You Make Me Like Charity

I am quite schocked by the interpretations of this song! For me it is so clear what they are talking about. The knife is a left, anti- kapitalist, and feminist band. She is talking about how a men and a girl (I said girl on porpose, cause it is a sexist therm to refer to women as girls by both genders- women call them self girls sometimes cause they have internalised the sexist system so much) ... so about how a men and a girl- can't understand what sexism is about... the girls voice said: "more than a second when reading the newspaper I felt the war I felt her exposed position I saw myself in the picture and I..." that is the second where the girl starts to realise that looking at a naked women in the newspaper is looking at a women in an exposed position and that she then saw her self in that picture- she started to realise the war betwenn the one who fight against sexism and the one who push it forward... The male voice is singing: "You try to feel but you don't wake up" befor and that is a metaphor for trying to understand sexism and patriachy but not getting it! The male voice also said: "I took a cab there to hold her I took a plane there to feel what she felt" He wants to feel what she felt - the exposed women in the picture of the newspaper- but he really can't because he is:"make(ing)his feeling of solidarity like charity, instead of paying enough taxes. getting taxes is a persons rightful right - you don't be thankfull to takes cause you just deserve them- it is a fair system of solidarity- getting charity is something you "should" be thankfull- cause it is not your right to get money (charity) from others- ans so with antisexist solidarity- it should be every womens right to have men fighting against sexism, cause men are oppressed by sexism like women are, but men make women feel like they are doing charity if they once trie to "feel what she felt"! that is what i think what the song is all about !=)

Yes I agree on you. The song is so catching.. But I can't agree with ShoKill that it makes me hot.. I find this song quite sad actually.

I think it resembles some kind of feeling of pain and confusion.

To me, this is about the weapon industry. Sweden puts tax money in producing weapons and selling them to other countries, while everyone thinks that this is such a peaceful country. I can see why people think that this is about a relationship, but I still really believe in my idea. Sound more like something The Knife would write about.

I think there's a sense of sexuality here, but a violent sexuality that's a metaphor for imperialism given the creepy tone, the reference of war in the newspapers, etc.

"You make me like charity/instead of paying enough taxes" HAS to be a reference to the practice of not paying taxes, or not paying the full amount, because one doesn't want to fund a war by one's government, and instead paying this money to charity. I think this is a song in support of UKers/Americans who engage in that practice to protest the Iraq invasion/war. The Knife are leftwing and the album was being recorded in 2003 iirc.

more than a second when reading the newspaper I felt the war I felt her exposed position I saw myself in the picture

I think this song is about feeling a connection to those who we usually only read about, and acting on it. (in this case, war victims)

I took a cab there to hold her I took a plane there to feel what she felt

Instead of limiting our action to just paying taxes to possibly support something or do something we don't agree with, actually going somewhere and doing something.

You make me like charity instead of paying enough taxes

Charity in this case being the personal sort, direct time and action. Paying enough taxes being the common, and easy we to not dealing with the world while feeling you are somehow contributing.

I agree with Mantron, this is about feeling a connection with people or events you see in the news.. but maybe taking it too far and becoming obsessive. Think about people's reactions ten years ago when Princess Diana died, or think perhaps of the movie "Fight Club". There's something very unsettling about the emotions here.

I love this song ... it reminds me a bit of the Beatles A Day in the Life, in its themes ... this idea of feeling helpless to fight the war at large. the outer life and the inner reality of your own small circle. So relevant these days in this global village or whatever the heck you call it. I remember just being stunned sitting in front of the television comotose for weeks after 9-11. and this song reminds me of those sad days, and needing to turn away from it and just reach out to a friend or loved one in the confusion when my eyes were turning into swirls.

im ready for the knife to return from their break, we need a new album sooooooooo

i love this song. i love the numb feeling i get in the first half.

best lyrics ever!!!!1!1!!

yeah, i definitely think there's something sexual about this song.