What I get from this song is the urge alot of people feel (and it seems Thom Yorke, in all his politics, feels especially) to bring relief and comfort ("gather up... in your arms") to the poor, the suffering, and the helpless (hence "don't hurt me," the cry of a victim who has no other means of defense). In other words, if you've ever felt guilty for not being able to give every homeless person you see on the street a dollar bill, this song is about the reality that you can't help everyone, that you inevitably have to "give up the ghost," for better or for worse.
What I get from this song is the urge alot of people feel (and it seems Thom Yorke, in all his politics, feels especially) to bring relief and comfort ("gather up... in your arms") to the poor, the suffering, and the helpless (hence "don't hurt me," the cry of a victim who has no other means of defense). In other words, if you've ever felt guilty for not being able to give every homeless person you see on the street a dollar bill, this song is about the reality that you can't help everyone, that you inevitably have to "give up the ghost," for better or for worse.
What do you think?