I can't help but feel that most interpretations of this song so far have failed to encapsulate the full spectrum of meaning in the phrase "jack-knifed juggernaut". Juggernaut has several interpretations which are all integral to the meaning of this song: 1) A destructive and unstoppable force (Ok Computer has several allusions to science fiction, juggernaut has been used extensively within this genre to refer to immense machines of war, which ties up nicely with the openning line "In the next world war" and images of intersteller bursts and the universe); 2) colloquially the term is used in Britain to refer to a semi-trailer truck, which ties up nicely with the "fast German car" and "an airbag saved my life"; 3) the term juggernaut is etymologically derived from Indian culture, where it refers to one of the manifestations of Krishna and literally translates as something like "lord of the universe", the meaning of "unstoppable force" is derived from a religous festival in which large crowds gather rather precariously around large chariots depicting the manifestation of Krishna, this ties up nicely with notions of salvation and rebirth.
Lyrically, the masterful thing Radiohead achieve with this song is to deliberately not give precedence to any of the three meanings of the term juggernaut, allowing for three separate but unified interpretations.
I can't help but feel that most interpretations of this song so far have failed to encapsulate the full spectrum of meaning in the phrase "jack-knifed juggernaut". Juggernaut has several interpretations which are all integral to the meaning of this song: 1) A destructive and unstoppable force (Ok Computer has several allusions to science fiction, juggernaut has been used extensively within this genre to refer to immense machines of war, which ties up nicely with the openning line "In the next world war" and images of intersteller bursts and the universe); 2) colloquially the term is used in Britain to refer to a semi-trailer truck, which ties up nicely with the "fast German car" and "an airbag saved my life"; 3) the term juggernaut is etymologically derived from Indian culture, where it refers to one of the manifestations of Krishna and literally translates as something like "lord of the universe", the meaning of "unstoppable force" is derived from a religous festival in which large crowds gather rather precariously around large chariots depicting the manifestation of Krishna, this ties up nicely with notions of salvation and rebirth.
Lyrically, the masterful thing Radiohead achieve with this song is to deliberately not give precedence to any of the three meanings of the term juggernaut, allowing for three separate but unified interpretations.