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)
2+2= 5
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To put the world to rights
I'll stay home forever
Where two and two always makes a five
I'll lay down the tracks
Sandbag and hide
January has April showers
It's the devil's way now
There is no way out
You can scream and you can shout
It is too late now
Because you're not there
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Yeah I feel it, I needed attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Yeah I need it, I needed attention
I needed attention
I needed attention
I needed attention
Yeah I love it, the attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Soon oh
I try to sing along
But the music's all wrong
'Cause I'm not
'Cause I'm not
I'll swallow up flies?
Back and hide
But I'm not
Oh hail to the thief
Oh hail to the thief
But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not
Don't question my authority or put me in the box
'Cause I'm not
'Cause I'm not
Oh go up to the king, and the sky is falling in
But it's not
But it's not
Maybe not
Maybe not
The lyrics of Radiohead's "2 + 2 = 5" are an expression of the band's distrust towards authorities and the media. The song heavily relies on imagery and metaphor to convey its message. In the first verse, the lyrics "Are you such a dreamer to put the world to rights?" speaks to the idea of people who try to make changes in society but often end up disillusioned. The line "I'll stay home forever where two and two always makes a five" represents the idea of living in a world where two plus two can equal five, meaning that reality can be manipulated and distorted to meet specific needs or support a particular narrative.
The second verse reflects the idea that truth can be twisted to serve power. The lines "It's the devil's way now, there is no way out, you can scream and you can shout, it is too late now" refers to the idea that the people in power have created their version of reality, and there is no way of stopping it. The chorus "Payin' attention" is repeated several times, and it's a call for people to pay attention to what's happening around them and not live in apathy or ignorance.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you such a dreamer
Do you see the world with an idealistic view?
To put the world to rights
To believe you can fix all of the world's problems
I'll stay home forever
I will avoid the issues of the outside world
Where two and two always makes a five
In my safe space, the rules of the real world don't apply
I'll lay down the tracks
I will create something meaningful
Sandbag and hide
I will protect it and keep it hidden
January has April showers
Life doesn't always make sense
And two and two always makes a five
In my art, I can make my own rules
It's the devil's way now
The world is more sinister than ever
There is no way out
We are trapped in this reality
You can scream and you can shout
We feel powerless against it all
It is too late now
We are too far gone to change anything
Because you're not there
Your absence affects everything
Payin' attention
Noticing and caring about the world around us
Yeah I feel it, I needed attention
I want others to acknowledge my existence
Yeah I need it, I needed attention
I crave attention to give me purpose
Yeah I love it, the attention
Being the center of attention validates me
Soon oh
Hope for something better
I try to sing along
I try to fit in with society's standards
But the music's all wrong
But I can't seem to align with it
'Cause I'm not
Because I am different
I'll swallow up flies?
I'll deal with things I'd rather avoid
Back and hide
Retreat to my isolated world
Oh hail to the thief
People in power are often corrupt
Don't question my authority or put me in the box
Don't try to limit or control me
'Cause I'm not
Because I won't conform
Oh go up to the king, and the sky is falling in
The world doesn't always make sense, even in positions of power
But it's not
But sometimes things aren't as bad as they seem
Maybe not
Maybe there's still hope
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