I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mother Mary come for me
For I am a wicked child
I have sinned and I am so confused
For I am a wicked child
I am a wicked child
I am the Devil's son
And I wish I could be good
I walk the crooked mile
Yeah I wish I could be good
I wish I could be good
If I could have kept on the straight and narrow
If I could have kept on the straight and narrow
But God broke your heart
God broke your heart
Now I wake up in the night
He's tugging at my arms and legs
Like I was a marionette
Send baby Jesus
To radiate his lie
To radiate his lie
For I am a wicked child
I have sinned and I am so confused
For I am a wicked child
I am a wicked child
I am the Devil's son
And I wish I could be good
I walk the crooked mile
Yeah I wish I could be good
I wish I could be good
If I could have kept on the straight and narrow
If I could have kept on the straight and narrow
But God broke your heart
God broke your heart
Now I wake up in the night
He's tugging at my arms and legs
Like I was a marionette
Send baby Jesus
To radiate his lie
To radiate his lie
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Dreamwalker
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Radiohead is the most post-modern band on the planet today, and perhaps the least religious. Everything about Radiohead is post-modern - not pertaining to one genre, (in fact being an amalgamation of almost everything from Dixieland jazz to minimal electro...) to the issue of Thom singing from a multitude of perspectives giving us insight (and I use that word loosely), into the fragmented world that we live in today. No, Radiohead would never sing a song that is in support of Religion (any religion for that matter) as it would be suggesting that there is a central "truth" to existence, which is entirely impossible due to the fact that there is more than six-billion perceptions affecting how we experience our lives. This song is pure satire, written from the perspective of a religious person who is struggling to come to terms with human desire within the christian framework. Conclusion? Religion is far from the key. There is no truth. 2+2=5
I once read an article written by someone who believed that Tool is a christian band. This is indeed hilarious considering the whole occult/Aleister Crowley connection here. Seems to be that there are far too many people projecting their beliefs onto reality and at the same time, believing the reflection they receive is universal truth. So bizarre.
I think here Thom has written about the effects that devout religious parents have on their children. In the Catholic Church, at least, every one is told they are born with original sin. So in this song, it seems like a boy is praying for forgiveness because someone has ingrained in him the idea that, even if you're an innocent child, every human is inherently evil. Of course, this can really fuck with a kid's mind and I think that's what is being pointed out in this song.
It is a satirical song, and anyone thinking otherwise is injecting too much of their own personal beliefs into the song.
Based on the lyrics, though, it truly is a satirical song.
He's singing it from the perspective of someone who has been told that they're evil. Either due to their own personal beliefs, or some other reason. The song jokingly says that they wish to be saved.
He's only confused because someone told him he was confused. He felt perfectly fine before, but now that someone has tried to feed him religion, it's starting to haunt him at night.
It pulls at his arms and legs as if though he were a marionette - a puppet.
The last verse is asking to please send Jesus, because he feels it's about time. If Jesus truly is real, then he should already be here.
I understand how some of you are confusing this as a pro-Christianity song, but it truly isn't. Analyze it lyric for lyric, and you'll see that it is a satirical song.
As far as Thom's beliefs, I'd GUESS that he's atheist or agnostic. However, he could be Christian. The fact that he sometimes alludes to religious material in his songs means nothing. Countless song writers and authors have used Christian themes in their work without actually being a Christian. In fact, I myself am an atheist, and I can proudly say that I do read the bible. I'm not religious, but I'll read anything worth reading.
i like this song for its uniqueness from other radiohead songs. the harmonica in it is excellent. i can't wait to hear radiohead's next album with banjos
this song was played during a Radiohead webcast on march 23, 2000 and hasnt been played since
It was recently released as a B-side.
part of this was on the radiohead site when amnesiac came out.
Its now been released on the ComLag Lp: get it without fail!
I think the second line says "for" not "cause" which makes it sound more... biblical. Furthermore, the ComLag release now reads as follows:
"Send baby Jesus To radiate his light To radiate his light"
The song's about what it seems- sin, and attempts to resist sin. Its odd to hear Thom talk about "Mother Mary" and "Baby Jesus," as he's not a very religious man. However he has said that being a father has made him contemplate the deeper meaning of life further. Either way, its a cracker, one of the best on the EP- which, by the way, is out for general release soon! Hurrah!
Send baby jesus Let him radiate his light Radiate his light
The idea of Jesus the as a lightbringer is interesting, as the latin word for lightbringer is "Lucifer" This also means morning star, and "Lucifer" in the bible is never used to describe satan, it was a name that was given him later:
Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.
I was contemplating and tripping out on this stuff when this album came out, which was an extra cool coincidence.