"Creep" is the first single released by the English alternative rock band R… Read Full Bio ↴"Creep" is the first single released by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, and is a track on their debut album Pablo Honey. It was written by the band's singer, Thom Yorke, and released in the United Kingdom initially in September 1992. When it was first given limited release, however, Radio 1 found it "too depressing", and removed it from their playlist after airing it only twice. However, it subsequently became one of the band's biggest hits, and became their only Top 40 hit in the United States until 2008's "Nude", despite the success of their future albums in the country. The song re-entered the UK chart at number 37 on 8 June 2008, as a result of downloads, following the release of Radiohead's The Best Of album earlier that month.

Covers
First should be stated that Creep itself may be considered as a cover song, based on a famous song by sixties band The Hollies. The name of the song was The Air That I Breathe and was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood.

In April 2008, Prince covered 'Creep' at Coachella. This version was captured on a video from a concert-goer's cell phone, and promptly uploaded to Youtube. However, it was quickly taken down at Prince's request. After finding out about the blocking, Thom Yorke was quoted as saying, "Well, tell him to unblock it. It's our song."

Alternative rock band Weezer covered "Creep" during their 2008 Hootenanny Tour with bassist Scott Shriner on lead vocals. Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo stated that the song was picked to cover because "it's incredible what they do with four chords, over and over."

Nu metal band Korn covered "Creep" on their unplugged album.

Anberlin covered "Creep" in Lost Songs.

Scarling covered "Creep" on their single of Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole.

Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls commonly covers "Creep" in concert, but her most popular version of this is her preforming the song in a crowded bar which is available on her personal Youtube account.

Sentenced covered it on the special edition of their 1998 album Frozen.

German songwriter Gunter Gabriel covered the song live in 2009 with new (German) lyrics and under the title "ich bin ein Nichts" (i am nothing).

Creep
Radio Head Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry

You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special

You're so fuckin' special

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here.

I don't care if it hurts
I wanna have control
I wanna a perfect body
I wanna a perfect soul

I want you to notice
When I'm not around
You're so fuckin' special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here.

She's running out again,
She's running out
She's run run run run

Run

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so fuckin' special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here
I don't belong here

Overall Meaning

The song "Creep" by Radiohead explores the feelings of a person who is infatuated with someone they believe is out of their league. The first two lines describe the discomfort and awkwardness the person feels in the presence of the person they admire, unable to look them in the eye. They go on to compare the person to an angel, emphasizing their perceived perfection, and the effect this has on them.

The chorus reveals the true nature of the singer's thoughts, as they refer to themselves as a creep and a weirdo, and question why they are even there. They do not feel they belong in this situation, as they are unable to match the level of perfection they see in the person they admire. The following verse continues with their desire for control over their body and soul, so they can be more like the person they admire. They want to be noticed and admired by them and express their frustration that they are unable to be seen in that light.

The bridge then changes the focus to the person they admire. The singer pleads with them to do whatever makes them happy, indicating a level of selflessness and desire for the person's well-being. The final chorus reiterates the singer's sense of not belonging, emphasizing their feelings of inadequacy.

Overall, "Creep" delves into the complexities of unrequited love and the feelings of inferiority that can accompany it. The singer is longing for something they feel they cannot have, and the tension between these feelings is reflected in the musical composition of the song.

Line by Line Meaning

When you were here before
In the past, when you were near me,

Couldn't look you in the eye
I felt ashamed and guilty and couldn't make eye contact with you,

You're just like an angel
You seem like a heavenly being,

Your skin makes me cry
Your beauty and perfection are overwhelming and bring me to tears,

You float like a feather
You appear to effortlessly glide through life,

In a beautiful world
In a world that appears to be filled with wonder and joy,

I wish I was special
I wish I was as amazing and remarkable as you,

You're so fuckin' special
You are incredibly unique and valuable,

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo
However, I feel like a strange and awkward outcast,

What the hell am I doing here?
I question why I'm even in your presence,

I don't belong here.
I feel like I shouldn't be in the same space as you,

I don't care if it hurts
I don't mind if it causes me pain,

I wanna have control
I desire power and authority over my own life,

I wanna a perfect body
I wish to have a physically flawless appearance,

I wanna a perfect soul
I long for a spiritually pure and perfect self,

I want you to notice
I want you to be aware of my existence and presence,

When I'm not around
In the times when I'm not in your view,

She's running out again,
She's running away from me again,

She's running out
She's escaping from me,

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever brings you joy,

Whatever you want
Whatever you desire and wish for,

I don't belong here
Once again, I feel like I don't fit in and shouldn't be here,

I don't belong here
I don't feel like I am meant to be in this place or with these people,

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKE HAZLEWOOD, ALBERT HAMMOND, COLIN GREENWOOD, JONATHAN GREENWOOD, EDWARD O'BRIEN, PHILIP SELWAY, THOMAS YORKE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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