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)
08
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over my dead body
Something big is gonna happen
Over my dead body
Someone's son or someone's daughter
Over my dead body
This is how I end up sucked in
I'm gonna go to sleep
Let this wash all over me
We don't really want a monster taking over
Tiptoe around, tie him down
We don't want the loonies taking over
Tiptoe around, tie them down
May pretty horses
Come to you
As you sleep
I'm gonna go to sleep
And let this wash all over me
In Radiohead's song "08," the lyrics seem to be centered around a sense of rebellion against authority and a refusal to be pushed down by any external force. The opening lines, "Something for the rag and bone man, over my dead body / Something big is gonna happen, over my dead body," suggest that the singer is willing to fight to the death to prevent something from happening. This sentiment continues in the next lines, "Someone's son or someone's daughter, over my dead body / This is how I end up sucked in, over my dead body," indicating that the singer is prepared to take a strong stand against any outside force which might try to overwhelm them.
The subsequent lines, "I'm gonna go to sleep, let this wash all over me / We don't really want a monster taking over, tiptoe around, tie him down / We don't want the loonies taking over, tiptoe around, tie them down," can be interpreted as the singer's way of dealing with an overpowering force. Through going to sleep and letting the wave of change wash over them, the singer feels like they can maintain some level of control. Furthermore, the lines about tiptoeing around and tying down monsters and loonies suggest that the singer believes in taking a measured approach rather than overreacting in situations that might be overwhelming.
The final lines, "May pretty horses come to you as you sleep / I'm gonna go to sleep and let this wash all over me," seem to indicate a sense of peaceful acceptance. The singer recognizes that there are powerful forces at work, and that there are limits to what they can do to change the world. However, they seem content to simply let things wash over them and continue living their life as best they can.
Line by Line Meaning
Something for the rag and bone man
There is something insignificant, seemingly worthless, that is being given to a person who collects discarded items.
Over my dead body
The singer will do everything in their power to stop something from happening, even if it means sacrificing their life.
Something big is gonna happen
There is an significant event about to occur, likely one that will have major implications.
Someone's son or someone's daughter
The person affected by a particular situation could be anyone's child, it is not limited to only the children of those involved in the situation.
This is how I end up sucked in
The artist realizes that this is how they become involved in situations that they didn't completely understand at first.
I'm gonna go to sleep
The singer will close their mind to the events happening around them, ignoring them.
Let this wash all over me
The singer will not resist events or their surroundings and will let everything happen without resisting.
We don't really want a monster taking over
There is something dangerous and threatening that the artist and others do not want to harm them, but instead want to contain without causing any issues.
Tiptoe around, tie him down
The artist advises others to be cautious when approaching the threat and to take steps to control it.
We don't want the loonies taking over
The artist and others do not want people who are crazy or unstable to take control of a situation.
May pretty horses
The singer wishes for something beautiful and peaceful to occur.
Come to you
The artist hopes that the beautiful and peaceful event happens to the listener.
As you sleep
The singer hopes the listener is not paying attention to the negative events happening around them.
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
Diallo Banks
15 Step 00:26
Bodysnatchers 4:58
Nude 10:18
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi 15:22
All I Need 21:20
Faust Arp 26:02
Reckoner 29:19
House of Cards 34:50
Jigsaw Falling Into Place 41:06
Videotape 46:49
ENCORE:
Up On The Ladder 54:46
You And Whose Army? 59:19
The National Anthem 1:02:38
My Iron Lung 1:08:08
The Bends 1:14:03
Doug Chapman
I was there. Thom gave me his bottle of water. What a gig. Incredible.
SeanPerrin
Weird. Did you drink it?
Alex Dainese
@SeanPerrin no. He passed it to Ed who was thirsty in the exact moment.
Pallas
@Renato Miranda what kind of question is that lmao
Jjjhhgddfhjhjjjgg11
@Renato Miranda DUDE LMAO
Tunzs YT
Radiohead is probably the only thing left that's keeping me alive at the moment
Cave
i was like that once but then i found something else to be alive for, i hope you'll do too
Aaron sky
@Cave I think it was a figure of speech lol
Chadwick McFaggins
@Aaron sky not for me. they genuinely keep me alive, no homo
Mary
Same. I definitely wouldn't have survived all of the things I've been through if it wasn't for this band.