"Knives and Pens" is a song by American rock band Black Veil Brides, released as a music video exclusively on YouTube. It is their first single, and is one of their most popular songs to date, with the music video reaching over 100 million views on YouTube.

The song was re-recorded and re-released as two new versions—a version with a few vocal and guitar changes, and a limited edition Hot Topic acoustic version—alongside the songs "We Stitch These Wounds" and "The Mortician's Daughter" on their debut studio album, We Stitch These Wounds. The limited-copy acoustic version was re-released by StandBy Records to the general public for download on March 19, 2013.

The lyrics were written by Black Veil Brides vocalist Andy around the title "Knives and Pens" which, according to him describes a choice: Knives — destruction (as in harming yourself), and Pens — creation (as in the choice he decided to make to begin writing music and make something of their life). Black Veil Brides is saying in this song that if you make good choices in life, you can rise above and conquer whatever troubles you may come across.

The clip at the beginning of the original version of the song is from the documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. It was taken from a recording of one of the West Memphis Three trials. The transcription of the clip is as follows:

Witness - "I have personally observed people wearing black fingernails, having their hair painted black, wearing black t-shirts... Sometimes they will tattoo themselves."

The song is in the key of D minor and the guitars are tuned to Drop D. The song slowly builds around a piano's sustained D note, until the introductory clip ends, and then the band begins to play.

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