Idioteque
Amanda Palmer Lyrics


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Who's in the bunker?
Who's in the bunker?
Women and children first
Women and children first
Women and children
I'll laugh until my head comes off
I'll swallow Until I burst
Until I burst
Until I

Who's in the bunker?
Who's in the bunker?
I have seen too much
I haven't seen enough
You haven't seen
I'll laugh until my head comes off
Women and children first
And children first
And children

Here I'm allowed
Everything all of the time
Here I'm allowed
Everything all of the time

Ice age coming
Ice age coming
Let me hear both sides
Let me hear both sides
Let me hear both
Ice age coming
Ice age coming
Throw me in the fire
Throw me in the fire
Throw me in the

We're not scaremongering
This is really happening
Happening
We're not scaremongering
This is really happening
Happening
Mobiles quirking
Mobiles chirping
Take the money and run
Take the money and run
Take the money

Here I'm allowed
Everything all of the time




Here I'm allowed
Everything all of the time...

Overall Meaning

The song "Idioteque" by Amanda Palmer is a cover of the Radiohead song from their 2000 album "Kid A". The lyrics are cryptic and unsettling and often cited as a commentary on the terror of a nuclear apocalypse or the pitfalls of over-reliance on technology. The repeated question of "Who's in the bunker?" creates a sense of impending doom and suggests that someone is trying to escape a catastrophic event. The idea of "women and children first" is traditionally associated with the rescue of those in danger but here, it feels like a cynical joke or a last-ditch effort to survive at any cost.


The song's chorus of "here I'm allowed everything all of the time" creates a sense of freedom and chaos, but also hints at the stagnation and excess that can come from living in a society that values instant gratification and pleasure above all else. The line "we're not scaremongering, this is really happening" suggests that the fears expressed in the song are not just hypothetical but are grounded in reality. The final verse about "mobiles chirping" and "take the money and run" feels like a commentary on the emptiness and superficiality of contemporary culture and how disconnected we are from the natural world and each other.


Line by Line Meaning

Who's in the bunker?
Who is taking shelter from impending disaster?


Women and children first
The prioritization of vulnerable groups during crises


I'll laugh until my head comes off
Choosing to find humor in desperate circumstances


I'll swallow Until I burst / Until I burst / Until I
The overwhelming feeling of being consumed by a situation


I have seen too much / I haven't seen enough / You haven't seen
The paradoxical nature of experiencing both too much and too little in times of crisis


And children first / And children
The specific prioritization of children as vulnerable members in crises


Let me hear both sides / Let me hear both / Ice age coming / Ice age coming
The desire for balanced understanding in the face of impending disaster


Throw me in the fire / Throw me in the
The feeling of being completely overwhelmed and helpless in the face of disaster


We're not scaremongering / This is really happening / Happening / Mobiles quirking / Mobiles chirping
Recognizing the reality of a crisis despite those who would downplay its severity


Take the money and run / Take the money
The exploitation of disaster for personal gain


Here I'm allowed / Everything all of the time
The freedom to be oneself without judgment or limitation




Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Cícero Luciano Santos

Maravilhosa versão!!!

Joe Roberts

This is incredible.

Aimee Bridges

It's lame of me that I'm just now hearing these Radiohead covers. They have been my favorite band for as long as I can remember. A good friend of mine loves Amanda Palmer, so I thought I'd check out these tracks. I was seriously missing out, these songs are fantastic. Ms. Palmer, you have a new fan.

Micah Buzan ANIMATION

I know exactly what you mean. She offers her own unique interpretation, and it doesn't suck!

Tactcat

It's weird because I feel like she totally hits home - not exactly the first person I'd think could interpret Radiohead in a way so near to me
She gets the desperation and the horror of this song and I keep getting surprised how much I respond to it

Kate Atkin

This is my favourite cover of any Radiohead song I've ever heard, and I'm not even a huge Palmer fan.

Emogy

Really interesting and unique interpretation. I enjoyed this greatly.

Jas N Smith

WHAT?! This is amazing!!! Dammit, I am mad that I didn't know about this until now! This is making me melt. I am in love with this.

Tatiane Radioheadianaf

O gostoso desse álbum foi o tom divertido que as músicas ganharam.

Lyndanet

Amazing track…

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