Wide World of Ben

 

Lyric Evaluation

Page history last edited by Ben 2 yrs ago

Let Down - Radiohead

 

OK Computer (1997)

 

Transport, motorways and tramlines,

starting and then stopping,

taking off and landing,

the emptiest of feelings,

disappointed people, clinging on to bottles,

and when it comes it's so, so, disappointing.

 

Let down and hanging around,

crushed like a bug in the ground.

Let down and hanging around.

 

Shell smashed, juices flowing

wings twitch, legs are going,

don't get sentimental, it always ends up drivel.

One day, I'm gonna grow wings,

a chemical reaction,

hysterical and useless

hysterical and

 

let down and hanging around,

crushed like a bug in the ground.

Let down and hanging around.

 

Let down,

Let down,

Let down.

 

You know, you know where you are with,

you know where you are with,

floor collapsing, falling, bouncing back

and one day, I'm gonna grow wings,

a chemical reaction, You know where you are,

hysterical and useless you know where you are,

hysterical and you know where you are,

 

let down and hanging around,

crushed like a bug in the ground.

Let down and hanging around.

 

 

Let Down and Hanging Around

 

Since the Community chapter in Ulmer's text concerns the "brothel" or bar that contains a given atmosphere, I chose to unpack the Radiohead gem from OK Computer called "Let Down". This song and it's lyrics work to alienate listeners from what is going on around us everyday, and the idea for the song was derived while Thom was at a bar in a club.

 

Thom Yorke described the song as "an enormous feeling of being trapped," describing what it feels like when you are disconnected from the people and things around you. Johnny Greenwood, the lead guitarist, explains the "atmosphere" of the song, "about that feeling that you get when you're not in control of it - you just go past thousands of places and thousands of people and you're completely removed from it."

 

The music accompanies this disconnect with mellow guitar riffs and a laid back rock beat. The melody delivered by Thom Yorke's voice is beautiful and tragic in the same breath. If you ever want to be completely moved by music, listen to the string quartet tribute to this track, with the violin soaring on Thom Yorke's melody. Completely beautiful and provocative.

 

 

The video contains flashing images of the places and symbols we see everyday yet seem to be distanced from it all.

 

 

 

 

 

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