Radiohead signed to EMI in 1991 and released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in 1993; their debut single, "Creep", became a worldwide hit. Radiohead's popularity and critical standing rose with the release of The Bends in 1995. Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), brought them international fame; noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation, it is acclaimed as a landmark record and one of the best albums in popular music.
Radiohead's fourth album, Kid A (2000), marked a dramatic change in style, incorporating influences from electronic music, jazz, classical music and krautrock. Though Kid A divided listeners, it later attracted wide acclaim. It was followed by Amnesiac (2001), recorded in the same sessions. Hail to the Thief (2003), with lyrics addressing the War on Terror, was Radiohead's final album for EMI.
Radiohead self-released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), as a download for which customers could set their own price, to critical and chart success. Their eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011), an exploration of rhythm, was developed using extensive looping and sampling. A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) prominently featured Jonny Greenwood's orchestral arrangements. Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Selway, and O'Brien have released solo albums; in 2021, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debuted a new band, the Smile.
By 2011, Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Their awards include six Grammy Awards and four Ivor Novello Awards, and they hold five Mercury Prize nominations, the most of any act. Seven Radiohead singles have reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart: "Creep" (1992), "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (1996), "Paranoid Android" (1997), "Karma Police" (1997), "No Surprises" (1998), "Pyramid Song" (2001), and "There There" (2003). "Creep" and "Nude" (2008) reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone named Radiohead one of the 100 greatest artists of all time, and Rolling Stone readers voted them the second-best artist of the 2000s. Five Radiohead albums have been included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time lists. Radiohead were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiohead
Studio albums
Pablo Honey (1993)
The Bends (1995)
OK Computer (1997)
Kid A (2000)
Amnesiac (2001)
Hail to the Thief (2003)
In Rainbows (2007)
The King of Limbs (2011)
A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)
04. how to disappear completely
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's not me
I go
Where I please
I walk through walls
I float down the Liffey
I'm not here
I'm not here
I'm not here
In a little while
I'll be gone
The moment's already passed
Yeah it's gone
And I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
Strobe lights and blown speakers
Fireworks and hurricanes
I'm not here
I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
"How to Disappear Completely" by Radiohead can be interpreted in many ways, but a common theme is the desire to escape from reality. The opening lines "That there, that's not me…I'm not here, this isn't happening" suggest that the singer feels detached from their surroundings and wants to disconnect from their own identity. The following lines about walking through walls and floating down the Liffey add to the feeling of dissociation, as if the singer is not bound by physical limitations.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly distressed. The repetition of "I'm not here, this isn't happening" suggests that they are trying to convince themselves that what is happening around them is not real. The use of vivid imagery such as strobe lights and blown speakers, fireworks, and hurricanes add to the sense of chaos and disorientation.
Overall, "How to Disappear Completely" can be seen as an examination of the desire to escape from the pressures of everyday life, but also the fear that comes with feeling disconnected from reality.
Line by Line Meaning
That there
I am referring to something that is not me
That's not me
I am not what you see
I go
I make my own choices
Where I please
I have the freedom to be wherever I want
I walk through walls
I am capable of overcoming obstacles with ease
I float down the Liffey
I move effortlessly like a river
I'm not here
I am detached from reality
This isn't happening
I am in my own world, detached from the present
I'm not here
I am not physically present
In a little while
Soon
I'll be gone
I will leave and not return
The moment's already passed
The opportunity has already been missed
Yeah it's gone
The moment cannot be regained
And I'm not here
I am mentally and emotionally disconnected
This isn't happening
I am not experiencing reality as it is
I'm not here
I am not present in reality
Strobe lights and blown speakers
Chaotic and intense environment
Fireworks and hurricanes
Dazzling yet destructive events
I'm not here
I am disconnected from the surroundings
This isn't happening
I am experiencing a distorted perception
I'm not here
I am absent from reality
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN CHARLES GREENWOOD, EDWARD JOHN O'BRIEN, JONATHAN RICHARD GUY GREENWOOD, PHILIP SELWAY, PHILIP JAMES SELWAY, THOMAS YORKE, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE
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