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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  • +2
    Song Meaning

    this song is about thom yorke's struggle to come up with songs for the follow up album to ok computer and the pressure he felt from the record company and producers. the lyrics appear to primarily detail yorke's interaction with the producer who is the vulture digging yorke's brain for inspiration. because of the massive critical success of ok computer, it is obvious yorke would feel anxious about kid a, there were probably many stakeholders giving him the advice "the best you can is good enough". of course, they are just flies/vultures offering reassurance because they want to take his songs "to market" and make a "payload" from the "animals" (audience). the producer (man hired to assist the band create an album) says "I'd really like to help you, man", trying to use yorke like a "marionette" to create songs the record company wants. this makes yorke feel like he's on a "prison ship". not sure about the dinosaurs roaming the earth, perhaps the out of touch/date record producing?

    striker161on February 04, 2009   Link

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