Knives Out
Radiohead
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I want you to know He's not coming back Look into my eyes I'm not coming back So knives out Catch the mouse Don't look down Shove it in your mouth If you'd been a dog They would've drowned you at birth Look into my eyes It's the only way you'll know I'm telling the truth So knives out Cook him up Squash his head Put him in the pot I want you to know He's not coming back He's bloated and frozen Still there's no point in letting it go to waste So knives out Catch the mouse Squash his head Put him in the pot
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Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Creation Process"Knives Out" was one of the most laborious tracks to make on the entire "Amnesiac" album. The band reportedly spent weeks working on the song's arrangement.
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Band Members' RolesAccording to Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien, the band was trying to sound like the Beatles during the writing process of "Knives Out". Other band members, like Jonny Greenwood, used his guitar to imitate the sound of scissors.
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InfluenceThe song was said to have been influenced by The Smiths. In fact, Johnny Marr, The Smiths' guitarist, complimented Radiohead's work on the song and described it as "great".
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Music VideoThe video of "Knives Out" was directed by Michel Gondry, the acclaimed director who had also helmed films like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
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Video ConceptThe music video showcases a surreal narrative revolving around a medical operation, which symbolically represents a deal with the devil. The narrative remains open to interpretation but generally embodies a sense of morbidity and despair.
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Release and ReceptionReleased as the second single from their fifth studio album "Amnesiac" in 2001, "Knives Out" received critical acclaim and peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.
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Live PerformancesThom Yorke, Radiohead’s lead vocalist, played "Knives Out" on his solo tours. It was also covered by other artists, including Marillion and the Flaming Lips.
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Song Themes"Knives Out" delves into themes of cannibalism, betrayal, and desperation. It's often speculated that the song's dark themes were born out of Thom Yorke's struggle with writer's block and his disheartening outlook on the music industry at the time.
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Lyrics AnalysisThe song's lyrics, "So knives out, Catch the mouse, Squash his head, Put him in the pot", metaphorically treats relationships like a survival of the fittest competition, where one must eat or be eaten.
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Impact on FansThe song's eerie yet melodic tone, combined with its dark lyrics, has intrigued and engaged fans, making "Knives Out" one of Radiohead's most memorably haunting tracks.
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"Knives Out Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/18632564/Radiohead/Knives+Out>.
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