This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Your words are like knives
They peel my skin and pierce my soul
Your body will burn tonight
Though your heart may still remain cold
And I will blame myself
And I will blame myself
For holding on to what I hoped would keep you by my side
I will blame myself
The sheets are stained with
Memories of your soft kiss
Now this is all I have
Paper and pen to remember you with
And I will blame myself
And I will blame myself
For holding on to what I hoped would keep you by my side
I will blame myself
Can I have you?
Can I have you?
Can I have you?
Can I have you?
They peel my skin and pierce my soul
Your body will burn tonight
Though your heart may still remain cold
And I will blame myself
And I will blame myself
For holding on to what I hoped would keep you by my side
I will blame myself
The sheets are stained with
Memories of your soft kiss
Now this is all I have
Paper and pen to remember you with
And I will blame myself
And I will blame myself
For holding on to what I hoped would keep you by my side
I will blame myself
Can I have you?
Can I have you?
Can I have you?
Can I have you?
Lyrics submitted by star_up_in_the_sky
Like Knives Lyrics as written by Dallas Green
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Seems to me that this song is about a breakup.
The first paragraph symbolizes a fight.
In the 2nd, he blames himself for relying on something he thought would keep them together.
Then in the third, he remembers the good times he had with her and realizes that he can only remember and nothing more.
He asks "Can I have you?" in hope of bringing the relationship back to life.
Brilliant song
that last line is so simple, yet he sings it with such raw emotion it makes me tear up everytime i hear that.
They had a serious fight; she cheated on him and is telling him about it: "Your words are like knives They peel my skin and pierce my soul"
But they have make-up and have sex:
"Your body will burn tonight"
Although he still knows that she still wants the other guy:
"but your heart will remain cold"
He thought that his love was enough to keep her and so he blames himself. All he has left are memories and he writes songs about her:
"paper and pen to remember you with"
The last line is very poignant because he asks if she will reliniquish her other relationship for him, in the hopes that he can have her.
this song is so beautiful it makes me cry..
I love this song. It really reminded me of my breakup with my recent ex. I found out he was cheating and I screamed at him so hard. When I went back to my house I realised all the things we'd done and I couldn't sleep without thinking of him. The memories were all I had left of him =] This song helped me through that. It's a beautiful song =]
The last line breaks my heart. His voice makes it so clear that he is in pain.
A agree that it's about a breakup but I acutally don't think it's about cheating. I just think their relationship is not working anymore- perhaps he took her for granted which is why he blames himself. It seems a simple song- but there is depth. Love it!
I think... he knew it wasn't working out, but he held on anyways.
She is gonna leave him, and now he will only have paper and pen to remember her.
I feel like the end is almost like begging to yourself. Like when you're begging... but you know you won't get it. His pain is released in the last 4 verses. This song is so brilliant.
I don't even think this song necessarily has to do with 2 people who are in some sort of a relationship. It just could be 2 people with one having a more emotional connection to each other. I think the girl in this song may be making false, empty promises to him:
Your words are like knives They peel my skin and pierce my soul Your body will burn tonight, but your heart will remain cold
and I've always thought of the body burning as a sexual reference but the heart remaining cold is stating that her emotions are not involved, yet they might be sleeping together. The same goes for the sheets being stained with her kiss line.
I will blame myself I will blame myself for holding onto what I hoped would keep you by my side
To me this symbolizes that all the actions he is taking are to try to win her over or get her to be with him. He thinks that he has not done enough- thus blaming himself. I think he also feels foolish over his actions.
Obviously this is to no avail and he still longs to be with the girl very much so. I think the repetition of the last line symbolizes that. It's such a simple question but it's delievered with such emotion.
*Can I have you?
I think it's about a relationship that has emotionally ended but he tries to hold on to the physical aspect to revive it.