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)
A Punchup at a Wedding.
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing's ever good enough for you
I was there
And it wasn't like that
You came here
Just to start a fight
You had to piss on our parade
You had to ruin it for all concerned
In a drunken punch up at a wedding
Hypocrite opportunist
Don't infect me with your poison
A bully in a china shop
When I turn around you stay
Frozen to the spot
The pointless snide remarks
Of hammer headed sharks
The pot will call the kettle black
It's a drunken punchup at a wedding, yeah
A Punchup at a Wedding by Radiohead is a song about an unwarranted outburst of violence during what should have been a joyous occasion. The song begins with the singer questioning the behavior of the antagonist, who seems to always find fault in things and never satisfied. The singer was present at the wedding and witnessed the confrontation first-hand; it wasn't as the antagonist portrays it. The antagonist came to the wedding with the intention of picking a fight and ruining the day for everyone else. The chorus makes this clear when it says "You had to piss on our parade, You had to shred our big day, You had to ruin it for all concerned."
The second verse of the song is directed to the antagonist, who is being referred to as a "hypocrite opportunist" trying to poison those around them. The singer calls out the antagonist's behavior as that of a bully in a china shop, causing destruction everywhere they go. The antagonist is depicted as being a coward who resorts to snide remarks and taunts, which the singer believes lack value. The final line of the chorus, "It's a drunken punchup at a wedding" sums up the entire song which is about an incident of violence that should not have happened.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why you bother
I am unsure why you put in effort.
Nothing's ever good enough for you
You are always dissatisfied.
I was there
I attended the event.
And it wasn't like that
However, things did not happen as you claim.
You came here
You arrived here.
Just to start a fight
Your motive was to start an altercation.
You had to piss on our parade
You had to spoil our festive occasion.
You had to shred our big day
You had to destroy our special day.
You had to ruin it for all concerned
Your actions led to everyone's misery.
In a drunken punch up at a wedding
Your behavior resulted in a violent altercation at a wedding.
Hypocrite opportunist
You are a hypocritical and exploitative person.
Don't infect me with your poison
Do not influence me with your negativity.
A bully in a china shop
You are acting like a bully in a delicate situation.
When I turn around you stay
When I look back, you remain in the same position.
Frozen to the spot
You are motionless.
The pointless snide remarks
Your hurtful comments serve no purpose.
Of hammer headed sharks
You and others like you are aggressive and belligerent.
The pot will call the kettle black
People who are guilty of something often accuse others of the same behavior.
It's a drunken punchup at a wedding, yeah
The event has degenerated into a violent conflict because of your actions.
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