Sharpener Lyrics
Sharpener's calling me again
Trying to turn it into some
Thing I can draw into my skin
Make it a picture that I love
Instead of something that I wish
I could get in the bath and scrub right off
[Chorus]
Why am I ashamed to look the way I do?
All 'cause an escape to me was just a sharpener to you
[Verse 2]
Big old pill to inch around
There's no copping out this time
Try my best to get it down (Get, get, get, get it down)
Sometimes seems like I'm still young
Looking at the boy across the sink
Thinking, "What the hell have you just done?" ("What the hell have you just done?")
[Chorus]
Why am I ashamed to look thе way I do?
All 'cause an escape to mе was just a sharpener to you
Why am I afraid of things I let inside my room?
Just wanted some company, broke the sharpener in two
About
The themes of this song revolve around self-destructive coping mechanisms, and the addictive nature of them (“Sharpener’s callin' me again”), without seeing any other ways out. Robin also sings about the stigma that revolves around self-harm scars and body dysmorphia in general, linking back into the themes of self-hatred (“Why am I ashamed to look the way I do?”). He highlights the lack of understanding from people who try to address the problem from a neurotypical standpoint (“All ‘cause an escape to me was just a sharpener to you”).
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In an Instagram post promoting the release of the song, Robbie explained:
Sharpener is about unhealthy coping mechanisms, the shame surrounding them, and how sometimes the need for them never truly goes away.
“Sharpener” is probably the hardest to talk about and elaborate on. It’s an “if you know, you know” kind of song. But regardless, I am very proud of it, and it’s one of my only songs which actually moves me to tears a bit.
I sometimes get myself confused, wondering, “If I don’t feel comfortable talking about this, why would I write a whole song about it and share it with the world?” But it is a really special thing to be able to reach out to people through songs like this, people who are in a dark place and struggling with destructive coping mechanisms, and for the song to say to them, “hey, I get it”. If pushing myself out of my comfort zone can help someone else feel comforted, that’s really cool.
–via DORK
- 1.Idea of Her
- 3.Paul
- 6.Guilty
- 7.Sharpener
