When she says she wants forgiveness
It's such a clever masquerade She's so good with her stiletto You don't even see the blade Although not released as a single "Stiletto" became popular through FM airplay. This is a jazzy "femme fatale" song about a woman who is so "good with her stiletto" that you don't even know you've been cut. The knife and cuting imagery is a metaphor, of course, for emotional manipulation, but this song and the frequently misunderstood "She's Always A Woman" (with the line "she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding") led to some critics to unfairly label Billy a misogynist despite songs like "Just The Way You Are" and "Rosalinda's Eyes." That's reading too much into the lyrics, this is just a sharp and clever tune, another album track that is better than the singles released from the album. Billy playfully addresses this in one of his "Masterclasses" at Lynn University.
The slashing staccato piano opening of "Stiletto" sets the tone, as Billy seems to first launch into a diatribe against the "victim" of the woman portrayed in the song ("she cuts you once, she cuts you twice, but still you believe"). But we soon learn that the woman is a skillful emotional manipulator ("she's so good with her stiletto, you don't really mind the pain" or "you don't even see the blade"). Each time she cuts you down or betrays you, she quickly says she wants forgiveness and that actually the problem was she just needed some more affection, playing the innocent wide-eyed ingenue or guileless child. But as Billy writes, it is just another clever masquerade as she is still actually using you for her own purposes (see "She's Always A Woman"). The lyrics are taut and direct, just like a good knife cut. The driving piano solo in the bridge seems to cover the entire keyboard before the sax solo brings us back to the thumping bass line. The music and lyrics blend together perfectly. * * * * *
The piano intro has become quite popular. It was used in the movie Star 80 (about Dorothy Stratten) and also sampled in Kool G Rap and DJ Polo's Road to Riches. Billy said on Sirius XM that the piano riff was inspired by Traffic's "Shanghai Noodle Factory." Click player (right) to hear Billy discuss it.
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Kohuept (1987) | A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia (2014)
Originally released on 52nd Street (1982) Words and Music by Billy Joel She cuts you once, she cuts you twice
But still you believe The wound is so fresh you can taste the blood But you don't have strength to leave You've been bought, you've been sold You've been locked outside the door But you stand there pleadin' With your insides bleedin' 'Cause deep down you want some more When she says she wants forgiveness It's such a clever masquerade She's so good with her stiletto You don't even see the blade She cuts you hard, she cuts you deep She's got so much skill She's so fascinating that you're still there waiting When she comes back for the kill You've been slashed in the face You've been left there to bleed You want to run away But you know you're gonna stay 'Cause she gives you what you need Then she says she needs affection While she searches for the vein She's so good with her stiletto You don't really mind the pain She cuts you out, she cuts you down She carves up your life But you won't do nothing As she keeps on cutting 'Cause you know you love the knife You've been bought, you've been sold You've been locked outside the door But you stand there pleadin' With your insides bleedin' 'Cause deep down you want some more Then she says she needs affection While she searches for the vein She's so good with her stiletto You don't really mind the pain
Billy discusses the song, from SiriusXM.
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Videos
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Live version of "Stiletto" (audio only) from Russia concerts.
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Studio version of "Stiletto" from 1978.
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Live version of "Stiletto" from 1979 in Houston
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Just the piano riff.
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Live at MSG in 2006
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An unplugged live performance at The Roxy in November 2012, but only one verse, before going into "Scenes."
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