The band shares a name with both the 1953 speech by American president Dwight D. Eisenhower and a song from Yorke's debut solo album The Eraser. On their website, under their name, is the phrase "Nerth Nuclerek? Na Vynnav" which is in the Cornish language and can be translated as Nuclear Power? No Thanks. This is the text from the Smiling Sun anti nuclear power logo, which has been translated into at least 49 languages, including Cornish.
Thom Yorke has stated that the members of Atoms for Peace bonded over a shared love of the music of afrobeat, and said in an interview that the debut album was "the product of getting together, getting wasted and listening to Fela Kuti."
http://www.atomsforpeace.info
Judge Jury and Executioner
Atoms for Peace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It goes right through me
I'm like the wind and my anger will disperse
Thin persecutors
Your twisted whispers
A horned reptile that is crawled upon the earth
Just tell it like it is
Tell it like it was
Judge and jury, executioner
Judge and jury, executioner
Judge and jury
When darkness follows
And no tomorrows
It's all been decided
All spies deceptive
All bouncing voices down the echo chamber
Don't worry, baby
It goes right through me
I went for my usual walk
I went around the block
I just can't talk or reason with my executioner
Judge and jury, executioner
Judge and jury
Been wasting trails
You talk in layers
I went for my usual walk
Didn't like this din't like it was
Judge and jury, executioner
Judge and jury, executioner
Judge and jury
Don't worry, baby
It goes right through me
I'm like the wind and my anger will disperse
The lyrics of Atoms for Peace's song "Judge Jury And Executioner" are striking in their ambiguity and poetic language. The first lines, "Don't worry, baby / It goes right through me / I'm like the wind and my anger will disperse," suggest a speaker who is calm in the face of persecution or criticism. The words "it goes right through me" indicate a resilience, a sense that the singer is not affected by outside forces. However, there is a sense of frustration or anger underlying the statement, which is hinted at by the image of the wind and the repetition of the phrase "judge and jury, executioner."
The second stanza introduces the idea of "thin persecutors / Your twisted whispers / A horned reptile that is crawled upon the earth." Here, the imagery suggests something more sinister, perhaps a group of people who are trying to manipulate or control the singer in some way. The use of the word "persecutor" implies that the singer is the victim of some kind of injustice or oppression. The horned reptile could be interpreted as a symbol of evil or danger, further emphasizing the sense of threat or menace.
The rest of the song continues in this vein, with the repeated refrain of "judge and jury, executioner" suggesting a sense of powerlessness on the part of the singer. There is a feeling of desperation in lines like "I just can't talk or reason with my executioner," which convey a sense of struggle and resistance. Overall, "Judge Jury And Executioner" is a powerful statement about the nature of power, control, and resistance, using vivid imagery and poetic language to convey a sense of struggle and defiance.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't worry, baby
Don't fret, my dear
It goes right through me
It does not affect me deeply
I'm like the wind and my anger will disperse
I am a fleeting force and my anger will fade away
Thin persecutors
Weak oppressors
Your twisted whispers
Your perverse murmurs
A horned reptile that is crawled upon the earth
A devil-like creature that slithers on the ground
I went for my usual walk
I went on my typical stroll
Just tell it like it is
Simply state the truth
Tell it like it was
Speak honestly about the past
Judge and jury, executioner
One who decides guilt, passes sentence, and carries out the punishment
When darkness follows
When the absence of light ensues
And no tomorrows
And without any future
It's all been decided
It's already been determined
All spies deceptive
All undercover agents are untrustworthy
All bouncing voices down the echo chamber
All echoing voices reverberating in the confined space
Been wasting trails
Been squandering time
You talk in layers
You speak with hidden meanings
Didn't like this din't like it was
Disliked the situation for what it was
Judge and jury, executioner
One who decides guilt, passes sentence, and carries out the punishment
Judge and jury
One who decides guilt
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joey Waronker, Mauro Refosco, Michael Peter Balzary, Nigel Godrich, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@briiiitza
You don't need to be on "weird drugs" to like "this stuff". This "stuff" is brilliant music. When you listen to Thom's music, you instantly float inside it becoming mesmerized in it's beauty.
@anthonyromeo3111
So absolute.
@KillaB777
This album is the drugs
@MicahBuzanANIMATION
I hope they release another album. Amok has really grown on me.
@robo3007
+Micah Buzan After the new Radiohead album of course :3I kind of preferred Amok to King of Limbs though to be honest.
@moazhanif5221
Dude you are awesome
@Holynutt
+Robin Powell Yeah, I hope the next Radiohead album is super good. The King of Limbs was alright, but they've made so much better.
@RedCrayon45
+Micah Buzan seeing the very new shit today from Thom in Paris I actually began liking King of Limbs, In Bloom, is slowed down when he does it by itself and I finally got the rhythm down. Now I'm working on Atoms for Peace...I was stuck on all their old stuff for 12 years, I feel so relieved now that I can feel Thom's chaos and new style.
@surroundgatari
+Holynutt TKOL is brilliant just like everything they've done since 2000. It has some of their best songs. Bloom, Little By Little, Feral, Lotus Flower, Codex, Separator, it's all great
@DanceBeforeTheStorm_
It's Thom's brilliant, fragile, yet so powerful lace-glass voice...a magical journey for the soul...can't stop playing it