Flies are buzzing round my head
Vultures circling the dead
Picking up every last crumb
The big fish eat the little ones
The big fish eat the little ones
Not my problem, give me some

You can try the best you can
You can try the best you can?
The best you can is good enough
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is good enough

This one's optimistic
This one went to market
This one just came out of the swamp
This one dropped a payload
Fodder for the animals
Living on animal farm

You can try the best you can
You can try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
If you try the best you can
If you try the best you can
The best you can is good enough

Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Ah ah ah
Oh oh oh

I'd really like to help you, man
I'd really like to help you, man
Nervous messed up marionettes
Floating around on a prison ship

You can try the best you can
You can try the best you can
The best you can is good enough
You can try the best you can
You can try the best you can

Dinosaurs roaming the Earth
Dinosaurs roaming the Earth
Dinosaurs roaming the Earth

Ah ah ah (oh oh oh)
Ah ah ah (oh oh oh)
Ah ah ah
Oh oh oh


Lyrics submitted by shut

Optimistic Lyrics as written by Colin Charles Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Optimistic song meanings
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  • +6
    General Comment

    I think the message of this song is actually one the most difficult, because it seems to be showing two conflicting emotions at once. On one hand it's a really dark, pessimistic song / yet it has a kind of blissfull happiness to it as well. I really believe when he sings "try the best you can" he means it. The way they juxtapose that over that rising guitar line is just genius. Nothing in life is black and white and Radiohead really seem to understand that. Life is full of joy and misery as are Radiohead's songs. People who dislike Radiohead only seem to pick up on the latter, possibly they would rather deny the existence of negative emotions altogether.

    ZA81on June 14, 2008   Link

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