Pocket Knife

The more I listen to the song the more I feel as though the main character is begging her mother not to make her get married, and telling us that if she has to wed, she will kill herself.

This song is about the fears of growing up. The lyrics are very profound and metaphorical. I love it.

I don't understand how the symbolism of a blade comes into the song, has anyone got any ideas?

The line "White material will stain" then "My pocket knife's gotta shiny blade" makes me think that she is anticipating using the pocket knife. I assumed that she is about to kill her future husband in order to get away, because as the song says, she just wants to make her own fuck-ups.

She is basically saying she is violently opposed to marriage, because she sees it as a sign on forfeiting her youth. She has too much left to accomplish in life to settle down now.

amy - i think the relevance of the knife might b summit to do with wat i read in her biography....wen she was involved with nick drake, they dueted with a song about a woman who murdered her husband with a pocket knife and threw him down awell, although i may have dreamed that last bit. but this would tie together both the wedding dress theme and knife....maybe its an extension of this song?

i think you mean nick cave

i think you mean nick cave

Huzzah for being single.

i think its about more than just staying single...its about the shock of suddenly having responsibility, but still having people telling you what you should be doing. Shes freaking out about the people telling her what to do and saying that if shes going to fuck up, it should be from her own mistake. Or maybe its just about her wanting to be single...and im just describing my own situation...