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Daydreaming
Radiohead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dreamers
They never learn
They never learn
Beyond the point
Of no return
Of no return

And it's too late
The damage is done
The damage is done

This goes
Beyond me
Beyond you

The white room
By a window
Where the sun comes
Through

And we are
Just happy to serve
Just happy to serve
You

Overall Meaning

Radiohead's Daydreaming is a haunting and melancholic track that delves deep into the idea of self-destruction and emotional numbness. The opening lines of the song, "Dreamers, they never learn," sets the tone for the overall message of the song. It seems to be a commentary on those who daydream and never take action, leading to their inevitable downfall - "Beyond the point of no return." The repetition of these words only adds to the sense that the person is trapped in their own mind, unable to escape the cycle of dreaming without action, leading to a sense of self-defeat.


As the song progresses, it becomes clear that this sense of defeat has been accepted and that it's too late to turn back - "And it's too late, the damage is done." The repetition of the phrase "beyond me, beyond you" only adds to a sense of distance, as if the singer is addressing something greater than themselves. The lines "The white room by a window where the sun comes through" create a vivid image, but it adds to the sense of detachment and emptiness. The final lines "And we are just happy to serve you" suggest a finality and resignation. It almost seems like the singer is addressing an unknown entity, as if they've accepted their fate as nothing more than a servant.


The song's music video directed by Paul Thomas Anderson features Thom Yorke wandering through a series of doorways into different locations. Each setting fades into the next, and Yorke's appearance and demeanor change subtly over the course of the video. It's an impactful visual representation of how life changes and progresses, yet there's always a sense of longing and searching for something else.


Line by Line Meaning

Dreamers
People who dream and think big


They never learn
These dreamers never learn from their mistakes


They never learn
These dreamers never learn from their mistakes


Beyond the point
Beyond the point of no return, where there is no way back


Of no return
There is no way back from where these dreamers have gone


Of no return
There is no way back from where these dreamers have gone


And it's too late
It is too late to change what has happened


The damage is done
The harm caused by the mistakes of the dreamers is irreversible


The damage is done
The harm caused by the mistakes of the dreamers is irreversible


This goes
This situation is


Beyond me
Out of my control or understanding


Beyond you
Out of your control or understanding


The white room
A room painted white


By a window
Located beside a window


Where the sun comes
In a location where sunlight enters the room


Through
Through the window


And we are
We exist and are present


Just happy to serve
Content with helping and serving others


Just happy to serve
Content with helping and serving others


You
Referring to the person or people being served




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Edward O'Brien, Philip Selway, Thom Yorke

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Herne0011

Dreamers
They never learn
They never learn
Beyond the point
Of no return
Of no return
And it's too late
The damage is done
The damage is done
This goes
Beyond me
Beyond you
The white room
By a window
Where the sun comes
Through
We are
Just happy to serve
Just happy to serve
You



@NIMRODakaNIMROD

EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH
EFIL YM FO FLAH



@BIGDINKMAN

This song uses three notes as its bed. The notes are D-E-A. On repeat it spells D-E-A-D. You hear it throughout most of the song.

This song is about Thom’s breakup with his woman. Btw.

Each door he passes through symbolizes a year of their lives together. Ive forgotten the number of doors.

Anyways in the end he crawls into the cold cave where the fire is. I can only picture that as being the state of their relationship. A cold wet cave with warmth in its heart.

Thom repeats the words “i love you fire”.

When played in reverse he actually says “half of my life”. The number of doors symbolized his years with her which summed up to half of his life in their relationship.

This is by far the deepest song i have ever encountered. Mind blown. Its fucking deep.

Thom York you are a treasure upon this lowly ball of mud that we live upon.



@callum3878

To me, this song/video represents one of the great tragedies of humankind. In the video, we can see Thom is looking for something. We don't know what that something is (and probably neither does Thom) but nonetheless he relentlessly pursues it, opening door after door.

The places he ends up in are fairly random in nature, alluding to the idea that very rarely does the outcome of our decisions match our expectations. It's one thing to imagine (daydream) about a better future, but it's another thing to actually live it. Rather than ending up somewhere better, you just end up somewhere else. And the thing you're chasing feels no closer than it did when you started. But you continue the chase anyway because well... "dreamers, they never learn".

This continual process of running away from the past and bargaining with the future is what has got us to where we are today. It's given us running water, cures to terrible diseases and the technology that allows me to share these thoughts with all of you. But make no mistake, we pay a heavy price for this, and it comes in the form of suffering.

An endless suffering that wakes up with you in the morning, follows you throughout your day, goes to bed with you at night and haunts you in your dreams while you sleep. It never goes away.

Towards the end, the music changes to a solemn tone. He's running out of time. He quickens his pace and desperately moves from door to door. But despite his efforts, the thing he seeks never reveals itself. Finally he arrives at a mountain. Death, in the form of a monstrous voice beckons him from the distance. Thom knows his time is up. Instead of running, he climbs the mountain to confront the monster that has taken so much from him throughout his life. But when he finally tracks it to it's cave, he realises that there is no monster. And as he lies down by the warm, cosy fire that welcomes him, he smiles as he realises his suffering is finally over.

This song doesn't offer us an answer to this problem. It simply acknowledges its existence and the role it plays in our everyday lives. But in doing so, it reminds people like me that I'm not alone in this struggle, that everyone experiences it. Consciously or not. And for reasons I'm not sure about, that makes it hurt less. As the saying goes "A problem shared is a problem halved". I hope In sharing this with us, Thom has alleviated some of that suffering for himself too.



@theadmiralofbirds5400

Dreamers
They never learn
They never learn
Beyond the point
Of no return
Of no return
And it's too late
The damage is done
The damage is done

This goes
Beyond me
Beyond you
The white room
By a window
Where the sun goes through
And we are just happy to serve
Just happy to serve you



All comments from YouTube:

@theneedledrop

Of course, Thom can't just take his morning walks around the block or at the mall like everyone else; he's got to get all abstract with it.

@Life4Gamez

+theneedledrop attention seeking thom at it again

@vitormarques6670

ey b0ss can i habe the review pls

@CJAuckland95

+theneedledrop Abstractony Walktano.
ey.

@H0NDAJET

+theneedledrop who tf has their morning walk around a mall

@pablitoski8

Mark of a true artist

109 More Replies...

@DanceOn

Happy 3 years to this beautiful masterpiece of a short film / music video! Really hoping we get another PTA x Radiohead collab soon, two legends at it together!

@anuragdasgupta501

wow didnt' realise it's been 3 years!

@annsophiefans1472

YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED. NETFLIX, JUNE 27TH.

@Mandeepd13

The video is directed by the person who is nominated 8 times for Oscar, no wonder - Paul Thomas Anderson

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