Motion Picture Soundtrack Lyrics
Help me get back to your arms
Cheap sex and sad films
Help me get where I belong
I think you're crazy, maybe
I think you're crazy, maybe
Letters always get burned
It's not like the movies
They fed us on little white lies
I think you're crazy, maybe
I think you're crazy, maybe
People keep saying it's about relationships, or love, and so on... but I really don't think so. The beauty of Radiohead is that Thom doesn't write about girls or love, he writes about life, and this song is the quintessential example of that, to me.
To me, this song is about realizing that all the things you were taught about life as a child, everything you learned from Disney and TV and movies, was a lie ("it's not like the movies/they fed us on little white lies"). It's about realizing that life is a difficult, sometimes terrible, always complex experience, not the simple, happy fantasy world you were taught. It's about trying to escape from that harsh reality, through alcohol (red wine), (cheap) sex, and (sad) films, but failing, and ultimately deciding you're crazy for trying and giving up (I will see you in the next life...).
That's what this song is about to me. Trying to come to terms with reality, and failing.
@caramelpolice I thought the same thing about Radiohead, but when I listened to this it sounded so different from so many of their other songs, I thought maybe Thom really just needed to sing about something other than life for a change. You know get it out of his system
@caramelpolice I thought the same thing about Radiohead, but when I listened to this it sounded so different from so many of their other songs, I thought maybe Thom really just needed to sing about something other than life for a change. You know get it out of his system
@caramelpolice good point,, but what about the line that says "stop sending letters, letters always get burned"?
@caramelpolice good point,, but what about the line that says "stop sending letters, letters always get burned"?
@caramelpolice I would say it is about memories of childhood, that is, letters, which would be how I assume that fits in to this interpretation
@caramelpolice I would say it is about memories of childhood, that is, letters, which would be how I assume that fits in to this interpretation
"((I've passionately loved Radiohead since I was six, so I feel like I might understand him [Thom Yorke] a bit more than most fans because his music has engraved itself into and shaped my heart.))"
Wow, that's some of the most pretentious garbage i've ever seen...
@Penguincubus Yes, the things you care about and say are much cooler.
@Penguincubus Yes, the things you care about and say are much cooler.
To me, this song sounds like somebody lamenting the loss of a lover. The lover hasn't died, as implied ("Beautiful angel, I will see you in the next life"). However, the nature of some breakups are like death in a way because the once-healthy relationship has dissolved completely.
The narrator seeks escapism through red wine, cheap sex and sad films. Love isn't easy like "in the movies," where they feed you "little white lies."
A beautiful song. Even the form reflects the themes of the song with its elaborate orchestration reminiscent of something from, as the title suggests, a motion picture soundtrack - where life is lush, perfect, happy.
here's my meaning of the song:
it sounds like to me this person had lost a love either through them being dumped or the love one passing away. From the way the lyrics go, it has this feel like this person is drowning themselves in alcohol and drugs.
They try to fill the void by sleeping with other people and watching films that reminded them of the kind of fairytale love they believed existed.
Now I'm not sure if "I think you're crazy, maybe" is directed at themself or the other person. If it's at themself it could be because the other person is gone and they want to let go and can't. If it's directed at the person that's gone, then my guess is this person thinks the other is crazy for throwing away what they had.
The next verse could be about this girl or guy not being able to stop themselves from trying to contact the person that's gone, knowing it won't help them they still can't help themselves from doing it. Then it deals with them feeling betrayed because they felt the person they were with was supposed to be their soul mate.
and as for the original verse that wasn't included in the Kid A version... it might be like this:
it could be about the dumper or lost one being so different or far gone from their memory.. that they can't even recognize who they once were.
all in all it sounds to me like someone coping with the emotions and feelings someone would experience when they are now faced with living their life without the person they truly loved.
@Makcim I would like to add. The line "stop sending letters, letters always get burned" may imply that the bereaved may be dreaming about the loss of their loved one, but those dreams may be easily forgotten, or the bereaved is expressing that they prefer to see the person personally. I can relate to this in several ways, and I'd like to think this is ultimately about losing a special someone from death.
@Makcim I would like to add. The line "stop sending letters, letters always get burned" may imply that the bereaved may be dreaming about the loss of their loved one, but those dreams may be easily forgotten, or the bereaved is expressing that they prefer to see the person personally. I can relate to this in several ways, and I'd like to think this is ultimately about losing a special someone from death.
@Makcim I would like to add. The line "stop sending letters, letters always get burned" may imply that the bereaved may be dreaming about the loss of their loved one, but those dreams may be easily forgotten, or the bereaved is expressing that they prefer to see the person personally. I can relate to this in several ways, and I'd like to think this is ultimately about losing a special someone from death.
@Makcim I would like to add. The line "stop sending letters, letters always get burned" may imply that the bereaved may be dreaming about the loss of their loved one, but those dreams may be easily forgotten, or the bereaved is expressing that they prefer to see the person personally. I can relate to this in several ways, and I'd like to think this is ultimately about losing a special someone from death.
This song is beautiful. I love the way that the Organ introduces this song.
Some think Kid A is the story of a person's life and Motion Picture Soundtrack is about death. If so, it's a very interesting look at it. What Thom is saying is that in the end it's not all beautiful like everyone says, and death is not wonderful ('It's not like the movies, they fed us on little white lies'). This song seems more of a cold acceptance, that the world is an ugly place, but at the same time there is a touch of optimism at the fact that there is something after life, after the ugliness. That could be what the instrumental bit is at the end, the assumption into heaven. Of course, I'm not saying this is exactly what the song means, I'm just throwing it out there :D
I have this friend- she's going to die so young before she hits 18, I can feel it- too many drugs, too much depression, and this makes me think of her, because I know I'll just wake up one morning and she'll be gone and all I'll have is this song to remember her by. It made me sad she tried to die and all I could think was I would hear this song when I went to sleep, and I hope maybe she wasn't crazy, maybe.
It's all over. Perfection is finally found in death.
I want this song to be played at my funeral.
A lot of people are convinced this song is about suicide: "I will see you in the next life" But I think its more likely that the narrator is speaking their (ex) love who is dying or in a more literal way moving on from them into a new relationship (the next life).