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Under the Knife Lyrics
Are you drunk or has your ego grown and
Swallowed you whole
No wonder I would rather be under the knife
Commandeer most accused
Just want to be tossed aside to
Know when to fight
Who has the knife to settle this
When you're last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
I planned a journey 'round your psycho fury
Go ahead call me nervous
Life just owes ya something
Give me the knife
Who has the life to spend on this
When you're the last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
It's in the back of the mind (x4)
Well who has the knife to settle this
When you're the last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
Well
Who has the life to spend on this
When you're the last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
It's in the back of the mind
The back of the mind
It's in the back of the mind
The back of the mind
Swallowed you whole
No wonder I would rather be under the knife
Commandeer most accused
Just want to be tossed aside to
Know when to fight
When you're last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
Go ahead call me nervous
Life just owes ya something
When you're the last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
When you're the last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
Well
Who has the life to spend on this
When you're the last to know
I started 1976
And that wasn't fast enough
The back of the mind
It's in the back of the mind
The back of the mind
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I'm fairly certain that this song is about Pete's struggle with his brother Joe. Pete and Sam never wanted to address the issue as they were expecting him to leave the band on his own. But Pete played the "Commandeer." Pete didn't want to have to kick his brother out hence why he says he would rather have been under the knife.
Joe was known for being a selfish problem child with a temper on tour and it was affecting Sam and Pete.
"I planned a journey 'round your psycho fury Go ahead call me nervous Life just owes ya something"
I'd assume that forcefully kicking Joe out of the band was always in "the back of his (Pete) mind." Notice how when he says "Give me the knife" in the middle of the song the song gets darker and Pete's voice gets lower? I think it symbolizes his frustration with the situation and that's when he took control and kicked out Joe.
As for the starting 1976...That's the year Pete was born. I have no idea what significance it plays in the song.
Maybe, because he says "I started 1976, and that wasnt fast enough," he means he wishes he had more life experience so he would know how to handle the situation better? I dont really know, but thats my best guess. lol
Maybe, because he says "I started 1976, and that wasnt fast enough," he means he wishes he had more life experience so he would know how to handle the situation better? I dont really know, but thats my best guess. lol
@andrew1376 Because the 1976 line rhymes! Maybe he couldn't think of something else to rhyme, or he was hinting he'd had problems with his brother all his life.
@andrew1376 Because the 1976 line rhymes! Maybe he couldn't think of something else to rhyme, or he was hinting he'd had problems with his brother all his life.
Just like they say Fleetwood Mac made classics because of the love/hate relationship between Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, so has the hate/hate relationship with brother Joe. This is another of those classics. Humanoid, Well Enough Alone, I Get It, to name a few.
Why 1976, I wonder...
Mystery solved: 1976 is Pete's birth date.