"Knocked It Off" is a song by Scottish musician

BA Robertson Brian Alexander Robertson (born 12 September 1956) is a Scottish musician, composer and songwriter. He had a string of hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s characterised by catchy pop tunes and jaunty humorous lyrics, including " Knocked It ...

, released in October 1979 as the third single from his debut album ''

Initial Success ''Initial Success'' is the third studio album by Scottish musician BA Robertson, released on 7 March 1980 by Asylum Records. The album peaked at number 32 on the UK Albums Chart and several singles were released, including the top 10 hits "Bang B ...

''. It became his second Top-Ten hit in the UK, peaking at number 8 on the

Singles Chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...

. The song features a

sarangi The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, and Boro folk music (there known as the ''serja'') – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It ...

by Neil Sorrell. The title "Knocked It Off" means, in this context, to become a success somewhat unexpectedly. The lyrics criticise celebrity life, making references to pop and football fame.

Reception

Reviewing the song for ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the '' NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in '' ...

'', Robin Smith wrote "The

Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was a British entertainer and presenter whose career spanned more than 70 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series ''Sunday Night ...

of rock 'n' roll has done it again. This single is so annoying because it's full of some of the most ridiculous lyrics ever committed to paper. But it's so well crafted and stuck to that infectious tacky back beat that it's guaranteed to evade your ears. The only safe place to be will be the

outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coas ...

Charts

References

{{authority control BA Robertson songs 1979 singles Songs written by Terry Britten Songs written by BA Robertson 1979 songs Asylum Records singles