Knives Out (song)

"Knives Out" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, the second single released from their fifth album, Amnesiac (2001). It features lyrics about cannibalism and guitars influenced by the Smiths. It reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart.

"Knives Out"
Single by Radiohead
from the album Amnesiac
Released5 August 2001
Recorded10 March 1999 – 17 March 2000[1]
GenrePost-rock[2]
Length4:17
Label
Songwriter(s)Radiohead
Producer(s)
Radiohead singles chronology
"I Might Be Wrong"
(2001)		 "Knives Out"
(2001)		 "There There"
(2003)

Composition

According to Drowned in Sound, "Knives Out" is the most conventional song on Amnesiac.[3] It features "chiming"[3] and "drifting" guitar lines, "driving" percussion, a "wandering" bassline, "haunting" vocals and "eerie" lyrics.[4]

Singer Thom Yorke said the lyrics were about cannibalism. In one interview he said: "It's partly the idea of the businessman walking out on his wife and kids and never coming back. It's also the thousand-yard stare when you look at someone close to you and you know they're gonna die."[4]

Recording

Radiohead recorded "Knives Out" between 1999 and 2000 during the sessions for their albums Kid A and Amnesiac, which were recorded simultaneously.[5] For the albums, Radiohead replaced their guitar-led rock sound with more experimental styles, incorporating influences from electronic music, 20th-century classical music, jazz and krautrock.[6]

According to a studio diary kept by guitarist Ed O'Brien, "Knives Out" took 373 days to complete, "a ridiculously long gestation period for any song".[7] He felt it was "probably the most straight-ahead thing we've done in years ... and that might explain why we took so long on it". He felt successful bands often felt the need to over-embellish their music, "especially if it was written on acoustic guitar", but that they had captured the song's essence.[7]

The song was influenced by the British rock band the Smiths. Before its release, O'Brien played it for Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who said: "I was beyond flattered and quite speechless – which takes some doing. He explained to me that with that song they'd tried to take a snapshot of the way I'd done things in the Smiths – and I guess you can hear that in it."[5]

Music video

The "Knives Out" music video was directed by Michel Gondry. Gondry was going through a breakup at the time, and expressed his feelings in the video concept, which has Yorke grieving in a hospital room. Gondry described the collaboration as a "terrible experience", and said: "I showed [Yorke] a storyboard and every single detail: he was completely excited and happy for it – and then, it turned out, they all criticise me for being selfish and putting my own views on it and my own introspection ... It did not go smoothly, but if it went smoothly, it would be mediocre."[8]

Release

Radiohead debuted "Knives Out" in November 1999 during a webcast performance from their studio.[9] It was released on 5 August 2001 as the second Amnesiac single. It reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.[10]

"Knives Out" was covered by the Flaming Lips on their 2003 EP Fight Test,[11] pianist Christopher O'Riley on his 2003 album True Love Waits,[12] and by jazz pianist Brad Mehldau on his 2006 album Day is Done.[13]

Reception

David Merryweather of Drowned in Sound gave the "Knives Out" single 9 out of 10, praising Jonny Greenwood's "chiming" guitar for capturing the "romantic disappointment" and "wistful ache" of the Smiths.[3] Reviewing Amnesiac for Pitchfork, Ryan Schreiber felt the guitar line was too similar to Radiohead's 1997 song "Paranoid Android", writing: "Great melody. However, they've fucking used it before."[14] In 2010, Consequence of Sound praised "Knives Out" as one of Radiohead's "creepiest" songs: "It’s one of many tracks from the English quintet that tickles the bones rather than warms them. But that’s what makes Radiohead so unique."[4] In 2020, the Guardian named it the 13th best Radiohead song, writing: "The impenetrable Amnesiac debunked industry rumours that Radiohead were primed for a bankable comeback – but amid that album lay this meat-and-potatoes rocker, its scurrying riffs, mystic ambience and cannibalistic lyrics qualifying as glorious light relief."[15] The 2019 film Knives Out takes its name from the song.[16]

Charts
Chart (2001) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[17] 56
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[18] 1
France (SNEP)[19] 46
Ireland (IRMA)[20] 25
Italy (FIMI)[21] 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 63
Scotland (OCC)[23] 15
UK Singles (OCC)[24] 13

Track listing
  • All tracks written by Radiohead.

References
  1. "Ed's Diary Archive". www.greenplastic.com. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  2. Jones, Chris. "BBC – Music – Review of Radiohead – Amnesiac". Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  3. "Single Review: Radiohead – Knives Out". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  4. "Tricks or Treats: Radiohead – "Knives Out"". Consequence of Sound. 7 October 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  5. Mojo. May 2004
  6. Reynolds, Simon (July 2001). "Walking on Thin Ice". The Wire. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  7. O'Brien, Ed (22 July 1999). "Ed's Diary". Archived from the original on 13 April 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
  8. "Michel Gondry Hearts Himself Some Music Videos, Spike Jonze & Michael Jackson; Hates Radiohead". The Playlist. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  9. Vanhorn, Teri (12 November 1999). "Radiohead debut song during webcast". MTV News. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  10. "UK Top 40 Chart Archive". Retrieved 2 October 2006.
  11. "FLAMING LIPS GET THEIR 'KNIVES OUT'! | NME". NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs | NME.COM. 17 March 2003. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  12. Davies, Lucy. "BBC - Music - Review of Christopher O'Riley plays Radiohead - True Love Waits". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  13. Fordham, John (23 September 2005). "CD: Brad Mehldau Trio, Day Is Done". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  14. "Radiohead: Amnesiac Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  15. Monroe, Jazz (23 January 2020). "Radiohead's 40 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  16. "Is Radiohead's song 'Knives Out' in Rian Johnson's movie 'Knives Out'?". Los Angeles Times. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  17. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  18. "Radiohead Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  19. "Lescharts.com – Radiohead – Knives Out" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Knives Out". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  21. "Italiancharts.com – Radiohead – Knives Out". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  22. "Dutchcharts.nl – Radiohead – Knives Out" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  23. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
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