"The snow was piled high on the branches, and then a bullet train would go past, and the snow would drop off the branch. The whole world was utterly blanketed except for these straggly bits of black and white. And that’s where it started. The words have always been based in that image.“He described the song as being about "the slide backwards that’s happening everywhere you look.”
The song's alternative title is "Honeymoon Is Over".
Backdrifts
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're damaged goods
What the hell, we've got nothing more to lose
One gust and we will probably crumble
We're backdrifters
This far but no further
I'm hanging off a branch
I'm teetering on the brink of
Honey sweet
So full of sleep
I'm backsliding
You fell into our arms
You fell into our arms
We tried but there was nothing we could do
Nothing we could do
All evidence has been buried
All tapes have been erased
But your footsteps give you away
So you're backtracking
Ah ah ah
You fell into our arms
You fell into our arms
We tried but there was nothing we could do
Nothing we could do
You fell into our
You fell into a
We're rotten fruit
We're damaged goods
What the hell, we've got nothing more to lose
One gust and we will probably crumble
We're backdrifters
The lyrics in Radiohead's song Backdrifts depict a sense of self-destruction and desperation. The repeated lines "We're rotten fruit, we're damaged goods" convey a feeling of unworthiness and that they are beyond repair. This is followed by a sense of apathy towards their surroundings, "What the hell, we've got nothing more to lose", and an awareness that they are fragile and susceptible to falling apart at any moment.
The imagery of teetering on the brink and backsliding further adds to this feeling of instability and insecurity. In the chorus, the repetition of "You fell into our arms" suggests that the singer is aware that they are not deserving of this affection, but they cannot help but accept it. The final lines "We're backdrifters" reiterate their sense of being adrift and lacking direction.
Overall, the lyrics seem to convey a sense of hopelessness and a lack of control over one's own destiny. The repetition of certain phrases and the despairing tone of the song emphasize the idea that once someone is seen as broken or damaged, it is difficult to climb back up and regain control of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
We're rotten fruit
We are decayed and undesirable.
We're damaged goods
We are broken and flawed.
What the hell, we've got nothing more to lose
We have already hit rock bottom, so we have nothing to lose by taking risks.
One gust and we will probably crumble
We are vulnerable and weak, and even a small challenge could be devastating.
We're backdrifters
We are constantly struggling to move forward, and instead are drifting backwards.
This far but no further
We have reached our limit and cannot continue any further.
I'm hanging off a branch
I am in a precarious position, barely holding on.
I'm teetering on the brink of
I am on the edge of a dangerous situation.
Honey sweet
Something seems good or appealing.
So full of sleep
Feeling lethargic or unwilling to take action.
I'm backsliding
I am regressing and moving backwards.
You fell into our arms
You became vulnerable and relied on us for support.
We tried but there was nothing we could do
We attempted to help, but there was no possible solution.
All evidence has been buried
All proof or documentation has been concealed or destroyed.
All tapes have been erased
All records or evidence have been erased or deleted.
But your footsteps give you away
Your actions or movements reveal the truth.
So you're backtracking
You are attempting to conceal your true path or actions by going backwards.
We're rotten fruit
We are decayed and undesirable.
We're damaged goods
We are broken and flawed.
What the hell, we've got nothing more to lose
We have already hit rock bottom, so we have nothing to lose by taking risks.
One gust and we will probably crumble
We are vulnerable and weak, and even a small challenge could be devastating.
We're backdrifters
We are constantly struggling to move forward, and instead are drifting backwards.
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