The Knife won a Swedish Grammy award for best pop group of the year 2003, but they boycotted the ceremony by sending two representatives of another artist group dressed as gorillas with the number 50 written on their costumes, apparently as a protest against male dominance within the music industry. Their album Deep Cuts was also nominated for a Swedish Grammy as the best record of the year 2003, although that award went to The Cardigans. It was also in 2003 that the The Knife was featured as Artist of the Week at HitQuarters, which helped them gain greater attention in the worldwide music community.
The group became prominent in late 2005 when José González covered "Heartbeats" on his 2003 album, Veneer. The song was used by Sony in a commercial for Bravia television sets, and released as a single in early 2006. The group commented on this in a Dagens Nyheter article, claiming that Sony paid a large sum of money to use the song. In view of the group's left-wing views and non-commercial philosophy, they excused this transaction on the basis that the money was needed to establish their record company.
The Knife's song "We Share Our Mothers' Health" from their album Silent Shout was featured by the iTunes store as a free song of the week in late 2006. This song was also featured in the ABC series Ugly Betty, as well as an episode of CSI: NY.
In February 2005, the Knife performed their first ever live show at London's ICA, appearing with Rex the Dog and playing in front of a video created for the event by artist/film maker Andreas Nilsson. With this one live performance The Knife embarked on a major tour in 2006, and after selling out shows worldwide, a DVD of the tour was announced. The DVD was released in Sweden on November 8, 2006, and is titled Silent Shout: An Audio Visual Experience.
Silent Shout was named the best album of 2006 by Pitchfork Media.
At the Swedish Grammy awards in January 2007, The Knife won in all six categories they were nominated in: Composer of the Year, Music DVD of the Year, Producer of the Year, Pop Group of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year. Again, they did not attend the award ceremony.
In 2009 the duo wrote the opera Tomorrow, In a Year, celebrating 150 years since Darwin's Origin of Species was published.
In April 2013 they released the album Shaking The Habitual.
In 2014 Karin Dreijer revealed in a interview that the Knife were calling it quits for good. "When we finish the tour now in November we will close down, it’s our last tour," they said. "We don’t have any obligations to continue, it should only and always be for fun."
Na Na Na
The Knife Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a home, a dog and a man to call my own
Every month
I've got my period
To take care of
And to collect in blue tampons
Na na na
I've got mace, pepper-spray
And some shoes that runs faster than a rapist rapes
What I need is chemical castrations, hope and godspeed
Na na na
Na na na
What I need is chemical castrations, hope and godspeed...
The lyrics to The Knife's song Na Na Na are both striking and thought-provoking. The first verse seems to celebrate the singer's sense of security and stability in her life, with references to her soul, home, dog, and man. However, the second half of the verse presents a stark contrast by discussing her menstrual cycle and the practical aspects of dealing with it, such as using tampons. This juxtaposition may be interpreted as a commentary on the simultaneous beauty and mundanity of human existence.
The second verse takes a darker turn, with the singer listing items she uses for self-defense, including mace and pepper spray. She then expresses a desire for chemical castration, which is a medical treatment that reduces sex drive. This reference could be interpreted as a commentary on the prevalence of sexual violence against women and the frustration of feeling unable to protect oneself adequately. The lines "hope and godspeed" suggest a sense of desperation and a need for divine intervention.
Overall, the lyrics to Na Na Na are complex, touching on themes of security, femininity, violence, and powerlessness. The stark contrast between the celebratory tone of the first verse and the darker imagery of the second verse creates a jarring effect that leaves a lasting impression on the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got soul in my bones
I have a strong sense of individuality and spirit within me.
Got a home, a dog and a man to call my own
I have a sense of stability and security in my personal life.
Every month
On a regular basis.
I've got my period
I experience menstrual bleeding.
To take care of
To manage or tend to.
And to collect in blue tampons
I use blue tampons to absorb my menstrual blood.
Na na na
A meaningless, catchy refrain.
I've got mace, pepper-spray
I possess self-defense items for personal protection.
And some shoes that runs faster than a rapist rapes
I have shoes that allow me to flee danger at a quick pace.
What I need is chemical castrations, hope and godspeed
I require drastic measures, along with faith and support, to protect myself from sexual violence and assault.
Na na na
A meaningless, catchy refrain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KARIN ELIZABETH DREIJER ANDERSSON, OLOF BJORN DREIJER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind