Exit Music
The Cinematic Orchestra Lyrics


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I want you to know
He's not coming back
Look into my eyes
I'm not coming back

So knives out
Catch the mouse
Don't look down
Shove it in your mouth

If you'd been a dog
They would've drowned you at birth

Look into my eyes
It's the only way you'll know I'm telling the truth

So knives out
Cook him up
Squash his head
Put him in the pot

I want you to know
He's not coming back
He's bloated and frozen
Still there's no point in letting it go to waste

So knives out
Catch the mouse




Squash his head
Put him in the pot

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Cinematic Orchestra's "Exit Music" suggest themes of anxiety, uncertainty and desperation. The lines "I want you to know, he's not coming back, look into my eyes, I'm not coming back" evoke a sense of finality and hopelessness. The repetition of "knives out" throughout the song adds to this feeling of desperation and almost a sense of violence. The line "if you'd been a dog, they would've drowned you at birth" speaks to a sense of worthlessness or a feeling of not belonging. The act of drowning an unwanted dog at birth is cruel and inhumane, suggesting the singer's feeling of being discarded or abandoned.


The lines "cook him up, squash his head, put him in the pot" and "he's bloated and frozen, still there's no point in letting it go to waste" suggest a sense of desperation, as though someone is willing to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means resorting to cannibalism. The mouse that's caught is a symbol for the suffering and survival instincts, and it's almost as though the singer is saying "we need to do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means resorting to violence or cannibalism."


Overall, "Exit Music" suggests themes of desperation, anxiety, and hopelessness. The repetition of "knives out" and the violent imagery used throughout the song create a feeling of unease and perhaps even danger.


Line by Line Meaning

I want you to know
This is important information that I need you to understand


He's not coming back
The person we're waiting for isn't returning


Look into my eyes
Direct eye contact is necessary for you to understand the sincerity of my message


I'm not coming back
I won't be returning


So knives out
Get ready for action


Catch the mouse
Find and capture the target


Don't look down
Focus on the task at hand and don't hesitate


Shove it in your mouth
Consume the target with force


If you'd been a dog
If you were born with certain undesirable traits


They would've drowned you at birth
You would not have been allowed to live


It's the only way you'll know I'm telling the truth
Trust can only be established through direct eye contact


Cook him up
Prepare the target for consumption


Squash his head
Destroy the target with force


Put him in the pot
Prepare the target for consumption


He's bloated and frozen
The target is no longer fresh and ready for consumption


Still there's no point in letting it go to waste
It's better to use what we have rather than waste it




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN CHARLES GREENWOOD, EDWARD JOHN O'BRIEN, JONATHAN RICHARD GUY GREENWOOD, PHILIP SELWAY, PHILIP JAMES SELWAY, THOMAS YORKE, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE

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David Adamson


on Channel 1 Suite

Excellent!!!!