DON'T LOOK BACK^©

The Knack's version

One, two, three, four!

Cold rain pourin' and I'm feelin' hurt
With my back wheel spinnin' in the dirt
Angel makes up her face down on lonely street
Won't you straddle the shifter in my front seat
There's nothing to lose, it's a heartbreak, the deck's stacked
Just put your foot to the floor and darling don't look back

Won't you cool me down in this blazin' rain
Cause I'm blowin' pistons, workin' the fast lane
With the poor boy's dream, my pocket's full of cash
Baby writes her name in lipstick there on my dash
There's nothing to lose, it's a bad break to face facts
Just keep your eyes on the road and darling don't look back

We held it in our hearts in the pourin' rain
We made it through the heart of the hurricane
We tore it apart and we put it together again
Whoa-whoa-whoa

Baby won't you believe in love for me
And I will meet you tonight on that lonely street
When you look sight's blindfold on shooting stars
You gotta walk it talk it in your heart
There's nothing to lose, it's a heartbreak, the deck's stacked
So put your foot to the floor and darling
Just keep your eyes on the road now baby
Tonight we'll even the score and no we won't look back

Yeah!

Don't look, don't look
Don't look, don't look
Don't look, don't look
Don't look, don't look
Don't look, don't look
Don't look, don't look
Back

Page last updated: 09 Apr 2007

The above lyrics refer to the cover by The Knacks that they recorded in April 1979. It has quite a few lyrics variations to Springsteen's version.

On 17 Oct 1978, Bruce Springsteen made a guest appearance with The Knack during their gig at The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA. Later, The Knack's drummer Bruce Gary asked Springsteen for songs they might use in their live shows. He offered them two unreleased numbers, RENDEZVOUS and DON'T LOOK BACK. The band selected the second, and they recorded it in April 1979 at MCA Whitney Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Read Bruce Gary's liner notes below for more details.

According to Brucebase, Springsteen apparently went on to jam with The Knack later on the night of 17 Oct 1978, and it might be then when he gave them the impetus to record DON'T LOOK BACK.

The song was originally scheduled to appear on their 1979 album, Get The Knack, but it was pulled at the request of Springsteen's management in order to allow him to release the song first. After Springsteen has released the song on Tracks in 1998, The Knack released their version on the 2002 reissue of Get The Knack as a bonus track.

Curiously, The Knack's DON'T LOOK BACK was officially released before 1998, on their 1992 album Retrospective. It was also included on the 1997 Bruce Springsteen tribute album One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen.

Here's a list of The Knack's DON'T LOOK BACK official releases (taken from the Nebraska website):

• Retrospective
  CD - Capitol (CDP 0777 7 80537 2 9) - USA - 1992
• One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen
  2-CD - The Right Stuff (72438-59780-2-9) - USA - 1997
  2-CD - EMI (TOCP-50377/8) - Japan - 1997
  Various artists Bruce Springsteen tribute album
• One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen Sampler
  promo CD - The Right Stuff (DPRO 70876-10927-2-1) - USA - 1997
  Promo sampler from the various artists Bruce Springsteen tribute album
• (The Knack "Don't Look Back" / Marshall Crenshaw "All Or Nothing At All")
  7-inch - The Right Stuff (S7-724381 972977) - USA - 1997
  Single release from the various artists Bruce Springsteen tribute album
• The Best Of The Knack
  CD - EMI-Capitol Special Markets - USA - 1999
• Get The Knack
  CD - Capitol (38118) - USA - 2002
  DON'T LOOK BACK is 1 of the 5 bonus tracks in this 2002 reissue
• Born To Run 2003 - The Best Of The Boss, Volume 2
  CD - Uncut (2003 04B) - UK - 2003
  Various artists Springsteen tribute album (volume 2 of 2) released as a freebie with the April 2003 issue of Uncut magazine
• The Best Of The Knack
  CD - Collectables - USA - 2004
  Reissue of the 1999 release

Check out Bruce Springsteen' versions of this song:

• Tracks version
• Instrumental take #1
• Instrumental take #2
• Outtake version
• Live 10 Mar 1977 version
• Live 11 Mar 1977 version
• Live 13 Mar 1977 version
• Live 14 Mar 1977 version
• Live 19 Mar 1977 version
• Live 22 Mar 1977 version
• Live 23 Mar 1977 version
• Live 24 Mar 1977 version
• Live 25 Mar 1977 version
• Live 29 Jun 2000 version

Thanks Timmy Petersson (Terry at Greasy Lake) for this version's lyrics.

Track credits:
Bruce Gary - Drums
Doug Fieger - Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Berton Averre - Lead Guitar
Prescott Niles - Bass
Recorded in Apr 1979 at MCA Whitney Studios, Los Angeles, CA

Liner notes from the One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen tribute album booklet:

I met Bruce Springsteen backstage at a concert in San Diego after the release of his Darkness album. A couple of weeks later, Bruce came to one of our performances at the Troubadour and joined us on stage for a fantastic rendition of "Mona" and "Not Fade Away."

Later I asked Bruce if he had any songs that The Knack might use in our stage show, and he offered two unreleased numbers, "Rendezvous" and "Don't Look Back." The band selected "Don't Look Back," which was "Knackified" and recorded in one take at MCA Whitney studios in Apr, 1979. The tune was originally scheduled to appear on the Get The Knack album, but was pulled at the request of Springsteen's management in order to allow him to release the song first. The song was never been officially released by Bruce and our version is the only one currently available. I am indebted to Bruce for giving The Knack opportunities that we might not had otherwise.

-- Bruce Gary, The Knack