Punches and Knives
Two Lone Swordsmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over the junkyard
Ease him into sleep
A bullet to the brain
Means that he drunk hard
Looking for the deep
A stranger he now knows
Wakes him with a start
And asks please take me home
To Daddy's address
You can have my heart
A stranger he now knows
To be unstable
Writhes with need and fears
A look of pure dirt
Across the table
Even so he hears
The alarm in his head
Moving into the red
Sounding like punches and knives
Hear the voices, they cry
It's likely you'll die
Pounded by punches and knives
The lady did not show
Her recognition
Of his firm replies
Just took control and moved
Into position
Sparks in magnet eyes
So with one simple no
It's the green light to go
What if the answer was so
A week's loving quite dark
And out goes the spark
Then she'd have finished with me
A stare he could see now
May signal violence
Should he make a move
A sweetly pleading smile
Prompts only silence
Got no point to prove
A stare he could now see
Went quite a distance
Hiding make-up tears
With loud and knowing tones
Of dark insistence
This is what he hears
The lyrics of Two Lone Swordsmen's song Punches and Knives delves into the theme of unseen danger lurking around in human relationships. The singer is introduced to us in the first stanza as a person on the edge, seeking the thrill of the forbidden. The reference to the "new machines over the junkyard" is an allusion to the exciting but unpredictable situations that he is drawn to, even if it means "looking for the deep".
In the second stanza, the singer's impulsiveness leads him to engage with two strangers, a countess and an unstable woman. He is lured by their enticing charm and their requests for help. However, the hidden danger in their personalities is hinted at through lines like "A look of pure dirt across the table" or "her recognition of his firm replies, just took control and moved into position". These lines reflect the dangers of becoming involved with people who may not have our best interests at heart.
The chorus of the song further amplifies the sense of danger and violence lurking in the shadows. The repeated reference to "punches and knives" is a metaphor for the violent acts that might await the singer. The layers of sound, with the music imitating this violence, create tension, and apprehension in the sound space.
Line by Line Meaning
The sound of new machines
New technology hums in the background
Over the junkyard
Above a wasteland of discarded things
Ease him into sleep
He's trying to numb his mind
A bullet to the brain
His drinking is self-destructive
Means that he drunk hard
He's trying to escape reality
Looking for the deep
Searching for something profound
A stranger he now knows
He's meeting someone new
To be a countess
She's nobility
Wakes him with a start
He's jolted awake
And asks please take me home
She needs his help
To Daddy's address
Her father's house
You can have my heart
She's interested in him romantically
To be unstable
She seems emotionally troubled
Writhes with need and fears
She is craving something but is also afraid
A look of pure dirt
She appears desperate and dangerous
Across the table
They're face to face
Even so he hears
Despite this, he listens intently
The alarm in his head
He knows something is wrong
Moving into the red
The situation is escalating
Sounding like punches and knives
He's afraid for his safety
Hear the voices, they cry
He's hearing threatening voices
It's likely you'll die
He feels like his life is in danger
Pounded by punches and knives
He's envisioning a violent assault
The lady did not show
She's not reacting to him
Her recognition
She doesn't seem to know him
Of his firm replies
His assertiveness went unnoticed
Just took control and moved
She took charge of the situation
Into position
She's making a move
Sparks in magnet eyes
She has an intense, alluring gaze
So with one simple no
He's hesitant
It's the green light to go
But he agrees anyway
What if the answer was so
He's second-guessing his decision
A week's loving quite dark
A passionate but possibly dangerous romance
And out goes the spark
And then it fizzles out
Then she'd have finished with me
He's afraid of getting hurt
A stare he could see now
He's watching her closely
May signal violence
Her demeanor looks threatening
Should he make a move
He's unsure what to do next
A sweetly pleading smile
She's trying to charm him
Prompts only silence
But he's not responding
Got no point to prove
He doesn't need to show off
Hiding make-up tears
She's pretending to be strong
With loud and knowing tones
But he can tell she's not okay
Of dark insistence
She's demanding his attention
This is what he hears
He's hearing her desperation
Lyrics © Roba Music, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Ultra Tunes
Written by: KEITH N TENNISWOOD, ANDREW WEATHERALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind