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Switchblade Smiles was written by Sergio Pizzorno and is the 10th track on Velociraptor!.

Background[]

The title was inspired by an interview Serge watched in which Morgan Freeman described someone as having a "switchblade smile".[1] It's about "someone who smiles at you in a certain way that you know is dangerous but you're intrigued by."[2] The song references violence as well as the adrenaline rush you get before a fight, simultaneously scary and exciting, and it "makes you want to drive into a brick wall at 90 miles an hour."[3][4]

This song is also inspired by Rage Against the Machine's No Shelter, where the intro riffs sound similar to it.

Switchblade Smiles was made available as a free download with the pre-order of Velociraptor! in June 2011. Serge explained that they wanted to put the song out, and giving it away for free ahead of the album release meant that it would be heard by more people than it would have merely being an album track.[5] It was at one point slated to be released as the fifth single off the album in July 2012.[6]

Live[]

Together with the title track, Switchblade Smiles was the first song from Velociraptor! that was performed live. It was debuted on 4 June 2011 in Sheffield and was a permanent part of the setlist until the end of the 48:13 Tour. The first few times it was performed the song had an additional second verse which was soon dropped.[7]

Video[]

Kasabian_-_Switchblade_Smiles

Kasabian - Switchblade Smiles

The Switchblade Smiles video was directed by designer Aitor Throup and shows the band dressed in all black, performing on black instruments in front of a white background. It was released on 15 July 2011.

In 2017 Aitor Throup revealed that the original idea for the video was to focus on a "mystical and mysterious homeless person". A sketch of this character can be found in the album sleeve.

The video was released on

Quotes[]

"I thought of Tom, it reminded me of Tom: Tom's got a switchblade smile. It's not a violent thing, it's more of a… you know what it's like. You know those sort of people that just... they're kind of wrong'uns but they've got this little glint and you can't... you just want to be around it."
— Serge (Deutscher Musik Blog, September 2011)
"I just wanted to capture the sound of violence, to see what that'd sound like on tape. It's not meant to be fuckin' dark, it's just that energy... it's the adrenaline when you're in the middle of a fight."
— Serge (Scene Magazine, 28 September 2011)
"We keep writing fight music. I don't know what Serge puts in his tea. There's nothing aggressive about Serge, he's a lily pad on water. [Switchblade Smiles] sends people insane. I love being in control of that pandemonium. We're not a shoegazer band."
— Tom (Q Magazine, March 2012)

Releases[]

Albums

Singles

Live Releases[]

Audio

Video

Lyrics[]

Switchblade Lyrics

Switchblade Smiles lyrics from June 2011 with the extra verse included

Switchblade smiles
They go on for miles
And will be forever
Now we stand together
There's no denials

Much too soon
For the wooden spoon
Can you hear the knocking
Now the feet are stomping around the room

Move
Can you feel it coming
Move
Can you feel it coming
Move
Can you feel it coming
Move
Can you feel it coming

Move back
This wrecking ball
Rips through the blackest hole
Violence is coming
Is coming
Is coming

Move back
This wrecking ball
Rips through the blackest hole
Violence is coming
I'm running
I'm running

Switchblade smiles
They go on for miles
And will be forever
Now we stand together
There's no denials

Much too soon
For the wooden spoon
Can you hear the knocking
Now the feet are stomping around the room

Ring a ring o' roses
A pocket full of posers
Uniform disguises
No one leaves alive

Move back
This wrecking ball
Rips through the blackest hole
Violence is coming
Is coming
Is coming

Move back
This wrecking ball
Rips through the blackest hole
Violence is coming
I'm running
I'm running

References[]

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