Paranoid Android
♫ Radiohead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Please could you stop the noise
I'm trying to get some rest
From all the unborn chicken voices in my head
What's that?
What's that?

When I am king, you will be first against the wall
With your opinion which is of no consequence at all
What's that?
What's that?

Ambition makes you look pretty ugly
Kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy
You don't remember
You don't remember
Why don't you remember my name?
Off with his head, man
Off with his head, man
Why don't you remember my name?
I guess he does

Rain down, rain down
Come on rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height, height
Rain down, rain down
Come on, rain down on me
From a great height
From a great height
Rain down, rain down (that's it, sir, you're leaving, the crackle of pigskin)
Come on rain down on me (the dust and the screaming, the yuppies networking)
From a great height (the panic, the vomit, the panic, the vomit)




God loves his childrean
God loves his children, yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead are open to interpretation and can be perceived in many ways. One possible interpretation is that the song is about the struggle between wanting to shut out the world and its noise while also being aware of one's own isolation and loneliness. The opening lines, "Please could you stop the noise, I'm trying to get some rest, from all the unborn chicken voices in my head," suggest that the singer is overwhelmed by the sound of his own thoughts and is seeking a moment of peace.


The following lines, "When I am king, you will be first against the wall, with your opinion which is of no consequence at all," indicate an underlying frustration with society and its hierarchy. The singer imagines a future in which he has power and is able to dispose of those who do not share his views. This violent fantasy is juxtaposed with the next section of lyrics, in which the singer likens ambition to a "kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy." This suggests that the singer is also aware of the emptiness of material success and might be commenting on the greed of modern society.


Line by Line Meaning

Please could you stop the noise
Asks someone to stop making noise.


I'm trying to get some rest
Someone is attempting to sleep.


From all the unborn chicken voices in my head
The person's head is filled with confusing and nonsensical thoughts.


What's that?
An exclamation of confusion or surprise.


When I am king, you will be first against the wall
The artist holds resentment towards someone and wishes to harm them.


With your opinion which is of no consequence at all
The singer does not value or care about the other person's thoughts or beliefs.


Ambition makes you look pretty ugly
The pursuit of power or success can have negative effects on a person's appearance and behavior.


Kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy
The person being referred to is acting like a spoiled and entitled child.


You don't remember
The artist is upset that the other person has forgotten something important.


Why don't you remember my name?
The artist is frustrated that the other person is forgetting or ignoring their identity.


Off with his head, man
The singer is expressing a desire to harm someone, possibly in a violent or extreme way.


I guess he does
The artist realizes that their wish for harm may come true.


Rain down, rain down
A call for rain to fall.


Come on rain down on me
The singer wants the rain to fall on them personally.


From a great height
The rain is falling from a high place, possibly the sky or a tall building.


God loves his children, yeah
An expression of hope, possibly in religious or spiritual terms.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN CHARLES GREENWOOD, EDWARD JOHN O'BRIEN, JONATHAN RICHARD GUY GREENWOOD, PHILIP JAMES SELWAY, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE

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

@KurdtKobain_67

A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)



@marcioguerr482

No surprises (lyrics):

A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)



All comments from YouTube:

@michellecuriel2466

Thom: drowns

His face: ( -_- )

@tinkywinkybr9045

more like ( •_- )

@hiroshibuya8284

@@tinkywinkybr9045 perfect

@saturnstudi0s

@@tinkywinkybr9045 perfeito

@buttermusic6665

w I d e y o r k e

@RAMSES0987654321

@@tinkywinkybr9045 jajajjaj wtf

85 More Replies...

@Xukkus

My parents would play this song to me as a baby on long car rides. I've always associated it with sleep and comfort, yet I hear the melancholy overtone listening today. I'm left with a strange feeling. Not joy, not sadness; not even nostalgia. I could only describe it as raw emotion. This song simply makes me want to feel my feelings, and I think that's pretty special.

@renanfs7594

It's exactly this feeling

@AsiyaIammuah

same, you just feel brave enough to feel everything

@GigaChadL337

So, did you bring down the government?

More Comments