Queens of the Stone Age | No One Knows
Queens of the Stone Age’s “No One Knows” featuring Dave Grohl - how a five-year-old riff, a desert rock lineup, and Michel Gondry’s surrealist vision created their biggest hit in 2002.
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Story Behind “No One Knows”
The Five-Year Wait for a Song to Become Itself
Most bands would rush their catchiest material straight to tape. Queens of the Stone Age waited five years. Josh Homme had patience with this particular song, letting it sit, evolve, rewrite itself until it became what it was supposed to be. The main guitar riff had already appeared on “Cold Sore Superstars,” a track from Homme’s side project The Desert Sessions. But that wasn’t the final form.
As Homme explained: “We have patience with music, a year or five years down the road it may kind of rewrite itself and become what it’s supposed to be. There’s two songs on this record that are over five years old, you know? ‘God Is in the Radio’ and ‘No One Knows’.”[1] This wasn’t procrastination—this was letting a song find its own voice.
When Dave Grohl Changed Everything
When drummer Dave Grohl joined Queens of the Stone Age in October 2000, the band’s trajectory shifted immediately. Grohl hadn’t drummed seriously in eight years, spending that time fronting Foo Fighters, and getting back behind the kit felt like coming home. He put Foo Fighters on hiatus, delayed their upcoming album to October 2002, and threw himself into the Songs for the Deaf sessions.
Bassist Nick Oliveri remembers the impact: “When Dave came in, the game changed. It was immediately a game-changer for how we were being treated by the label—as naturally would happen.”[3] Having a Nirvana/Foo Fighters drummer suddenly made their five-minute stoner rock epic with jam sections sound like a legitimate single to Interscope Records. The label that had been hesitant about their previous albums was now ready to push “No One Knows” hard.
“No One Knows” Recording and Production Details
Three Studios, One Breakthrough Album
Recording for Songs for the Deaf began in March 2002 across three California studios: The Site in San Rafael, Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, and Barefoot in Hollywood.[2][5] Though the album credits list Eric Valentine and Josh Homme as producers, Homme later clarified Valentine’s involvement: Valentine primarily recorded the beginning of the album for contractual reasons with Interscope, but Homme handled the majority of production decisions.[2]
Adam Kasper came in to produce specific tracks including “The Sky Is Fallin’” and “Do It Again,” while also re-recording additional tracks at Conway Recording Studios.[5] The album was mixed at Conway, mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood, and the radio broadcast segments were mixed at Grandmaster Recorders.[5]
The Lineup That Made It Work
“No One Knows” was essentially a Homme composition from start to finish, with Mark Lanegan lending lyrical and compositional assistance. Homme wrote the track with Lanegan, the Screaming Trees frontman who had become a full-time Queens member in 2001.[1][4] Nick Oliveri noted: “When we were recording it I was thinking, ‘This is badass; we’re playing with Dave Grohl!’ No, I’m kidding [laughs]. That was pretty much a Homme tune from start to finish. I think Lanegan lent a hand in that one as well.”[3]
But it was Grohl’s drumming that elevated the track. His powerful, precise performance gave the song the drive it needed to break through on rock radio. The final mix showcased this lineup at their creative peak—before Grohl returned to Foo Fighters and Oliveri was eventually dismissed from the band following their intense 2002-2004 touring schedule.
Notes About “No One Knows” by Queens of the Stone Age
Release Date: November 26, 2002
Duration: 4:38
Genre: Stoner Rock / Alternative Rock / Hard Rock
Album: Songs for the Deaf (3rd studio album, track 2)
Writers: Josh Homme, Mark Lanegan
Producers: Josh Homme, Eric Valentine
Label: Interscope Records
Chart Performance: #1 US Modern Rock, #5 US Mainstream Rock (28 weeks), #51 Billboard Hot 100, #15 UK Singles Chart[1]
Awards: Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance (2003), #1 Triple J Hottest 100 (2002)[1]
Notable Usage: NHL 2003, Guitar Hero, Rock Band 3, SSX 3 (UNKLE remix)
Queens of the Stone Age “No One Knows” Era Band Details
Album Details
Album: Songs for the Deaf
Release Date: August 27, 2002
Label: Interscope Records
Producers: Josh Homme, Eric Valentine, Adam Kasper
Recording Studios: The Site (San Rafael, CA), Conway Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA), Barefoot (Hollywood, CA)
Album Concept: Loose concept album simulating a road trip from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree desert with radio stations tuning in and out[2][4]
Commercial Performance: Peaked at #17 Billboard 200, certified Gold in US, 2x Platinum in UK[2]
Critical Reception: Metacritic score of 89 (universal acclaim), ranked third highest-rated album of 2002[2]
Band Members/Personnel
Josh Homme - Guitar, vocals, producer, songwriter
Nick Oliveri - Bass, vocals
Dave Grohl - Drums (courtesy of Roswell Records/RCA Records)
Mark Lanegan - Additional vocals, songwriter
Alain Johannes - Lap steel guitar, e-bow, organ, flamenco guitar, theremin, piano
Natasha Shneider - Additional instrumentation
Eric Valentine - Producer, recording engineer
Adam Kasper - Producer (tracks 5, 10), additional recording
Brian Gardner - Mastering engineer (Bernie Grundman Mastering)
Production Notes
Dave Grohl joined as full band member for album and initial tour (March 2002-July 2002)[2]
Grohl’s first performance with band was March 7, 2002 at the Troubadour, Los Angeles[2]
Grohl’s last performance with band was July 28, 2002 at Fuji Rock Festival[2]
Joey Castillo announced as Grohl’s replacement in August 2002[2]
Recording began March 2002, album originally planned for August 13, 2002 release but postponed two weeks
“No One Knows” guitar riff previously appeared on Desert Sessions track “Cold Sore Superstars”[1][4]
Album featured three different CD cover colors: red (most common), magenta, and orange
Hidden track “The Real Song For The Deaf” accessible in pregap (track 0) by rewinding from track 1
Interesting Facts About “No One Knows”
The Surrealist Deer Revenge Fantasy
The music video for “No One Knows” became as memorable as the song itself, co-directed by Michel Gondry and Dean Karr. Homme chose Gondry specifically because “he did all those videos for Björk and we’re huge fans of Björk, so we’re excited.”[1][8] Gondry filmed the first half on June 26-27, 2002, with Karr taking over on July 15.[1][8]
The video splits between two distinct sections. The narrative portion features Homme, Oliveri, and Lanegan driving an International Scout at night when they accidentally hit a deer. When they inspect the apparently dead animal, it springs back to life and attacks them before stealing their vehicle with the band members tied to the hood. The deer’s rampage culminates in it falling in love with a doe statue, mounting the band members’ heads on a wall like hunting trophies.[1] The performance section shows Homme, Oliveri, Troy Van Leeuwen, and Grohl playing against a black background.[1]
The absurdist concept came from Karr explaining the video to Homme at 5:30 in the morning during Karr’s birthday party. As Homme later described it: “Basically it’s the drunken ramblings of Dean Karr.”[3] The video received heavy rotation on MTV and earned a nomination for the MTV2 Award at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, where it lost to AFI’s “Girl’s Not Grey.”[1]
The Unlikely Single That Changed Their Career
When Interscope suggested “No One Knows” as the lead single, even bassist Nick Oliveri was skeptical: “When they were talking about doing it as a single, I was like: ‘This is a five-minute song, dude. There’s a jam part in here, a bass part, a drum thing. What do you mean, single?’ They’re going to cut this song up. The last thing I want to do is have anybody edit our song.”[3]
But Queens of the Stone Age held firm—no edits. They released the full five-minute version, jam sections and all. The gamble paid off spectacularly. “No One Knows” became the band’s first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and their only single to top the US Alternative charts. It peaked at #51 on the Hot 100, #1 on Modern Rock, and #5 on Mainstream Rock where it lasted twenty-eight weeks.[1]
The song dominated Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2002 with four other Queens tracks also charting.[1] Critical acclaim followed: Q magazine (#70 on 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks), NME (#13 on 50 Greatest Tracks Of The Decade), Rolling Stone (#97 on 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time).[1] Oliveri realized the song was changing everything when the band “started getting hotel rooms” on tour rather than crashing in vans.[3]
The irony wasn’t lost on anyone when “No One Knows” lost the 2003 Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance to Foo Fighters’ “All My Life”—a song featuring Dave Grohl, the same drummer who played on “No One Knows” before returning to front Foo Fighters.[1]
Common Questions
Q: Who wrote “No One Knows” by Queens of the Stone Age? A: Josh Homme wrote “No One Knows” with Mark Lanegan. Homme had been developing the main guitar riff for over five years, previously using it on a Desert Sessions track called “Cold Sore Superstars.” Lanegan, the former Screaming Trees frontman, co-wrote the lyrics and contributed to the song’s overall structure.
Q: What is “No One Knows” about? A: Josh Homme himself admitted in an MTV interview: “It’s a mystery what that song’s about. No one knows.” He described it as “kind of almost Beatles-esque with a driving beat, and it’s kind of jumpy.”[6] The intentionally ambiguous lyrics and Homme’s cryptic explanation have left the meaning open to interpretation.
Q: Did Dave Grohl play drums on “No One Knows”? A: Yes, Dave Grohl played drums on “No One Knows” and the entire Songs for the Deaf album. He joined Queens of the Stone Age as a full band member in October 2000, putting Foo Fighters on hiatus to record and tour with the band from March to July 2002. He returned to Foo Fighters afterward, with Joey Castillo replacing him in August 2002.
Q: How successful was “No One Knows” on the charts? A: “No One Knows” became Queens of the Stone Age’s biggest commercial hit, reaching #1 on the US Modern Rock chart, #5 on Mainstream Rock (staying for 28 weeks), #51 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #15 on the UK Singles Chart. It won Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2002 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Q: Who directed the “No One Knows” music video? A: The video was co-directed by Michel Gondry and Dean Karr. Gondry, known for his work with Björk, filmed the first half in late June 2002, while Karr filmed the second half in mid-July. The surrealist video features a revenge fantasy where a deer attacks the band after being hit by their truck.
References
“No One Knows” - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_One_Knows
“Songs for the Deaf” - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_for_the_Deaf
“No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age: The story behind the song” - Louder Sound, January 5, 2021. https://www.loudersound.com/features/no-one-knows-by-queens-of-the-stone-age-the-story-behind-the-song
“No One Knows by Queens of the Stone Age” - Songfacts. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/queens-of-the-stone-age/no-one-knows
“Queens Of The Stone Age – Songs For The Deaf” - Discogs (multiple releases). https://www.discogs.com/
“The Meaning Behind ‘No One Knows’ by Queens of the Stone Age” - American Songwriter, July 24, 2024. https://americansongwriter.com/the-meaning-behind-no-one-knows-by-queens-of-the-stone-age-and-whether-josh-homme-himself-even-knows/
“Songs for the Deaf” - Rate Your Music. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/queens-of-the-stone-age/songs-for-the-deaf/
“Queens of the Stone Age: No One Knows” - IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6800742/
“The Story Behind: ‘No One Knows’ by Queens of the Stone Age” - Steemit, September 24, 2017. https://steemit.com/music/@blazek/the-story-behind-no-one-knows-by-queens-of-the-stone-age