This song is a great metaphor, of course the woman in this song is not using a literal knife, it’s actually a metaphor for emotional manipulation. There are 3 other Billy songs with same kind of “femme fatale” type of meaning to them: "She’s Always a Woman", "All for Leyna", and "Laura".
In this uptempo track from his sixth studio album, Billy Joel sings about an irresistible but dangerous woman who wields emotional manipulation like a sharp blade. In 2016, Joel told SiriusXM that the song's staccato piano riff was inspired by the riff that opens Traffic's 1969 song "Shanghai Noodle Factory."
On "52nd Street", a jazzy send-up to Manhattan's night life, Joel reunited with Phil Ramone, who produced his breakthrough album, "The Stranger", the previous year. For its follow-up, Ramone encouraged him to shift his musical direction and experiment with jazz. The album won two trophies at the 1980 Grammy Awards: Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male and Album Of The Year. According to Ramone, the funky bass lines, finger snaps, and cliffhanger breaks were incorporated after Joel listened to the first playbacks and decided the song needed a visceral hook to create the necessary tension. "Memorable fills, phrases, and breaks - such as the one heard on 'Stiletto' - are what set the best records apart," Ramone wrote in his 2007 book "Making Records: The Scenes Behind The Music". "These devices are especially effective when they're heard at the beginning of a song; if you can come up with something spicy and unique, you've got a better chance of getting (and holding) the audience's attention."
Ramone explained how drummer Liberty DeVitto unexpectedly nailed the sound effect of a switchblade clicking open: "It had rained that day, so we got an umbrella and Liberty practiced opening it so the timing would be right. We begin recording... here comes the take... and SNAP! The umbrella flew right off the top of the handle. The timing - and the sound - couldn't have been better."
Stiletto
Billy Joel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But still you believe
The wound is so fresh you can taste the blood
BUt you don't have strength to leave
You've been bought, you've been sold
You've been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin',
With your insides bleedin',
Then she says she wants forgiveness
It's such a clever masquerade
She's so good with her stiletto
You don't even see the blade
She cuts you hard, she cuts you deep,
She's got so much skill
She's so fascinating that you're still there waiting
When she comes back for the kill
You've been slashed in the face
You've been left there to bleed
You want to run away
But you know you're gonna stay
'Cause she gives you what you need
Then she says she wants affection
While she searches for the vein
She's so good with her stiletto
You don't really mind the pain
She cuts you out, she cuts you down
She carves up your life
But you won't do nothng
As she keeps on cutting
'Cause you know you love the knife
You've been bought, you've been sold
You've been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin'
With your insides bleedin'
'Cause you deep down want some more
Then she says she needs affection
While she searches for the vein
She's so good with her stiletto,
You don't really mind the pain
The song Stiletto by Billy Joel tells the story of an abusive and manipulative woman who cuts the singer emotionally and mentally as if with a stiletto. The lyrics describe how the singer is aware of the harm that this woman is causing to him, but he remains powerless, unable to leave her despite the pain. The woman portrays herself as vulnerable and asks for forgiveness and affection, yet she is skilled in using her stiletto to keep him under her control, and he does not realize it until too late.
Through these lyrics, Billy Joel appears to be highlighting the dangers of toxic relationships and how they can ultimately lead to the loss of self-worth and the inability to make rational decisions. The singer is portrayed as a victim of this woman's deception and manipulation, unable to leave despite being aware of the harm she causes him. The stiletto symbolizes the woman's ability to harm the singer indirectly through her words and actions, leaving a deep emotional wound that cannot be easily healed.
The song's chorus reflects the singer's inner struggle between his desire for a better life and his inability to break free from the woman's control. Despite the harm done to him, he still wants more of her, and she is aware of it. The song portrays a vicious cycle of emotional abuse and manipulation, highlighting the danger of falling in love with people who ultimately hurt us.
Line by Line Meaning
She cuts you once, she cuts you twice
She hurts you repeatedly, yet you still have hope for a better future
But still you believe
Despite the ongoing pain, you cling to the hope that things will get better
The wound is so fresh you can taste the blood
The pain is so intense that you can feel it physically and emotionally
But you don't have strength to leave
Even though you know you should leave, you lack the strength to do so
You've been bought, you've been sold
You have been manipulated and used for someone else's gain
You've been locked outside the door
You feel rejected and shut out of someone else's life
But you stand there pleadin',
You beg for another chance despite the pain and rejection
With your insides bleedin',
Your emotions are raw and hurting
'Cause you deep down want some more
Despite the pain, you still have a desire for more of the same
Then she says she wants forgiveness
She manipulates you into forgiving her, despite her repeated harm towards you
It's such a clever masquerade
She uses her charm to cover up her hurtful actions
She's so good with her stiletto
She knows how to hurt you emotionally with her words and actions
You don't even see the blade
You are blinded by your love and hope, so you don't see the harm she is causing you
She cuts you hard, she cuts you deep,
Her actions hurt you to a great extent
She's got so much skill
She knows how to manipulate and hurt you in a way that seems effortless
She's so fascinating that you're still there waiting
Despite her hurtful actions, you are still drawn to her and waiting for her return
When she comes back for the kill
When she returns to hurt you again with her words and actions
You've been slashed in the face
Her words and actions have left a lasting mark on you
You've been left there to bleed
She has hurt you emotionally and left you to deal with the aftermath on your own
You want to run away
You feel the urge to escape from the painful situation
But you know you're gonna stay
Despite your desire to leave, you know you will stay with her
'Cause she gives you what you need
You stay with her because she provides you with emotional satisfaction that you crave
Then she says she wants affection
She manipulates you into giving her the care and attention she desires
While she searches for the vein
She is using you to fulfill her own emotional needs
She cuts you out, she cuts you down
She has a way of completely destroying your self-esteem and sense of worth
She carves up your life
She has the ability to completely disrupt and disturb your life
But you won't do nothng
Despite the harm she is causing you, you don't take any action to stop it
As she keeps on cutting
She continues to hurt you, and you allow it to happen
'Cause you know you love the knife
Despite the pain, you are addicted to the emotional satisfaction she provides you
Then she says she needs affection
She manipulates you into giving her the care and attention she desires
While she searches for the vein
She is using you to fulfill her own emotional needs
She's so good with her stiletto,
She knows how to manipulate and hurt you emotionally to get what she wants
You don't really mind the pain
Despite the hurt she causes you, you don't mind it as long as she stays with you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY JOEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vt2567
She cuts you once, she cuts you twice
But still you believe
The wound is so fresh you can taste the blood
But you don't have strength to leave
You've been bought, you've been sold
You've been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin',
With your insides bleedin',
'Cause you deep down want some more
Then she says she wants forgiveness
It's such a clever masquerade
She's so good with her stiletto
You don't even see the blade
She cuts you hard, she cuts you deep,
She's got so much skill
She's so fascinating that you're still there waiting
When she comes back for the kill
You've been slashed in the face
You've been left there to bleed
You want to run away
But you know you're gonna stay
'Cause she gives you what you need
Then she says she wants affection
While she searches for the vein
She's so good with her stiletto
You don't really mind the pain
She cuts you out, she cuts you down
She carves up your life
But you won't do nothng
As she keeps on cutting
'Cause you know you love the knife
You've been bought, you've been sold
You've been locked outside the door
But you stand there pleadin'
With your insides bleedin'
'Cause you deep down want some more
Then she says she needs affection
While she searches for the vein
She's so good with her stiletto,
You don't really mind the pain
@alexanderjakubsen2198
Billy Joel is so fucking brilliant.
@grantthomas8725
It's really not fair
@aaronzamkoff1238
He is my favorite singer
@bmason7092
@Aaron Zamkoff Same
@jeffberger
Yup!
@rachelword8686
That piano though... chills EVERY time
@oldirtydasher
DJ Polo & Kool G Rap
@JOOSEMAN78
@Ol' Dirty Dasher word.... road to the riches
@lex_farmbros4946
duh duh duh duh duh duh
@bmason7092
I know🤗😱😱🤗