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."
Neverland
The Knife Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sitting in a car heading Neverland
A fancy man a fancy man
He's pointing with the fingers that are left on his hand
Eyes are hazel but far too cold
Looking out for love
But none of us can
I'm staring at the money
That burns in my hand
I'm dancing for dollars
And for a fancy man
Come right over
I'll knock on your sholder
This is a story and this is what I've planned
An angry man an angry man
Nothing is more fatal than an angry man
Vulnerable heights
Feed the hand that bites me
Following the steam into another room
Standing in the corner
Is this my home
Showing us love that none of us can
I'm singing for money
That burns in my hand
Tell me
Will I make it home tonight
I'm doing it for dollars and for a fancy man
I've got a lot of money that burns in my hand
The Knife's "Neverland" is a song about a person who is desperate to find love and acceptance. This person is on a journey to Neverland with a fancy man who appears to have only two fingers on his hand, which could indicate that the man is not entirely trustworthy. The singer's eyes are hazel yet cold, reflecting his/her emotional state. The search for love seems futile as the singer cannot seem to find it anywhere. The monkey that has been mentioned, which may be a reference to Peter Pan's character, is nowhere to be found.
The singer turns to money, dancing for dollars and singing for money, but realizes that the money in his/her hand only burns, creating an unfulfilling and painful experience. The singer is also searching for a home, but it is unclear whether or not the corner of the room is where he/she belongs. Furthermore, the singer mentions an angry man and emphasizes that nothing is more fatal than an angry man, which adds an additional layer of uncertainty and danger.
The lyrics describe a journey filled with uncertainty, desperation, and the search for love and acceptance. The singer's use of money as a means to seek love and happiness serves as a commentary on the capitalist society's inherent nature of unsolicited consumerism and artificial hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Eyes are sober and this is the plan
Clear-minded and focused on the objective at hand
I'm sitting in a car heading Neverland
In a state of flux, unsure where life will take me
A fancy man a fancy man
A wealthy, conspicuous figure
He's pointing with the fingers that are left on his hand
A reminder of the cost of ambition and greed
Eyes are hazel but far too cold
Feeling detached and empty despite outward appearances
Looking out for love
Searching for meaning and connection in a shallow world
But none of us can
Unable to find true love and meaning
Where's the monkey that I've been told of
Wondering if there's more to life than what's visible on the surface
I'm staring at the money
Obsessed with wealth and the power it brings
That burns in my hand
Feeling the emptiness of material success
I'm dancing for dollars
Sacrificing dignity for financial gain
Come right over
Desperate for attention and connection
I'll knock on your sholder
Yearning for support and guidance
This is a story and this is what I've planned
Trying to create a narrative for my life
An angry man an angry man
A volatile and self-destructive figure
Nothing is more fatal than an angry man
Recognizing the dangers of anger and unchecked emotions
Vulnerable heights
The uncertain and precarious nature of success
Feed the hand that bites me
Enabling and rewarding toxic behavior
Following the steam into another room
Walking blindly into the unknown
Standing in the corner
Feeling isolated and alone
Is this my home
Questioning my place in the world
Showing us love that none of us can
Yearning for love and connection, but unable to find it
I'm singing for money
Offering my talents and dignity for financial gain
Tell me
Asking for guidance and wisdom
Will I make it home tonight
Will I ever find my place in the world?
I'm doing it for dollars and for a fancy man
Sacrificing my integrity and well-being for wealth and status
I've got a lot of money that burns in my hand
Feeling empty and unfulfilled despite wealth and success
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KARIN ELIZABETH DREIJER ANDERSSON, OLOF BJORN DREIJER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher Ryan
the knife are musical geniuses. They give me a dark feeling to the music when i listen. I will always listen to them. Better than anything u can play on the radio
Michael Heminger
I just now noticed, reading the lyrics, that she pronounces words in a new way to create rhyme where there is none in print. I think this is one of their best songs, and that's saying a lot.
amon2365
no one can compare to them!! they are absolutely THE BEST!!
Zos Xavius
this song is incredibly dark and powerful. easily my favorite knife song. i love the play on words in this song.
vespajason
This song is so great. I've been jamming on this in my mind all day at work even though I haven't heard it for months, and had to rush home and find it.
Jesse Harlin
I like the filter work on the synthesizers. They didn't overstate the notch right on the LP filter so it has a nice timbre. Very pulse wavey. I love it. Nostalgic. Clean and percussive.
6Twisted
Why the hell are The Knife not on the radio constantly? They're music is amazing, the most moving I've ever heard, no doubt about it. It's too bad I've only just found them, so much time wasted listening to the popular music that does nothing for me...
steve c
Its the depth in the vibe and the words that scare people on an empty road in the dark all alone, it makes you realise that you are always all alone even when you are in a crowded room in the light and making like you are not scared.......dont be afraid it's OK, its ALL an illusion! Love the Knife and KDA, an immense force for GOOD!
Murraylization
Wow I totally love this song! A friend showed it to me and first I thought that it sounds a bit ... different. But now I just think ... one of the best songs ever written ♥
Luca Rebori
What starts at 1:59 is something beyond anything. Such a powerful experience everytime i listen to it. will i make it home tonight?