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The Knife Lyrics by Genesis

Platinum Collection

1971

[Part I]

[Verse 1]
Tell me my life is about to begin
Tell me that I am a hero
Promise me all of your violent dreams
Light up your body with anger
Now, in this ugly world
It is time to destroy all this evil
Now, when I give the word
Get ready to fight for your freedom, now

[Chorus]
Stand up and fight
For you know we are right
We must strike at the lies
That have spread like disease through our minds
Soon we'll have power
Every soldier will rest
And we'll spread out our kindness
To all who our love now deserve
Some of you are going to die
Martyrs of course to the freedom
That I shall provide

[Verse 2]
I'll give you the names of those you must kill
All must die with their children
Carry their heads to the palace of old
Hang them high, let the blood flow
Now, in this ugly world
Break all the chains around us
Now, the crusade has begun
Give us a land fit for heroes, now

[Chorus]
Stand up and fight
For you know we are right
We must strike at the lies
That have spread like disease through our minds
Soon we'll have power
Every soldier will rest
And we'll spread out our kindness
To all who our love now deserve
Some of you are going to die
Martyrs of course to the freedom
That I shall provide

[Guitar Solo]

[Part II]

[Flute Solo]

[Bridge]
We are only wanting freedom
We are only wanting freedom
We are only wanting freedom
We are only wanting freedom ("Freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom…")
We are only wanting freedom ("Things are getting out of control here today")
We are only wanting freedom ("Okay, men, fire over their heads!") (*police siren*) (*screaming*)

[Guitar Solo]

[Outro]
We have won!
Some of you are going to die
Martyrs of course to the freedom
That I shall provide
Credits

About “The Knife” by Genesis

Read the complete lyrics to "The Knife" by Genesis from the album "Platinum Collection" in 1971. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, UK, British Rock.

"The Knife" is performed by Genesis. from the album "Platinum Collection" in 1971 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Knife", explore more songs by Genesis using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Knife" is credited to Genesis. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Knife" appears on "Platinum Collection" in 1971.

Visit the Genesis artist page at /artist/genesis for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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