with
Never listen to it, no, no
The lyrics of The Knocks's song "Trouble" are about someone not following their heart and instead listening to others or trying to fit into societal norms. The singer points out that although doctors may say the person is physically fine, they still feel off and cannot sleep. The root cause of this is that they are not living in accordance with their heart's true desires. The singer also mentions that the person's friends do not truly care about their well-being and are not offering helpful advice.
The chorus repeatedly states "the trouble with you" which refers back to the main problem being the person not living authentically. The repetition emphasizes the importance of listening to one's heart and how the person's life could be better if they do so.
Overall, the lyrics of "Trouble" encourage listeners to be true to themselves and not allow others' opinions to dictate their lives. It is a reminder to prioritize personal happiness and fulfillment over external validation.
Line by Line Meaning
The trouble with you
There's a problem with you
The trouble with you
There's a problem with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You don't follow your passions and desires
You never listen to it, no, no
You ignore your heart's desires
You never listen to it, no, no
You ignore your heart's desires
That's the trouble
That's the problem
That's the trouble with you
That's the problem with you
The trouble with you
There's a problem with you
That's the trouble with you
That's the problem with you
The trouble with you
There's a problem with you
That's the trouble with you
That's the problem with you
Doctors say that blood is pumpin' through you just fine
Medical professionals say you're physically healthy
Pulsin' tempo on the neon light
Your surroundings may suggest you're doing okay
They can't tell you why you don't feel right
They can't explain why you're emotionally or mentally unwell
They don't know why you can't sleep at night
They don't know why you have trouble resting
So-called friends with the bad advice
People you think are friends but give unhelpful advice
Smile through the day, tryin' to seem nice
They pretend to be good while giving harmful suggestions
They don't care if you feel like this
They aren't concerned with your emotional state
And they don't know what the trouble is
They can't diagnose or alleviate your problem
Listen to it, no, no
Start paying attention to your heart's desires
The trouble with
The problem
Never listen to it, no, no
Ignore what your heart wants
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Santiago Arana Revelo
The trouble with you
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
That's the trouble with you
Doctors say that blood is pumpin' through you just fine
Pulsin' tempo on the neon light
They can't tell you why you don't feel right
They don't know why you can't sleep at night
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
So-called friends with the bad advice
Smile through the day, tryin' to seem nice
They don't care if you feel like this
And they don't know what the trouble is
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble with you
The trouble with you
You don't do what your heart wants to
You never listen to it, no, no
You never listen to it, no, no
That's the trouble
That's the trouble with you
Listen to it, no, no
The trouble with
Never listen to it, no, no
Erica Six
I have social anxiety and persistent depressive disorder, and this song hits me so hard every time. From the lyrics to the video. But I don't know how it makes me feel. Sometimes I listen to it and cry because it's just so sad, and other times I listen to it and dance because it's so beautiful. What a masterpiece.
Jennifer Bishop
Always know crying is a form of your body bringing things to surface….. everyone feels better after a good cry …. Always let it flow helps you get stronger ….sending love and healing hunni xxx
Jeff Roe
Hope you’re doing okay <3
Jade Lemke
Stay strong! ❤✌😊
SubEther BASS
The video is one of my all-time favourites! Just amazing
Vi
This deserves way more views, for real. I hate when masterpieces like this one are so underrated...
Christoffer Lindgren
Nooo i wont only us to get it :)
Andrew S
Go to places that let u play music
Andrew S
And play it there
Paloma Palomares
amo tanto esta canción, desde León Guanajuato México💓😍