Morning Mr. Magpie
Radiohead䠀 Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You got some nerve coming here
You got some nerve coming here
You stole it all
Give it back
You stole it all
Give it back

Good morning, Mister Magpie
How are we today?
Now you've stolen all the magic
I turn my back, walk away

You know you should
But you don't
You know you should
But you don't

Good morning, Mister Magpie
How are we today?




Now you've stolen all the magic
Took my melody

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Radiohead's song "Morning Mr Magpie" are intriguing and multifaceted. Firstly, it highlights the theme of theft and its consequences. The opening lines "You got some nerve coming here, you stole it all, give it back" suggests a feeling of betrayal and anger. The singer is accusing someone of taking something belonging to them and demands its restitution. This could be interpreted figuratively like the loss of innocence, a sense of self, or something more tangible like money or an object.


The next lines, "Good morning, Mister Magpie, How are we today? Now you've stolen all the magic, I turn my back, walk away" can be seen as a personification of the bird, who is known for its attraction to shiny objects. The phrase "stolen all the magic" probably refers to the allure or joy that was taken away, leaving emptiness behind. The singer decides to leave the situation and move on from the loss.


The song's repetition, "You know you should, but you don't" emphasizes the idea that the thief knows their actions are wrong, yet they still persist. The song's chorus then reiterates how the magic the singer had was taken away, leaving them feeling lost and hollow.


Overall, the song encapsulates themes of loss, theft, and betrayal through a figurative exchange with a magpie. It’s a powerful expression of the emotions that come with these experiences in a hauntingly beautiful manner.


Line by Line Meaning

You got some nerve coming here
I can't believe you have the audacity to show up in my presence after what you've done


You stole it all
You took everything that was mine and left me with nothing


Give it back
I demand that you return everything that you took from me immediately


Good morning, Mister Magpie
I am acknowledging your presence, despite the fact that you have wronged me


How are we today?
You may be feeling fine, but I am still affected by what you've done


Now you've stolen all the magic
You have taken away all of the joy and creativity that I had in my life


I turn my back, walk away
I can't bear to be in your presence any longer, so I am leaving now


You know you should
You are aware of the fact that you have done something wrong


But you don't
Despite being aware of your wrongdoing, you have not taken any steps to make it right


Took my melody
You specifically took something that was dear to me, my musical creativity and expression




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:

Ignacio Vargas

Let's sing along:

You got some nerve coming here
You got some nerve coming here
You stole it all
Give it back
You stole it all
Give it back

Good morning, Mister Magpie
How are we today?
Now you've stolen all the magic
I turn my back, walk away

You know you should
But you don't
You know you should
But you don't

Good morning, Mister Magpie
How are we today?
Now you've stolen all the magic
Took my melody

Thank you. See ya :D



Erik Cifuentes

You got some nerve coming here
You got some nerve coming here
You stole it all
Give it back
You stole it all
Give it back

Good morning, Mister Magpie
How are we today?
Now you've stolen all the magic
I turn my back, walk away

You know you should
But you don't
You know you should
But you don't

Good morning, Mister Magpie
How are we today?
Now you've stolen all the magic
Took my melody



All comments from YouTube:

Waved / Glasshouse

This song's been kicking around since Kid A. I can only imagine the dozens of iterations it went through before it got here. Hell, it was probably a modular techno track and free-jazz track at some point, knowing how this band works.

demleague

how are you also here waved from nation spirit????????!!!!!!!!!!

Zynel

I wish they just made one massive album of all of the demos and alternative versions of their songs, sort of like what they did with Morning Bell Amnesiac.

Waved / Glasshouse

@demleague youtube is free

demleague

@Waved / Glasshouse so we must have similar tastes in music
good to know

Waved / Glasshouse

@demleague based

3 More Replies...

Stuart Balmer

The tonal and rhythmic structure changes within this song are incredible difficult, but these gentleman make it all look so simple - what a brilliant performance ....

MrBrightside390

I love how johnny echos thoms voice with how he plays his guitar line on the chorus. it sounds like he's playing it wrong but it adds texture.

Shubert Lau

This must be the most dense song of Radiohead...so amazing all players in the band can keep the rhythm at this awesome quick speed!! 👏👏

Scott Muttilainen

Todd’s backups mixed with James’ Melodies coupled with Stephen’s acoustics on top of Yusuf’s percussions make this live performance crank.

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