That stutter. You know the one. M-m-m-my Sharona. It’s arguably the most famous stutter in rock history, right up there with Roger Daltrey in "My Generation." When The Knack released "My Sharona" in 1979, it didn't just climb the charts; it strapped a rocket to its back and stayed at number one for six weeks. But if you actually sit down and read The Knack My Sharona lyrics, things get a little... intense.
It’s a song about raw, unadulterated lust. It’s sweaty. It’s aggressive. And honestly? It’s a bit controversial by today's standards.
Doug Fieger, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist, wasn't just making up a character. Sharona was real. She was a seventeen-year-old girl working at a clothing store, and Doug, who was twenty-five at the time, fell for her like a ton of bricks. He didn't just write a song; he wrote an entire album’s worth of material about her. But "My Sharona" is the one that stuck, mostly because of that driving, four-on-the-floor beat and a guitar riff that sounds like a caffeinated version of a Smokey Robinson track.
The Raw Energy of the Lyrics
Let's look at the words. "Never gonna stop, give it up, such a dirty mind / I always get it up, for the touch of the younger kind."
Yeah. It’s blunt.
There is no poetic metaphor here. No "your eyes are like the stars." Fieger was writing from a place of obsession. He later described it as like being hit with a "bolt of lightning." The lyrics reflect that immediate, visceral reaction. It’s the sound of a man who has completely lost his cool. The song moves at a breakneck pace because that’s how his brain was functioning at the time. He was engaged to another woman when he met Sharona Alperin, but that didn't stop the pursuit.
Critics often point to the "younger kind" line as a red flag. In the context of 1979 power pop, it was seen as "edgy" or "rebellious," following in the footsteps of songs like "Christine Sixteen" by KISS or "Go All The Way" by the Raspberries. Today, it reads differently. It’s a snapshot of a specific era of rock and roll where the line between "hopeless romantic" and "creepy pursuer" was incredibly thin—or non-existent.
The Stutter as a Hook
Why the "M-m-m-my"?
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It wasn't just a gimmick. Fieger said it was a vocal representation of the way his heart skipped a beat when he saw her. It’s a rhythmic device that mimics the engine of a car or a racing pulse. When Berton Averre, the lead guitarist, brought that riff to the band, Doug already had the name "Sharona" bouncing around his head. He just fit the name to the beat.
The song is structurally simple, but the execution is flawless. The drum fill that opens the track is one of the most recognizable in music. Bruce Gary, the drummer, took inspiration from some old surf rock records, giving it that driving, relentless feel.
Who Was the Real Sharona?
Sharona Alperin wasn't just a passive muse. She was a person with her own life who suddenly found her name being screamed by every teenager in America.
She worked at a boutique in Los Angeles called Great Gear. Doug started showing up. A lot. He would tell her, "I'm in love with you," and she would basically tell him to get lost because she had a boyfriend and he was significantly older. But Doug was persistent. He invited her to rehearsals. He wrote songs.
Eventually, the pressure worked. Or maybe the talent did. Sharona ended up leaving her boyfriend for Doug, and they were together for several years. She’s even the girl on the single's cover—holding the "Get The Knack" album, wearing a white tank top and jeans. That image became as iconic as the song itself.
Life After the Hit
What happened to her? You’d think being the subject of a worldwide number-one hit would be a lifelong burden. For Sharona, it became a brand. Today, she is a high-end real estate agent in Los Angeles. Her website? mysharona.com. She leaned into the legacy.
Doug and Sharona eventually split up, but they remained close until his death in 2010. She was actually with him in his final days. It’s a strangely sweet ending to a song that started with such aggressive, carnal lyrics. It turned out to be a genuine connection, not just a passing whim of a rock star.
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Why the Song Still Dominates Playlists
Go to any wedding. Go to any dive bar. Within three hours, you will hear "My Sharona."
Musically, it’s a masterpiece of tension and release. The guitar solo by Berton Averre is often cited by musicians as one of the best "composed" solos in rock. It’s not just mindless shredding; it’s a melodic journey that builds for nearly two minutes in the full version of the song. It provides a sophisticated counterpoint to the primal nature of the lyrics.
The Knack were often compared to the Beatles, mostly because of their look and the way they marketed themselves. Capitol Records leaned hard into the "Next Beatles" narrative, which actually caused a massive backlash. People started wearing "Knuke the Knack" buttons. But the song was too good to be destroyed by bad PR.
Common Misconceptions About the Meaning
Some people think the song is about a break-up. It's not.
Others think it’s a parody of punk rock. While The Knack were part of the New Wave movement, "My Sharona" was deadly serious. Doug Fieger wasn't being ironic. He was genuinely obsessed.
There's also the "Weird Al" factor. "My Bologna" was one of Al Yankovic's first big parodies, and it helped cement the song's place in the cultural zeitgeist. When a song gets parodied by Weird Al, you know you've made it. It means the melody and the hook are so ingrained in the public consciousness that they can be recognized even when the words are changed to be about deli meats.
The Technical Brilliance of the Track
If you strip away the lyrics and the back-story, you’re left with a masterclass in production. Mike Chapman produced the record. This is the same guy who did Blondie’s Parallel Lines. He knew how to make a song sound "expensive" while keeping the grit.
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- The Snare Sound: It’s dry, crisp, and hits right in the chest.
- The Bass Line: Prescott Niles plays a driving, eighth-note line that never wavers. It’s the glue.
- The Vocal Layering: Doug’s voice is double-tracked in certain sections to give it more "oomph" without losing the intimacy of his performance.
The song doesn't use synthesizers. In an era where disco was fading and the 80s synth-pop explosion was just around the corner, "My Sharona" was a pure guitar-rock anthem. It was a throwback and a forward leap all at once.
The Controversy of the "Younger Kind"
We have to talk about the "younger kind" line again. In the modern era, lyrics about older men pursuing teenage girls are scrutinized heavily. You see this with "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police or "Seventeen" by Winger.
Fieger never shied away from the reality of his feelings. He admitted that the age gap was part of the intensity. To him, it was about the purity of teenage desire—that feeling when you're young and everything feels like life or death. Whether that justifies the lyrics is up to the listener, but it's an essential part of understanding why the song feels so desperate and high-stakes. It wasn't "appropriate," and that was the point. Rock and roll, at its core, has often been about the things society tells us to keep quiet.
Actionable Insights for Music Lovers
If you're a fan of the song or a musician looking to understand its magic, here are a few things to do:
- Listen to the full album version: The radio edit cuts the guitar solo significantly. To truly appreciate Berton Averre’s skill, you need to hear the unedited six-minute track.
- Watch the 1979 live footage: See the energy. The band was incredibly tight, and you can see the genuine chemistry—and the cockiness—that made them stars.
- Check out Sharona Alperin’s real estate site: It’s a fascinating look at how a rock muse transitioned into a successful business career while still honoring her past.
- Analyze the "My Sharona" beat: If you’re a drummer, try to master the independence required for that opening riff. It’s harder than it sounds.
- Explore the "New Wave" context: Listen to The Cars, Blondie, and Elvis Costello. "My Sharona" sits at a unique crossroads of these styles.
The Knack might have been "one-hit wonders" in the eyes of the casual public—though they had other hits like "Good Girls Don't"—but that one hit is a skyscraper. It looms over the history of 1970s rock. It’s a song fueled by a very specific girl in a very specific clothing store, and yet, it managed to become a universal anthem for anyone who has ever felt a little bit crazy because of a crush.
The Knack My Sharona lyrics remain a fascinating, slightly uncomfortable, and undeniably catchy piece of music history. They remind us that the best songs usually come from a place of total honesty, even if that honesty is a little messy.