Sharpening Knives (Version) Lyrics

The job paid eight dollars an hour

In a dark room filled with shiny things

They cut the lights, saving power

Me and a hundred men that didn't speak

A blade over flint on a conveyor

Two in a minute pointed and clean

Polishing metal to a sharp edge

For cutting and slicing meat

Sharpening knives sharpening knives

That's what I did with my life

Sharpening knives sharpening knives

That's how I survived

There's a rhythm louder and faster

There's a rhythm that cuts your head

The sound of two hundred hands desperate

Heat and sparks like creation itself

Drunk on the sound, the pounding of metal

Intoxicating slavery

Like a love that stays on too long

Something cut out the heart of me

I woke one morning unable to move

I woke one morning unable to speak

Sounds had filled me with fear

Standing up made me weak

I haven't worked since then

I rely on my wits and the generosity of women

Sometimes I wonder what I've done with myself

Other times I'm glad I survived