‘Cuts Like a Knife’ is a song by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams. It was released in May 1983 as the second single from his third studio album of the same name (1983). It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart and number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In an interview in 1988 with Vancouver's Georgia Straight newspaper, Adams explained how Vallance and he came up with the title for the song: "I think that I'm one of the world's best mumblers, I can mumble some of the best lyrics, but putting them together is another story. I think that's where Jim is really good -- he can piece a story together. It's just a good thing to have the tape rolling when you're recording me. The best example was when we wrote ‘Cuts Like A Knife,’ which was just literally a mumble. We looked at each other, rolled the tape back, and it sounded like "cuts like a knife," so we started singing that."
‘Cuts Like a Knife’ was released in 1983, reaching number 12 on the Canadian singles chart and remaining in the top twenty for seven weeks. ‘Cuts Like a Knife’ was Adams' highest charting single to date in Canada while the previous single "Straight from the Heart" was the higher charting song on the US Hot 100 peaking at number 10. ‘Cuts Like a Knife’ won the Procan Award (Performing Rights Organization of Canada) for Canadian radio airplay in 1983 and was nominated for a Juno Award for Single of the Year in 1984.
Label – A&M
Songwriters – Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance
Producers – Bryan Adams, Bob Clearmountain
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Drivin' home this evening
I coulda sworn we had it all worked out
You had this boy believin'
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt, yeah
Well, I heard it on the street
I heard you might've found somebody new, yeah
Well, who is he, baby, who is he?
And tell me what he means to you, oh yeah
[Pre-Chorus]
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
[Chorus]
Now it cuts like a knife!
But it feels so right
Yeah! It cuts like a knife
Oh, but it feels so right
[Verse 2]
There's times I've been mistaken
There's times I thought I'd been misunderstood - ooh yeah
So wait a minute darlin'
Can't you see we did the best we could, ooh, we could
[Pre-Chorus]
This wouldn't be the first time
Things have gone astray
Now you've thrown it all away
[Chorus]
Now it cuts like a knife yeah
But It feels so right
Oh! It cuts like a knife
Yeah! But it feels so right
Oh! It cuts like a knife!
But if feels so right baby!
Oh! It cuts like a knife!
Yeeah! Hey!
[Pre-Chorus]
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
[Chorus]
Now it cuts like a knife yeah
But It feels so right
Oh. Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah, but it feels so right! Yeeah!
Oh, it cuts like a knife
Ooh yeah yeah
But it feels so right baby
Ooh yeah
It cuts like a knife
Now give it to me now
Yeah yeah, come on boys, ow
Feels so right, yeah yeah yeah
Nananananana hey!
Now it cuts like knife now
[Outro]
But it feels so right, yeah yeah
Feels so right baby
Na na yeah, it feels so right
And it cuts like a knife
Yeah yeah
Feels so right baby