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Melatonin
Radiohead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't
Forget
That you are our son
Now
Go back to bed

We just know
That you are ours
You won't cry
Too hard

Death
To all
Who stand in your way
My arm, you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Radiohead's song Melatonin can be interpreted in a number of different ways, given the band's tendency to be enigmatic and cryptic in their messaging. However, one possible reading of the song is that it is about parents' desire to control and dominate their child, even as he or she grows older and begins to assert their own independence. The opening lines, "Don't forget that you are our son / Now go back to bed" provide a sense of the parent-child dynamic, where the child is expected to behave in a certain way and follow the parents' wishes.


The second stanza, "We just know that you are ours / You won't cry too hard" reinforces the idea that the parents have a possessive and controlling relationship with the child. They believe that they know the child best and can predict his or her behavior. This confidence suggests a lack of trust in the child's own instincts and desires, and a sense that the parents' authority must override the child's own sense of self. Finally, the last lines of the song, "Death to all who stand in your way / My arm, you" can be seen as an expression of the parents' desire to protect and defend their child against anyone who threatens his or her autonomy or independence.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't
Do not disobey or ignore us


Forget
Remember always


That you are our son
You belong to us and we have control over you


Now
Immediately


Go back to bed
Return to your sleeping area and do not come out


We just know
We have complete confidence that


That you are ours
You are our possession and we have authority over you


You won't cry
You will not make any noise or protest


Too hard
Excessively or loudly


Death
An end or termination


To all
For each and every


Who stand in your way
Any person or obstacle that opposes or hinders you


My arm, you
I will be with you and support you




Lyrics © Word Collections Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: THOMAS EDWARD YORKE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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