Faith, you're driving me away
You do it everyday
You don't mean it but it hurts like hell

My brain says I'm receiving pain
A lack of oxygen from my life support
My iron lung

We're too young to fall asleep
Too cynical to speak
We are loosing it, can't you tell?

We scratch our eternal itch
Our twentieth century bitch and we are grateful for our
Iron lung

Suck, suck your teenage thumb
Toilet trained and dumb
When the power runs out we'll just hum

This this is our new song
Just like the last one
A total waste of time
My iron lung

If you're frightened
You can be frightened
You can be, it's okay

If you're frightened
You can be frightened
You can be, it's okay


Lyrics submitted by piesupreme, edited by rahvii, mattbirt, AnytimeAnyhow, Zainy

My Iron Lung Lyrics as written by Edward John O'brien Colin Charles Greenwood

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

My Iron Lung song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

62 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +14
    General Comment

    Iron Lung is an extended metaphor for a 20th century sell out song. The lung gives the band some breathing room and keeps their popularity up to par. The lung however is Iron; cold and shallow. It's not real. Not real Radiohead.

    Thom was suffering from writers block and he understood that the band needed a hit song. Frankly he hates the track he says so in the lyrics. But it ended up the song was a huge hit and people listening to it on top 40 didn't even realize that the lyrics are just him trashing his own song. Priceless.

    pasosportson April 23, 2009   Link
  • +9
    General Comment

    it's something you need but undoubtly hate it. like medicines for your illness,fake legs,your boss,the selfish audiences(for radiohead),iron lung. finally one day you will get enough of this.then you will find actually you need not. just to suffer and then...die.never big deals.

    stainon August 05, 2002   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I think the song is not about Creep, in my opinion...

    Faith, you're driving me away You do it everyday You don't mean it but it hurts like hell My brain says I'm receiving pain A lack of oxygen from my life support My iron lung

    Faith means fear, fear about losing someone (I'll explain why someone later...) and he's losing any kind of hope... he knows he's getting worse because he wants something he can't achieve, he's "dying" because he can't get it, the iron lung is the most beautiful part of the song, it means something you need but you don't wanna have... for example: when you love someone you don't wanna love, but she/he makes you happy sometimes, even though it's just a lie.

    We're too young to fall asleep Too cynical to speak We are losing it, can't you tell? We scratch our eternal itch A twentieth century bitch And we are grateful for our iron lung

    Just as said before, he's losing someone, and they won't talk about it, but there's plenty of time (we're to young to fall asleep, this means there's plenty of time to talk about it, yet, they won't), and he's quite angry that she (in my opinion it's about a girl) doesn't even care. "We scratch our eternal itch, a twentieth century bitch" they won't do anything about it, and they will feel kind of uncomfortable, but they'll pretend there's nothing wrong, and pretend they are fine (just like everyone does, and that's what 20th century means). And they'll pretend they're fine depending on an "iron lung" (that keeps them "alive")

    The headshrinkers They want everything My uncle Bill My Belisha beacon

    Headshrinkers as headhunters are like fears, he's starting to lose control, his head is like a belisha beacon and he's losing it

    Suck, suck your teenage thumb Toilet trained and dumb When the power runs out we'll just hum This, this is our new song Just like the last one A total waste of time My iron lung

    he's saying like "keep being so childish, pretending everything's alright, eventually it will be". "This is our new song, just like the last one a total waste of time, my iron lung" I love this part, I'm also a composer, and writing a song is like writing down your feelings and finally let them go... but some feelings are really really sad and even if you make a lot of songs, you can't make them go, and you hope that when you write a nice song for someone, that someone appreciates it, but when she/he doesn't, you feel like crap, like a waste of time...

    And if you're frightened You can be frightened You can be, it's okay

    Cause he's not

    I hope you like it, obviously it's not the perfect meaning, because unless you're the writer, you can't completely understand a song... but that's the way I see the song...

    weirdloungeon July 04, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    it's about Creep. After Creep people were unwilling to give Radiohead a chance, and at live shows people would turn up just to hear Creep, and then they'd leave. Creep is(was) the bands iron lung, without it, the band would have been dropped and would have disappeared, it kept Radiohead alive. "this is our new song, just like the last one, a total waste of time" they have new songs, but it's a waste of time, they'll always be remembered as the band that did Creep.

    ecureuilon April 20, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    "This is a song about turning out the same old shit to make money." Thom Yorke live at pinkpop 2000

    There you go, straight form the horses' mouth!

    Lumpy_custardon June 12, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    The song's about Creep as everybody said.I think everybody has got his own iron lung...the one thing they hate but can't live without.For me,it was the pretension of coping.Having that smile on my face and communicate with people i have nothing in common with.

    Joekubrickon June 22, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    A belisha beacon is a pedestrian crossing with a flashing amber light used in England... Watch "Meeting People Is Easy" a dvd about Radiohead right after OK Computer. In it Thom talks about how they got so used to a certain life style due to songs like Creep, they were almost afraid to change. Obviously they did change (Kid A, Amnesiac) and that's one of the many reasons I respect Radiohead.

    Ape_Svengalion February 06, 2005   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i have allways loved song,and call it stupid or whatever, but having just recovered from 3 months of Chemo I just feel I understand (And therefore enjoy!) this song a whole lot more. It's like what 'stain' said, Having something which you disagree with (wether that be phisically in my case or on on grounds of not being portrayed as sell outs in Radiohead's case) but needing it, like really needing it, to stay alive. But I don't think you need to have been through what I've been through to get it, you can understand with the common situations, i.e. Doing a shity job you really hate, but having to do it in order to maintain a living. I just feel my expirience just made me respect this song way more than before

    The Dead Boyon March 03, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    the headshrinkers they want everything my uncle ben my belisha bacon

    who are the headshrinkers and whats belisha bacon taste like heh?

    these lyrics are missing and come after the headshrinkers stanza: and if your frightened you can be frightened you can be it's okay and if your frightened you can be frightened you can be it's okay

    plasticwonderon May 24, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    and if your frightened "you can be frightened you can be it's okay and if your frightened you can be frightened you can be it's okay " This makes me feel better, because even when its shitty, that's ok. And when its good, its ok. Its all ok, things aren't that bad. Thank god for that.

    periwinklebydayon July 01, 2003   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Gentle Hour
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,
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.