In 2000, Sia signed to Sony Music's sub-label Dance Pool and released her second studio album, Healing Is Difficult, the following year. Displeased with the promotion of the record, she signed to Go! Beat and released her third studio album, Colour the Small One, in 2004. The project struggled to connect with a mainstream audience, and so Sia relocated to New York City in 2005 and began touring across the United States. She released her fourth and fifth studio releases, Some People Have Real Problems and We Are Born, in 2008 and 2010, respectively. She then took a hiatus from performing, during which she focused on songwriting for other artists. Her catalogue includes the successful collaborations "Titanium" (with David Guetta), "Diamonds" (with Rihanna) and "Wild Ones" (with Flo Rida).
In 2014, Sia released her sixth studio album 1000 Forms of Fear, which debuted at No 1 in the U.S. Billboard 200 and generated the top-ten breakthrough single "Chandelier" and a trilogy of music videos starring child dancer Maddie Ziegler. In 2016, she released her seventh studio album This Is Acting, which spawned her first Hot 100 number one single, "Cheap Thrills". The same year, Sia gave her Nostalgic for the Present Tour, which incorporated performance art elements. Sia has received an array of accolades, including ARIA Awards and an MTV Video Music Award.
Straight for the Knife
Sia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I put a little make-up on
Put a bow in my hair, wore pretty underwear
Hoping you might take it off
Don't know your etiquette
But I'm strapped to my chair
And it ain't 'cause you're pretty
You were charming, until
Your chance to make history
You went straight for the knife
And I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye
You turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight
You wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
My mascara a mess, harsh words for your princess
Boy, you and your promises
If your goal was to love, you scored an epic miss
Now you'll just have memories
You went straight for the knife
And I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye
You turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight
You wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
Boy, you draw me back in
I'm hungry for your bad loving
But will someone find me swinging from the rafters
From hanging on your every word
You went straight for the knife
And I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye
You turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight
You wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
You wonder why you make girls cry
The lyrics to Sia's song "Straight for the Knife" depict a woman who is in a relationship with a man who has violent tendencies. She has dressed up to impress him, but he ultimately sees her as a target for his desire to kill. The woman is helpless, bound to her chair, as the man proceeds to make history by taking her life. The song is a haunting reminder of the danger of toxic relationships and the devastating consequences they can have.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "You went straight for the knife, and I prepared to die," emphasizing the woman's acceptance of her fate and the senseless violence perpetrated by the man. The lyrics also touch on themes of emotional manipulation, as the woman is pulled back in by the man's charm despite his violent tendencies. Ultimately, the song serves as a warning against abusive relationships and the need to recognize and escape them before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Put on my best dress, I wanted to impress
I dressed up nicely, hoping to make a good impression
I put a little make-up on
I applied some makeup to enhance my appearance
Put a bow in my hair, wore pretty underwear
I added cute accessories and wore nice lingerie
Hoping you might take it off
I had the expectation that you might undress me
Don't know your etiquette
I don't understand your behaviors or manners
But I'm strapped to my chair
I feel trapped or stuck in this situation
And it ain't 'cause you're pretty
Your attractiveness is not a reason for me to be here
You were charming, until
You were likeable and friendly up to a point
You saw your chance to kill
You took advantage of an opportunity to harm me
Your chance to make history
Your opportunity to do something noteworthy or memorable
You went straight for the knife
You immediately chose to harm me
And I prepared to die
I was ready to face death
Your blade it shines
Your weapon is polished and stands out
Looked me straight in the eye
You stared at me directly while attacking
You turned the gas on high
You increased the gas flow to dangerous levels
Held the flame alight
You kept the fire burning intensely
You wonder why
You don't understand
I'm scared of fire
I have a fear of fire due to your actions
You wonder why you make girls cry
You don't understand why you cause emotional pain to women
My mascara a mess, harsh words for your princess
My makeup is smudged and I'm upset with the way you treated me
Boy, you and your promises
You made commitments that you didn't fulfill
If your goal was to love, you scored an epic miss
Your attempt at love was a complete failure
Now you'll just have memories
You won't have anything tangible, just memories of me
Boy, you draw me back in
You attract me again despite our negative history
I'm hungry for your bad loving
I want to be intimate with you even though you mistreated me
But will someone find me swinging from the rafters
I worry that my attachment to you will lead me to harm myself
From hanging on your every word
From being completely enamored with everything you say
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JUSTIN PARKER, SIA FURLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rustymama100
Put on my best dress, I wanted to impress
I put a little make-up on
Put a bow in my hair, wore pretty underwear
Hoping you might take it off
Don't know your etiquette but
I'm strapped to my chair, and it ain't 'cos you're pretty
You were charming, until
You saw your chance to kill, your chance to make history
[Chorus]
You went straight for the knife, and I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye, you turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight, you wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
My mascara a mess, harsh words for your princess
Boy, you and your promises
If your goal was to love, you scored an epic miss
Now you'll just have memories
[Chorus]
You went straight for the knife, and I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye, you turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight, you wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
Boy, you draw me back in
I'm hungry for your bad loving
But will someone find me swinging from the rafters
From hanging on your every word
[Chorus]
You went straight for the knife, and I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye, you turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight, you wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
Songwriters
JUSTIN PARKER, SIA FURLER
@TheGymnastic101
manuel dinamarca Poner en mi mejor vestido
Quería impresionar
Me puse un poco de maquillaje en
Ponga un lazo en el pelo
Llevaba ropa interior bonita
Con la esperanza de que podría quitárselo
No sé si realmente se preocupan
Pero estoy atado a mi silla
Y no es causa que está bastante
Usted fue encantador
Hasta que vio a su oportunidad de matar
Su oportunidad de hacer historia
Usted fue directamente hacia el cuchillo
Y me dispuse a morir
Su hoja, brilla
Me miró directamente a los ojos
Encendió el gas en alta
Celebrada encendida la llama
Se preguntan por qué tengo miedo de fuego
Se preguntan por qué haces las niñas lloran
Mi rimel un lío
Las palabras duras para su princesa
Niño, tú y tus promesas
Si su objetivo era amar
Usted marcó una señorita épica
Ahora vas a tener recuerdos
Usted fue directamente hacia el cuchillo
Y me dispuse a morir
Su hoja, brilla
Me miró directamente a los ojos
Encendió el gas en alta
Celebrada encendida la llama
Se preguntan por qué tengo miedo de fuego
Se preguntan por qué haces las niñas lloran
Chico, me dibuja de nuevo en
Hambre de su mal de amor
Pero, ¿alguien encontrarme colgando de las vigas
Desde que cuelga en cada palabra
Usted fue directamente hacia el cuchillo
Y me dispuse a morir
Su hoja, brilla
Me miró directamente a los ojos
Encendió el gas en alta
Celebrada encendida la llama
Se preguntan por qué tengo miedo de fuego
Se preguntan por qué haces las niñas lloran
@sergiodejupiter8029
Lyrics:
Put on my best dress
I wanted to impress
I put a little make up on
Put a bow in my hair, wore pretty underwear
Hoping you might take it off
Don't know your etiquette but
I'm strapped to my chair
And it ain't cuz your pretty
You were charming, until
You saw your chance to kill
Your chance to make history
You went straight for the knife
And I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye
You turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight, you wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
My mascara a mess, harsh words for your princess
Boy you and your promises
If your goal was to love, you scored an epic miss
Now you'll just have memories
You went straight for the knife
And I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye
You turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight, you wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
Boy you draw me back in
I'm hungry for your bad loving
But will someone find me swinging from the rafters
From hanging on your every word
You went straight for the knife
And I prepared to die
Your blade it shines
Looked me straight in the eye
You turned the gas on high
Held the flame alight, you wonder why
I'm scared of fire
You wonder why you make girls cry
You wonder why you make girls cry
@wajn4785
My wife watching working moms and me listening this in the back ground bought me here, I wasn't watching myself, honest.
@soukainajiddane5559
Me tooo i listen to this song n working moms
@abdullahJo96
Just finished the episode on Netflix
@arlyntinoco5267
Same here ahahah
@srfo1
Same
@edwardhammer5427
Same here! Never heard this before and I enjoy her music.
@nikkitucker8771
Im obsessed with Sia. I never get tired of listening to her amazingly stunning vocals & her heart-stopping lyrics. Shes nothing short of pure musical & lyrical Genius.
@javiervalenzuela9039
Nikki Tucker same
@juicycuter
+Nikki Tucker ummm genius minimum...
@bei456
Me neither