The Less I Know the Better

Album: Currents (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about the bitter sweetness of unrequited love. It recounts that all-too familiar tale of a love triangle where the girl that Tame Impala mastermind Kevin Parker is pining for has got involved with another guy called Trevor.
  • According to Kevin Parker, the song "shouldn't be on a Tame Impala album because it has this dorky, white disco funk."
  • Shot by the Spanish directors Canada (Justice, Phoenix, Scissor Sisters), the video is a technicolor trip. It has the high school star basketball player in love with the pretty cheerleader. However it flips the generic school love triangle by having the girl hooked up with the team's gorilla mascot, who is naturally called "Trevor."

    Spanish actress Laia Manzanares plays the cheerleader in the clip. She is also known for playing the role of Ukrainian student Oksana Casanoves in the Spanish television series Merlí.
  • Parker originally intended to give the song to Mark Ronson for his Uptown Special album - before reconsidering. The Tame Impala frontman got his chance to inform Ronson of his change of plan when he was in America recording with the producer. However, he kept putting off telling him, until finally mustering up the strength.

    Parker told GQ Australia that Ronson responded, "Oh yeah, dude, I was going to say this song is yours. I feel like I've stolen your hard drive!"

    The Anglo-American producer was thinking the same thing, anyway.
  • The song was Tame Impala's biggest hit of the 2010s, with over 450 million streams on Spotify. "The idea of me making anything that's experienced 400 million times would be terrifying if it wasn't music," Parker commented to The Sun.
  • Listeners of Australian radio station Triple J cast a total of 1.8 million votes in a poll for the most popular songs of the 2010s, and "The Less I Know the Better" came out on top. Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" came in at #2 and Arctic Monkeys' "Do I Wanna Know?" at #3.

Comments: 4

  • Raff from KrakovThis song is moving strongly your rudimental sense of chase. It`s romantic, naive and stupid but it really works. I can`t resist I just take the basket ball and go out for some dunks... or ...<3. The clip is genial - matches perfectly with the main drama plot between absolute beginners and their big-small feelings storm :-)
    22.10.2021
  • Natalie from Lorena, TxHow are there only two comments. This is one of those songs that you listen to late at night and don't think twice about showing emotion. Really a genius riff in this song, it gets me to stand up every time. When I hear the start of this song I immediately think of the opportunities I was robbed of or am not old enough for yet.
    9-23-21
    Age: 15
  • Damon Salvatore from Mystic FallsThe best way to not get your heart broken is to pretend that you don't have one.
  • Vizz from BrazilActually I see the video clip with the meaning of a guy who's strugling with his own confusion about sex/love/desire. The gorilla is like his sexual drive taking over his reason.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

John Parr

John ParrSongwriter Interviews

John tells the "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" story and explains why he disappeared for so long.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.