Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to space rock and shoegazer music, by the mid-1990s the band had released several EPs and two acclaimed records. They also endured name and lineup changes, breakups, health problems, drug abuse and various lawsuits. The band's commercial breakthrough was Urban Hymns and its single Bitter Sweet Symphony, which became a massive worldwide hit.
Soon after this commercial peak, the band quit amid creative struggles within, and Ashcroft went onto a successful solo career. Tong briefly joined Blur as a replacement for Graham Coxon. It is rumored that Simon Jones did a studio album with Ari Pap of the Floor Monks called 'Aint Nothing To It' and was never released because they both had bigger projects going on at the time. Close family and friends assure us its a fabulous indie/rock/alternate album and they really wish it would have been released.
The Verve were chosen to close the 2008 Glastonbury festival which they did with a set based on the classic 1997 album 'Urban Hymns'.
Discography:
A Storm in Heaven • 21 June 1993 • #27 (UK)
A Northern Soul • 3 July 1995 • #13 (UK)
Urban Hymns • 29 September 1997 • #1 (UK) #23 (US)
Forth • 25 August 2008 • #1 (UK) #23 (US)
No Knock On My Door
The Verve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She took me into a wind blown alley way
She showed me a world a boy should see
I'll thank her 'till the day that I die
So, here we go
No knock on my door
Believe it 'till you see
And I'm sure that I need holding
I took her to a room and I showed her myself
She made me feel proud that I would stand for
There's nothing that this girl wouldn't do for me
For that I've got to thank her and I mean it
So, here we go
A face in the crowd,
Jump up and jump down
Baby, can you see through me?
Sure, I've been here before
No knock on my door
No love in the
Baby, please be my
Sure, I've seen it before
No knock on my door
Love in the
Can be painful, I know
Cry, I cry every night
I need to hold you tight
Oh, can you see me
Knocking down your door?
Sure, there's times I have hoped
There's times I have dreamed
Oh, but it seems that much to me to me, my love
I never seemed to it out, my love
I'm shakin'
Yeah, I'm shakin'
She knew my feelings were jangled and frayed
She took me into a wind blown alley way
She showed me what a boy should see
I'll thank her till the day I die
So, here we go
No knock on my door
Believe it till you see what livin' has done to me
And I'm sure I need some company
I took her to a room and I showed her myself
She made me feel proud and I was thankful
There's nothing that this girl wouldn't do for me
For that I've got to thank her I mean it
So, here we go
A face in the crowd
Jump up and jump down baby
You can see through me
Sure, I've been here before
No knock on my door
No love in the jar baby please be my star
Sure I've seen it before
No knock on my door
Love in the jar has been painful
I know
I know
Cry, I've cried every night
I need to hold you tight, baby
Could you see me knocking down your door
Sure there's times that I've gone and times I have dreamed
Oh, but it seems that I pushed you in my life
Can't seem to get it out my life
Shakin.
Yeah I'm shakin'
And I'm shakin'
The Verve's song "No Knock On My Door" is a reflection on the complexities of love and relationships. The opening lines, "She knew my feelings were jangled and frayed / She took me into a wind blown alley way / She showed me a world a boy should see / I'll thank her 'till the day that I die," suggest that the singer is lost and unsure of himself, and that this woman has shown him a new way of looking at the world. Despite this positive experience, however, the chorus suggests that the singer is still uncertain about love and relationships: "No knock on my door / Believe it 'till you see what living has done to me / And I'm sure that I need holding."
The verses that follow explore this uncertainty further. The singer takes the woman to a room and shows her himself, suggesting that he is vulnerable and unsure of how to express himself. However, the woman inspires him and makes him feel proud to be himself. Despite his gratitude for her support, the chorus repeats the message that he still feels lost and in need of something he can't quite articulate.
The repeated refrain of "Sure, I've been here before / No knock on my door / Love in the ___ / Can be painful, I know" suggests that the singer has been hurt before, perhaps by past relationships or experiences, and that he is cautious about allowing himself to love again. The final lines, "Shakin. Yeah I'm shakin' / And I'm shakin'," suggest that this uncertainty and fear is causing the singer physical discomfort and anxiety, and that he is struggling to find a way to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
She knew my feelings were jangled and frayed
She understood that my emotions were chaotic and disordered
She took me into a wind blown alley way
She brought me to a place that was exposed to the elements, but had a sense of freedom
She showed me a world a boy should see
She revealed to me a life experience that every young man should have
I'll thank her 'till the day that I die
I will forever be grateful to her
No knock on my door
No one is coming to visit me
Believe it 'till you see
Trust it even if you haven't witnessed it first hand
What living has done to me
The effects of life experiences on my being
And I'm sure that I need holding
And I am certain that I require physical comfort
I took her to a room and I showed her myself
I exposed myself to her, revealing my vulnerabilities
She made me feel proud that I would stand for
She instilled in me a sense of pride for standing up for myself
There's nothing that this girl wouldn't do for me
She is willing to do everything for me
For that I've got to thank her and I mean it
I must express genuine gratitude to her
A face in the crowd
An anonymous person among many
Jump up and jump down
Dance energetically
Baby, can you see through me?
Do you understand who I really am?
Sure, I've been here before
Yes, I have experienced this situation previously
No love in the
No affection in the
Baby, please be my
Please become my
Love in the
Affection in the
Can be painful, I know
Can cause emotional distress, I am aware
Cry, I cry every night
I weep on a nightly basis
I need to hold you tight
I must hold you close to find comfort
Oh, can you see me
Do you perceive me?
Knocking down your door?
Demanding your attention?
Sure, there's times I have hoped
Certainly, there have been moments when I wished
There's times I have dreamed
There have been instances when I fantasized
Oh, but it seems much to me, to me, my love
But it appears significant to me, to me, my beloved
I never seemed to it out, my love
I wasn't able to figure it out, my love
I'm shakin'
I am trembling
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: NICK MC CABE, PETER SALISURY, RICHARD ASHCROFT, SIMON JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind