| Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I think this song is about a break up and goes well with a morning bell content wise. Here is why: The first verse I can't surely fit into my theory, it's just a cool verse though. It always reminds me of being in the army and sleep deprived up late with night vision goggles on and my vision tricking me into thinking I saw a light someplace. Obviously thom does not have this experience. From there on out this song has always been about overcomming heartbreak. I used to think there was no future left at all -- If anyone has ever been dumped after a long relationship you will know that feeling of thinking you will never find that kind of love again, there is no future left at all. Think about the good times and never the bad/never look back. This seems to be advice. You need to move on with your life. You need to open up, begin again. The live acoustic version of this song drive that point home to me because Thom changes teh lyrics slightly. He sings What would I do? What would I do? If I did not have you. (in some versions he lets out a mournful moan right here as if to imply without 'you' he would be crushed-- but then...) I'd start again, I'd begin again. To me that's showing two ideas. What would I do without you? Makes him sound in love and fearful of losing someone. But in the next line I'd start again, I'd begin again, He's saying that he can make it on his own and it wouldn't kill him to lose his lover. I got dumped after an 8 year relationship because I came back from a warzone with PTSD and I went through a heavy depression because of it. I listened to sonic youth and joy division and radiohead among others because they fit my mood. This song came along right aobut the time I was getting over her and it made me feel stronger. Many songs are about love and sex but fear are about mending a broken heart. Right or wrong, this is one of those songs to me. It helped me to start again and now I live with an awesome lady who I love but will not be crushed by if it's over someday. |
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| Radiohead – Optimistic Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I think optimistic is about homelessness in a capitalist society. I came to this conclusion when I was researching homeless veterans and listening to radiohead and the theme of the song seemed to fit in well with the theme of my reading. In fact, on youtube some students made a video about homelessness set to optimistic. Here is how the lyrics add up in this idea. the first three lines set the feeling of defeat, destitution, helplessness with it's imagery of being near dead. 'the big fish eat the little ones' refers to the winners of capitalism expressing their apathy toward the losers. It's just the way it works they tell themselves, the big fish eat the little ones, not my problem (because they are the big fish) give me some, as in, give me more consumer goods, food wine whatevs. the chorus is the lie that we all want to believe about our society. If you try the best you can you will make it. Not true in all cases considering how many veterans or people with degrees end up on the streets. They tried hard and did the things society always assured them would grant them success but still failed. The next verse is too vague for a specific interpretation but 'just came out of a swamp' could refer to the precarious living environments of the poor. Animal farm references could back up the disinformation people seem to have about the homeless (being unwilling to work, all crazy and on drugs) but I really don't know. Nervous messed up marionette probably refers the the homeless once again since they aren't exactly zenfully calm being hungry cold and always told to move someplace else by the police. I'd really like to help you man seems a fitting sentiment to those who want to help the homeless, usually college kids who give up on such pursuits after they outgrow their youthful idealism or religious folks who really just want the homeless person's soul for jesus. Dinosaurs roaming the earth is probably a direct address of the homeless. If you have ever seen homeless people in teh streets they have usually not slept well at all, not eaten and are constantly walking because there aren't many places they are allowed to sit for a while before being told to move. With their lack of rest and nutrition they move about like they aren't human because their higher brain isn't used much and in a trance like state they move about the streets with only the lower (reptilian) part of the brain apparently without any personality or humanity as you would see in a healthy person using the higher mammalian parts of their brain. A dinosaur roaming the earth. ALthought in the US we basically accept homelessness in the UK and France there is much more activism surrounding the issue so I wouldn't be surprised if this as Thom's way of adding his voice to the struggle. Or, to quote my favorite radiohead song, "I might be wrong", I might be wrong. |
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| Thom Yorke – Analyse Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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This songs reminds me of one of the greek philosophers,, cant remember which one (either aristotle, plato or socrates) They said that the average person was too involved in their sporting events, jobs, social lives and families to ever give deep contemplative thought to the biggest questions in life,, what is ethics? what is the meaning of life? So what they do instead is abide the rules someone else wrote and play their part. This song to me is about how as modern busy people, especially the urban dwelling people who "rolls in reams across the street" we don't take the time to analyse what we see because "there is not time". Sounds right to me. Maybe to Thom a proper life is one where you don't act until you know for sure what you should do, what is right, what makes sense and he feels that too many people just do whats in front of them. Play a part. But for most people this isnt available,, graduate, work, buy, consume, die. Its expected of you to fit into society,, whether you understand why or not. The existential dilemma (why am I here? what is my purpose?) is becomming quite common as people live lifes in which they feel less power over themselves. We rely upon electricity other people make, food other people make, gas and cars other people make, houses other people built. There's a sense of pride in doing things for yourself. What do you do for yourself in a city? You'd be lost without all the things other people do for you. I think this song is somewhat about being lost. So I think its about the disconnection of people from thought. You have little time and lots to do, you don't get to analyse,, you have to move on to the next matter before the last one has made sense. theres no time to analyse to think things thru to make sense it gets you down |
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