The critics missed the boat with these guys. They weren't trying to be the beatles. They were punk with good musicianship. Incredible energy, up to par with the Kinks and the Who.
If we could have gotten rid of the critics and the media earlier just imagine how many more bands we would have and how long the knack’s run would have been. But I’m just glad they splashed down when I was coming of age so I could have a new sound to bend my ears and lyrics I could relate to.
And I do smile when I think of all the guitars the critics never played and all the microphones that were never graced with their lips. Hahahaha! THE KNACK!!!
Killed by some a-hole disc jockey in Chicago who had some big publicity event shitting on them, and it did kill whatever momentum they had. Pretty sad. The band is amazing.
My mom bought me a brand new Pioneer stereo with an AM/FM tuner, and turntable for Christmas in 1979. My sisters bought me this album, and I played it over and over again, loud and loved every song. This song has so much energy.
Do you still have it ? There were two versions of this album a G rated one and an R rated one..on the G you’ll notice the words “ Til she puts you in your place “ like on this video..but on the R rated version he says “ til she’s sittin on your face” …..The song She’s so selfish is another song that had a G rated version for radio airplay and much different lyrics on the album…if you have an early copy ..🤘🏼🤘🏼
This is the clean version. The album lyrics are (note the differences): She's your adolescent dream School boy stuff A sticky, sweet romance And she makes you wanna scream Wishing you could get inside her pants So you fantasize away While you're squeezing her You thought you heard her saying Good girls don't Good girls don't But, she'll be telling you Good girls don't But I do So you call her on the phone To talk about the teachers that you hate And she says she's all alone And her parents won't be coming home 'til late There's a ringing in your brain 'Cause you could have swore You thought you heard her saying Good girls don't Good girls don't But, she'll be telling you Good girls don't But I do And it's a teenage sadness Everyone has got to taste An in-between age madness That you know you can't erase 'Til she's sitting on your face You're alone with her at last And you're waiting 'til you think the time is right 'Cause you've heard she's pretty fast And you're hoping that she'll give you some tonight So, you start to make your play 'Cause you could have swore You thought you heard her saying Good girls don't Good girls don't But, she'll be telling you Good girls don't But I do And it's a teenage sadness Everyone has got to taste An in-between age madness That you know you can't erase 'Til she's sitting on your face (And it hurts) Good girls don't Good girls don't But, she'll be telling you Good girls don't But I do Good girls don't Good girls don't But, she'll be telling you Good girls don't But I do But I do But I do But I do
Nice! Song is a big 'punchier' with the originals alright, and a good example of 'stuff that can't happen any more', even though all my female friends at the time sang along with it just as excitedly as I did 😆 I always thought the prechorus was (at least for 1 or 2 of the choruses) " So, you start to make your play 'Cause you're gonna score ... ". Pretty sure the whole gang sang it that way too - funny to learn it in my 50s in 2024
This song always makes me feel full of good memories from those more simple days with little to fret about. I always thought the singer reminded me of a young Chevy Chase too. 😂 A great tune that's right on the pulse of a teenager. ❤
I got their album when it first came out. This was always my favorite song. RIP Doug, I had many great nights with my boyfriend listening to your songs. Good girls didn't but I did!
Good for you girl! Mine did too and when she did she was very good! Not afraid to want it just as much (or maybe more) as I did. I was just finishing high school in 79, my god those were great times weren't they? !
the cars, cheap trick, devo, gary Newman , specials, madness, buzzcocks, etc....great alternative music.....different from everything else at the time...n of course the knack....
Thanks for all the memories, Doug- you'll never be forgotten. You wrote and recorded two power pop anthems. This one captured teen angst perfectly! Still makes me feel like I'm a teenager again, even though it's been a long, long time... RIP Doug.
seeing Doug sing, play guitar, and harmonica all while being under the pressure of being filmed WHILE he's recording a record REALLY makes you appreciate talent over some of the pop jokers recording these days.
Actually this is actually a remake for radio/TV where they had to cut out " sitting on your face". It's actually a different version all together. I'm sure they are playing it in this video though the video is edited.
RIP Doug! Thanks for the great music and lyrics (and loads of fun!), in the short time you were around! To those with short memories, The Knack was NOT a one-hit wonder, as this song (and several others!) attest!
Saw them several times in concert. They sounded as good live as they did in studio, and many years later. Definitely a talented band and WAY underrated. One of greatest albums ever. Best stuff is the tunes you rarely or never heard on the radio.
The Knack got edited out of the music industry. They were before NWA and 2 Live Crew. Too bad because Doug Fieger was one great song writer, and The Knack boys were first rate musicians. It's great to see so many people digging what they were up to.
I am sincerely glad you shared that. Those are all things I never thought of when wondering why they didn't take off. Thanks for sharing those thoughts.
The true gem of an lp I bought when current,when I was 17. As I got older I fell away from it. In the early 2000s I played it again and realized how unduly harsh the critics were to it. It definitely has its charms. And a number of great tunes.
It surprises me that so many people don't realize this was the Knack's second charting single; that's probably because "My Sharona" was such a monster hit. RIP Doug Fieger...
Same here! It was the summer before I turned 14 and started high school. And the music charts had great tunes, too - rock 'n' roll was about twenty-four years old and still going strong; 60's bands/solo acts were still producing music alongside the beginnings of New Wave and Dance/Disco.
Ah man if your'e healthy it's all good. I'm close to ten years younger and still feel and look youthful. The old saying "age is just a number" is true until your old and bent. Also, remember, aging is the alternative to dying so pick your poison. Anyway, ya man good memories, also remember when this came out (had the single....remember those)? Also I'm sure many of you know the original lyric was "when she's sitting on your face" Doug was a scream.
The Knack were definitely an underrated group-I remember when "My Sharona" was a huge hit in 1979 & the critics were saying they were going to be the next Beatles-Of course,that never materialized-Sadly,Doug Fieger has since passed on.
Yeah at their best. Good Girls Don't, That's What The Little Girls Do, Your Number Or Your Name and a couple others they were terrific, and a lot less dated than most of the annoying Punk that was so popular at the time. Sad they became toxic, when they were so much better than most groups hitting the radio at the time.
lemurian chick Never said "Sharona" wasn't good, only that IMO this is a far better (and relatively overlooked) side...and when you're a fan (even casual) of a group, isn't it really impossible not to compare songs in their catalog?
thecountofbasie LOL--I must apologize. I have been taking a trip down Memory Lane and got confused for a sec and forget that they also wrote "My Sharona!" D'oh! I thought you were saying they were better than another group. Sorry.
This musical period from the late 70's to early-mid 80's was great, with the mix of pop, disco, new wave & electronic genres. There were so many great bands and hits, including this one by The Knack.
Yup. Great songs all around Let's Dance, Everyday I Write The Book, My City Was Gone, Genius of Love, Rock The Casbah, Should I Stay Or Should I Go? World's A Mess It's In My kiss, Pretty In Pink, When I Look In Your Eyes, What I Like About You, Our Lips Are Sealed, Vacation, Going Down To Liverpool ,James ,Beyond Belief, Man Out Of Time ,Absolute Beginners, We're Desperate, Hungry Wolf, Cruel To Be Kind, Ever Fallen In Love, Love My Way Billie Jean, Town called Malice, That's Entertainment, Going Underground, I'm The Man, On Your Radio, One More Time, It's Different For Girls, White Honey, American Girl Badlands etc.
Perhaps the most underrated album of the 70's (if selling 6MM copies can be considered underrated). Never understood the criticism here, all I ever heard was a group of terrific musicians belting out some gritty R & R (which is to say, not over produced like so many bands of that era).
Berton Averre is one of the all time underrated rock guitarists. You can see a couple of shots here of the counterpoints he's providing to the lyrics. Subtle, but they really make a memorable song out of one that would have been ordinary in the hands of most other guitarists 👍
Reminds me of the best and most fun years of my life. Girl sitting on a pillow over the transmission tunnel of my 70 SS 396 chevelle. Older friends to keep us all in beer. God I miss those days
My Top 20 U.S. singles list from November 1979: 1) Knack - Good Girls Don't 2) Foreigner - Dirty White Boy 3) Moon Martin - Rolene 4) Ian Gomm - Hold On 5) Dave Edmunds - Girls Talk 6) Cheap Trick - Ain't That a Shame 7) Barron Knights - The Topical Song 8) Bad Company - Gone, Gone, Gone 9) Nick Lowe - Cruel To Be Kind 10) Sniff 'N' The Tears - Driver's Seat 11) ELO - Don't Bring Me Down 12) M - Pop Muzik 13) The Records - Starry Eyes 14) Dire Straits - Lady Writer 15) Patti Smith Group - Frederick 16) Robert Palmer - Bad Case Of Loving You 17) Knack - My Sharona 18) Bram Tchaikovsky - Girl Of My Dreams 19) Nick Gilder - Rock Me 20) Kiss - I Was Made For Lovin You
Yeah, Doug even said "and it hurts!" on the album version! They always seemed like they were having the time of their life, up there on the stage. That's the way I remember them, and always will. Rest easy and rock on, Doug. You lived the dream.
Tremenda gran cancion, tal vez mi verdadera favorita del album "Get the Knack!!!" Descansa en paz Doug, nunca te olvidaremos, vIva el rock 'n roll !!!!
Saw them in 1980 at the Forum in L.A. Never will forget the guy yelling when we were waiting for wrist bands to buy tickets at 6:00 AM and it started pouring rain..."not for the Knack" Well yes it was for the Knack and it was totally worth it!
Ahem... “And it's a teenage sadness Everyone has got to taste. An in-between age madness That you know you can't erase Til she's sitting on your face.” 😏
danger o'Reilly No but this reached number 11 and went gold so they technically weren’t a one hit wonder. I can’t believe it’s been 12 years since my comment
Meh... They're still a one-hit wonder to me. This tune isn't 1/10 as good as "Sharona" !! (p.s. I don't believe in considering "technical(ities)" when it comes to determining whether a band is a "1-hit wonder" or not) 🤔
@@not-so-smartaleck8987 I think it’s still a great song. It doesn’t need to be as good. My Sharona is a one in a million. Wheather you like it or not this was a hit too, it’s sold over 600,000 copies. If it did that in 2021, it would be number one for 3 months
I was 17 when this came out. I bought the lp at a Sam The Record Man here in Hfx,NS,Canada. The store didn't last very long but my memory of buying the lp is etched in my brain. Always thought this was the best track on the record. Still have my copy at the age of 50. Thanks for the posting. First time I've seen this video!!
I was singing along until it got to, "...'til she puts you in your place..." then I started laughing... It makes sense because it's from TV but I haven't heard the censored radio version for ages. ;)
yea, the album version is "till she siting on your face"...man does that bring back sweet memories of mary.....a very sweet 17 year old soon turned 18 I dated for a year or so back in the day, she a very nice va-gee-gee..lol
The Chipmunks version (on the album "Chipmunk Punk" which was the first thing released under their name in at least fifteen years) sort of split the difference.
they had to do a ''radio friendly single version'' if they want this song on the radio(and look like they did a video using that version).this version is not that bad.
MsGreeneyes V which,until 1999,was only on the Canadian 45...it mistakenly ended up on the "Capitol StarLine" CD issues of "Get The Knack",as did the edited version of "(She's So Selfish" (the word s**t was removed).
I got hold of this when it came out when I was 12 or 13 years old. I put it on full chuff and climbed the walls while bouncing around the room and singing along at the top of my lungs!!! I was enraptured!!
I was 14 when this came out. I couldn't believe the lyrics. This was REALLY racy for 1979. It definitely got me fired up because this was all I thought about at 14.
Back in my senior year these guys came out with this amazing album only thing they were guilty of was sounding exactly the same as thier album in concert very rare at the time
Superlative groundbreaking video and song that has no peer. Amazing gift to U.S. mainstream from New England rock and roll music THANK YOU my friendly acquaintance Doug Fieger from Andre R. Champagne.
I had (have) a 45 of this song, and I used to dance to it in my bedroom! I knew it was great then, and I STILL think that is is great now!...I have to go dance now! :)
Till she puts you in your place...and it hurts! great song! great, great song! I love those three minute power pop songs. I was going to university, working at Forest City when these guys broke...a pre-pre cursor to new wave. great stuff.
