The Killing Type
Amanda Palmer Lyrics

I wouldn't kill to win a war
The singer does not believe in killing to achieve victory in war.

I don't get what they do it for
The singer doesn't understand why war is such a prevalent part of human history.

It's all so terribly vague
The singer doesn't understand the justification for conflict.

I see the pictures from a thousand years of battle
The artist has seen images from wars of the past, stretching back thousands of years.

And I think it's such a bore
The artist finds the idea of war to be tedious and uninteresting.

I walk New Orleans with a knife
The singer carries a weapon while walking around the city of New Orleans.

Like Mackie hidden out of sight
The singer is referencing a character from a Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht musical who carries a knife.

But I'd be useless if they jumped
The artist doesn't think they would be effective in a fight if they were attacked.

I'm really not the killing type
The artist is not someone who would be willing to take another person's life.

I've got a picture of your mum
The artist has a photograph of someone else's mother.

Before the war when she was young
The picture was taken before some kind of conflict took place.

She's got an etching to her right
There is some kind of design or artwork to the right of the woman in the picture.

I think it's funny that she's looking to the left
The singer finds it amusing that the woman in the picture is looking in a different direction than the etching.

And it's her son
The person who gave the picture to the singer is related to the woman in the photograph.

I wouldn't kill to get you back
The singer would not resort to violence to get someone they care about back in their life.

And I've officially been asked
Someone we don't know has asked the artist to kill for them.

I couldn't kill to save a life
The artist would not be able to end another person's life, even if it meant saving someone else's.

I'd rather a die a peaceful piece of shit-bait
The singer would prefer to die than take someone else's life.

Shame-filled coward
The singer perceives themselves as being weak for not being able to take someone else's life.

Thanks
This is said sarcastically, as if someone else has accused the artist of being a coward.

But I would kill to make you feel
The artist is indicating that they would do anything to make someone they care about feel better.

I don't mean kill someone for real
The artist is clarifying that they would not actually harm someone to achieve this goal.

But I can say it in a song, a song, a song
The singer is using music as a way to convey their feelings of devotion and love.

Even if you never hear this song
The artist believes that their feelings will still be expressed, even if the person they care about never listens to the song.

Somebody else would know
Even if the person the singer is singing about never finds out how the singer feels, the fact that someone else knows is enough for the singer.

I once stepped on a dying bird
The singer is describing an incident in which they unintentionally killed a bird that was already hurt or dying.

It was a mercy killing
The singer perceived their action as a way to put the bird out of its misery.

I couldn't sleep for a week
The artist was deeply affected by the experience and felt guilty for what they had done.

I kept feeling its breaking bones
The artist had trouble sleeping because they kept thinking about the physical sensation of the bird's bones breaking underfoot.

I heard that if you see a star at night
The singer is referencing a piece of folklore or superstition involving stars at nighttime.

And the conditions are just right
There seem to be specific circumstances required for this superstition to come to fruition.

And you are standing on a cliff
The artist is using a metaphor involving a cliff as a way to illustrate the power of wishing upon a star.

Then you can close your eyes
The artist is describing a ritual you can perform to make the star-wish come true.

And make a wish and take a step
This is the specific ritual the artist is describing.

And change somebody's life
The singer believes that wishes have the power to make a significant impact on people.

But I'd be useless if they jumped
The artist is reiterating their perceived lack of usefulness in a physical fight.

I'm really not the killing type
This line is repeated from earlier in the song to emphasize the singer's aversion to violence.

I'd kill to move your face an inch
The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to change the expression on someone's face.

I see you staring into space
The person the singer is singing about seems to be lost in thought or distracted from the present moment.

I wanna stick my fist into your mouth
This is a violent and aggressive phrase meant to convey the artist's frustration with the person's lack of emotional response.

And twist your Arctic heart
The artist is describing the person's emotional state as cold and distant, and wants to change it.

Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die
This line is somewhat ambiguous, but seems to be a repetition of an earlier line about wanting to kill to make someone feel something. The use of the word 'die' is meant to be shocking and attention-grabbing.