This is an amazing song, simply for its imagery and vocals. Here's my take on it:
In the deepest ocean
The bottom of the sea
Your eyes
They turn me
^^ ...This is referring to one's character/self esteem. Being at your personal low, feeling that life has no purpose, until something comes along that sparks your interests. The eyes is a metaphor for anything that has such a property of inciting interest, in this case, Seduction.
Why should I stay here?
Why should I stay?
^^... questioning himself. Asking himself why should he stay depressed and at this low point and not take a step, but there's a reason why he's asking himself this question...Its like he's been here before, and took that step before, and know all but well how it ends, but still, Love is worth taking the risk... again. Seduction is the driving force behind his decision.
I'd be crazy not to follow
Follow where you lead
Your eyes
They turn me
^^... by saying "follow where you lead", it implies that he knows exactly where he's going to be, but he's willing to take the risk. He'd be crazy not to follow is proving the point that with all experiences, especially Love, logic and sanity isn't important, but its more about how you feel, and experiencing that feeling again. But is this love? No, I think we all know what this is.
Turn me on to phantoms
I follow to the edge of the earth
And fall off
Everybody leaves
If they get the chance
And this is my chance
^^... this is probably the strongest verse in the song. "Turn me on to phantoms" is a clear indication that what he is feeling has no physical reality. The way Yorke sings it also, gives me the idea that its a norm, and he's expecting everything that happened to happen. There's no love, there's no relationship, but his seduction and eagerness to feel appreciated. To feel "Something", "Anything", is overwhelming his conscience. This is his chance, and he's going to take it, no matter what. Also, the fact that he regards the earth as flat (follow to the "edge"), is a clear indication that what he is feeling and what he is in, isn't "real".
I get eaten by the worms
And weird fishes
Picked over by the worms
And weird fishes
Weird fishes
Weird fishes
^^... Listen to the way Yorke sings this bit. Its quite obvious that this has happened to him many a time before, so much now that he's accepted the conclusion to his illusion. There's a direct link between this bit and the previous bit, and I personally think the true driving force behind Yorke's character action is Hope. Hope that "this time", his seduction would be more than an illusion, and that it would be real. A real relationship, but again, he falls back into the depths, picked over by the worms and weird fishes; everything that surrounds depression and failure. Its very sad the way he depicts it.
This can also be a change in setting. It can imply that the experience of taking that chance and finding out it was just an illusion can be "picking" and "eating" away at his conscience. He's starting to come to grips with reality, and realize that he was just being played, and blinded by Seduction.
Yeah I
I'll hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape
And I
I'll hit the bottom
Hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape
^^... Acceptance of failure, but willingness to try again and again, in the hope that some day he'll take that jump and succeed at Love, but as long as you follow the "eyes" and not the "heart", you'll never succeed.
This can also mean that the character has found his solace, and has come to grips with reality, so much that his mind is in a full state of consciousness; escaped from the illusion that drove him "over the edge".
The entire song is a continuous process of falling into the curse of Seduction, and separating fiction from reality. "Everyone leaves if they get the chance" is a clear indication of taking that step and that risk to fall in love, but you'll always be picked over by worms and weird fishes when you look for love in all the wrong places, and this picking over can lead back to Depression, or you can embrace it and emancipate yourself; Escape, like the song suggests.
opinion* keybord malfunction lol. . .Suicide just doesn't cut it for me. I like to think that the song is somehow connected to the phrase "there's plenty of fish in the sea", and in the song we're all fishes in different parts and levels of the "ocean" and "seas" searching and swimming towards something real rather than an illusion and the weird fishes and worms are those that took advantage of him in his previous relationships like you said. You're awesome. hahaha . . sorry, it's my fav song.
opinion* keybord malfunction lol. . .Suicide just doesn't cut it for me. I like to think that the song is somehow connected to the phrase "there's plenty of fish in the sea", and in the song we're all fishes in different parts and levels of the "ocean" and "seas" searching and swimming towards something real rather than an illusion and the weird fishes and worms are those that took advantage of him in his previous relationships like you said. You're awesome. hahaha . . sorry, it's my fav song.
This is an amazing song, simply for its imagery and vocals. Here's my take on it:
In the deepest ocean The bottom of the sea Your eyes They turn me
^^ ...This is referring to one's character/self esteem. Being at your personal low, feeling that life has no purpose, until something comes along that sparks your interests. The eyes is a metaphor for anything that has such a property of inciting interest, in this case, Seduction.
Why should I stay here? Why should I stay?
^^... questioning himself. Asking himself why should he stay depressed and at this low point and not take a step, but there's a reason why he's asking himself this question...Its like he's been here before, and took that step before, and know all but well how it ends, but still, Love is worth taking the risk... again. Seduction is the driving force behind his decision.
I'd be crazy not to follow Follow where you lead Your eyes They turn me
^^... by saying "follow where you lead", it implies that he knows exactly where he's going to be, but he's willing to take the risk. He'd be crazy not to follow is proving the point that with all experiences, especially Love, logic and sanity isn't important, but its more about how you feel, and experiencing that feeling again. But is this love? No, I think we all know what this is.
Turn me on to phantoms I follow to the edge of the earth And fall off Everybody leaves If they get the chance And this is my chance
^^... this is probably the strongest verse in the song. "Turn me on to phantoms" is a clear indication that what he is feeling has no physical reality. The way Yorke sings it also, gives me the idea that its a norm, and he's expecting everything that happened to happen. There's no love, there's no relationship, but his seduction and eagerness to feel appreciated. To feel "Something", "Anything", is overwhelming his conscience. This is his chance, and he's going to take it, no matter what. Also, the fact that he regards the earth as flat (follow to the "edge"), is a clear indication that what he is feeling and what he is in, isn't "real".
I get eaten by the worms And weird fishes Picked over by the worms And weird fishes Weird fishes Weird fishes
^^... Listen to the way Yorke sings this bit. Its quite obvious that this has happened to him many a time before, so much now that he's accepted the conclusion to his illusion. There's a direct link between this bit and the previous bit, and I personally think the true driving force behind Yorke's character action is Hope. Hope that "this time", his seduction would be more than an illusion, and that it would be real. A real relationship, but again, he falls back into the depths, picked over by the worms and weird fishes; everything that surrounds depression and failure. Its very sad the way he depicts it.
This can also be a change in setting. It can imply that the experience of taking that chance and finding out it was just an illusion can be "picking" and "eating" away at his conscience. He's starting to come to grips with reality, and realize that he was just being played, and blinded by Seduction.
Yeah I I'll hit the bottom Hit the bottom and escape Escape And I I'll hit the bottom Hit the bottom Hit the bottom and escape Escape
^^... Acceptance of failure, but willingness to try again and again, in the hope that some day he'll take that jump and succeed at Love, but as long as you follow the "eyes" and not the "heart", you'll never succeed.
This can also mean that the character has found his solace, and has come to grips with reality, so much that his mind is in a full state of consciousness; escaped from the illusion that drove him "over the edge".
The entire song is a continuous process of falling into the curse of Seduction, and separating fiction from reality. "Everyone leaves if they get the chance" is a clear indication of taking that step and that risk to fall in love, but you'll always be picked over by worms and weird fishes when you look for love in all the wrong places, and this picking over can lead back to Depression, or you can embrace it and emancipate yourself; Escape, like the song suggests.
Just my opinion :)
Good take on the perception.
Good take on the perception.
a very beautiful and descriptive opiin, thank you for sharing! =D.
a very beautiful and descriptive opiin, thank you for sharing! =D.
opinion* keybord malfunction lol. . .Suicide just doesn't cut it for me. I like to think that the song is somehow connected to the phrase "there's plenty of fish in the sea", and in the song we're all fishes in different parts and levels of the "ocean" and "seas" searching and swimming towards something real rather than an illusion and the weird fishes and worms are those that took advantage of him in his previous relationships like you said. You're awesome. hahaha . . sorry, it's my fav song.
opinion* keybord malfunction lol. . .Suicide just doesn't cut it for me. I like to think that the song is somehow connected to the phrase "there's plenty of fish in the sea", and in the song we're all fishes in different parts and levels of the "ocean" and "seas" searching and swimming towards something real rather than an illusion and the weird fishes and worms are those that took advantage of him in his previous relationships like you said. You're awesome. hahaha . . sorry, it's my fav song.