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The National Anthem
Radiohead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everyone
Everyone around here
Everyone is so near
It's holding on
It's holding on

Everyone
Everyone is so near
Everyone has got the fear
It's holding on
It's holding on

It's holding on
It's holding on
It's holding on

Overall Meaning

Radiohead's song "The National Anthem" is a commentary on the anxieties and fears inherent in modern society. The lyrics suggest a feeling of overwhelming claustrophobia as the singer describes that "Everyone around here" is "so near" and has "got the fear." This sense of confinement and paranoia is reinforced musically by the driving, brass-heavy instrumentation that dominates the song. Even the title, "The National Anthem," is a nod to the way in which societal expectations and nationalist rhetoric can create a suffocating sense of obligation.


At its core, "The National Anthem" is a critique of the way in which politics, media, and popular culture can manipulate our emotions and create a sense of helplessness. The repeated phrase "It's holding on" suggests that these forces are oppressive, and that they exert a powerful grip on our lives. At the same time, Radiohead also implies that we are complicit in our own subjugation, as the "fear" that everyone "has got" is both internal and external. We are, in other words, both the victims and the enablers of the societal forces that shape our lives.


Overall, "The National Anthem" is a powerful evocation of the ways in which society can be both comforting and oppressive, both nurturing and suffocating. The song's lyrics and instrumentation work in tandem to create a sense of urgency and dread, and to encourage listeners to question their own roles in the broader social order.


Line by Line Meaning

Everyone
All people are included and affected.


Everyone around here
All people in this specific location.


Everyone is so near
All people are close in proximity.


It's holding on
A force or feeling is exerting control and persisting.


It's holding on
A force or feeling is exerting control and persisting.


Everyone
All people are included and affected.


Everyone is so near
All people are close in proximity.


Everyone has got the fear
All people are experiencing a feeling of distress and anxiety.


It's holding on
A force or feeling is exerting control and persisting.


It's holding on
A force or feeling is exerting control and persisting.


It's holding on
A force or feeling is exerting control and persisting.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Philip Selway, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Thomas Yorke

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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