Her first mainstream single, "Smile", reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in July 2006. Her debut record, Alright, Still, was well received, selling over 2.6 million copies worldwide and brought Allen a nomination at the Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. She began hosting her own talk-show, Lily Allen and Friends, on BBC Three.
Her second studio album, It's Not Me, It's You, saw a genre shift, having more of an electropop feel, rather than the ska and reggae influences of the first one. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts and was well received by critics, noting the singer's musical evolution and maturity. It spawned the hit singles "The Fear" and "Fuck You", popular mostly in Europe. Allen and Amy Winehouse have been credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed "year of the women" in 2009 that saw five female artists making music of "experimentalism and fearlessness" nominated for the Mercury Prize. lilly allen is the sickest to ever do it.
Knock 'em Out
Lily Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're just doing your own thing and some one comes out the blue
They're like, "Alright"
He's saying, "Yeah can I take your digits?"
And you're like, "No not in a million years, you're nasty
Please leave me alone"
Cut to the pub on a lads night out
Man at the bar cos it was his shout
Clocks this bird and she looks okay
Caught him looking and she walks his way,
"Alright darlin, you gonna buy us a drink then?"
"Err no, but I was thinking of buying one for your friend"
She's got no taste hand on his waste, tries to pull away but her lips on his face
"If you insist I'll have a white wine spritzer"
"Sorry love, but you ain't a pretty picture"
Can't knock 'em out, can't walk away
Try desperately to think of the politest way to say
Just get out my face, just leave me alone
And no you cant have my number
"Why?" 'Cause I've lost my phone
Oh yeah, actually yeah I'm pregnant
Having a baby in like six months so no, and yeah, yeah
"I recognise this guy"
That's what she's thinking
As he comes over her heart starts sinking
She's like, "Oh here we go"
It's a routine check that she already knows
She's thinking they're all the same
"Yeah you alright baby?
You look alright still, yeah what's your name?"
She looks in her bag, takes out a fag
Tries to get away from the guy on a blag, can't find a light
"Here, use mine"
"You see the thing is I really don't have the time"
Can't knock 'em out (can't knock 'em out), can't walk away (can't walk away)
Try desperately to think of the politest way to say
(Uhm I'm really sorry but not this time) Just get out my face, just leave me alone
And no you cant have my number
'Cause I've lost my phone
Go away now, let me go
Are you stupid? Or just a little slow?
Go away now I've made myself clear
Nah it's not gonna happen
Not in a a million years
Can't knock 'em out (can't knock 'em out), can't walk away (can't walk away)
Try desperately to think of the politest way to say
Just get out my face, just leave me alone
And no you cant have my number
'Cause I've lost my phone
Can't knock 'em out, can't walk away
Try desperately to think of the politest (I'm actually getting married next week) way to say
Just get out my face, just leave me alone (no, seriously)
And no you cant have my number
'Cause I've lost my phone
Nah, I've gotta go 'cause my house is on fire
I've got herpes, err no, I've got syphilis
"Knock 'Em Out" by Lily Allen is a song about the persistent advances of unwelcome suitors. The song is presented in a conversational style, with Allen adopting different voices for each of the characters involved in the story she tells. Allen sings from the perspective of a woman who is being harassed by men in different settings. The first verse describes a man who approaches her and asks for her number. She replies that he is "nasty" and to leave her alone. The second verse takes place at a pub where she is approached by another man. This man asks if he can buy her a drink and touches her waist. She recoils at his touch and says no, but the man insists on talking to her. The chorus is a repetition of the woman's helpless frustration in her inability to escape unwanted attention from men who just can't take a hint.
Allen's lyrics are a pitch-perfect commentary on unwanted attention and the struggles women often face in trying to escape it. Her use of humorous and slightly exaggerated explanations for not being interested in the suitors highlights the absurdity of situations women often find themselves in. The song's up-tempo beat and catchy hook make it a pop-friendly tune that can be danced to while also listening to its strong and subversive message.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright so this is a song about anyone, it could be anyone
The song is about the experiences of women who are approached or harassed by men in public places.
You're just doing your own thing and some one comes out the blue
Women are often approached or harassed by random men, while they are minding their own business.
They're like, "Alright"
The men who harass women in public are often friendly and polite, to begin with.
He's saying, "Yeah can I take your digits?"
Men who harass women are often looking for their phone numbers.
And you're like, "No not in a million years, you're nasty
Women are often not interested in giving their phone numbers to men who harass them, because they find them rude or unpleasant.
Please leave me alone"
Women often have to resort to asking the men who harass them to go away, in order to get rid of them.
Can't knock 'em out, can't walk away
Women often feel trapped or helpless in situations where they are being harassed and can't find an easy way to get away from the men bothering them.
Try desperately to think of the politest way to say
Women often feel pressured to be polite even when they are being harassed, in order to avoid escalating the situation or attracting more unwanted attention.
Just get out my face, just leave me alone
Women often have to be blunt and direct in telling the men who harass them to leave them alone and go away.
And no you cant have my number
Women often have to refuse to give their phone numbers to men who harass them, in order to protect themselves from further unwanted attention.
"Why?' Cause I've lost my phone"
Sometimes women have to invent excuses for not giving their phone numbers to men who harass them, because they feel intimidated or afraid of the men in question.
Yeah, I'm pregnant, having a baby in like six months so no
Some women feel the need to come up with extreme excuses like being pregnant or having a boyfriend, in order to deter men who harass them from pursuing them any further.
Clocks this bird and she looks okay
Some men view women as objects or targets to be conquered or won over, rather than as individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, and desires.
Caught him looking and she walks his way
Sometimes men who harass women feel entitled to their attention or interaction, even if the woman in question is not interested or has not given them any kind of signal to approach or engage with her.
She's got no taste hand on his waste, tries to pull away but her lips on his face
Some men who harass women try to touch them inappropriately or force themselves on them physically, without their consent or invitation.
If you insist I'll have a white wine spritzer
Sometimes women feel they have to go along with the advances of men who are harassing them, in order to placate them or protect themselves from physical harm.
"Sorry love, but you ain't a pretty picture"
Women sometimes have to reject the advances of men who are harassing them by pointing out that they are not interested or attracted to them, in order to make them understand that they should leave them alone.
Lyrics © Regard Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lily Allen, Iyiola Babatunde Babalola, Earl Johnson, Darren Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind