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)
Bullet Proof ...I Wish I Was
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tearing up inside of me
Every day every hour
I wish that I was bullet proof
Wax me
Mould me
Heat the pins and stab them in
Just wish that it was bullet proof
So pay the money and take a shot
Leadfill the hole in me
I could burst a million bubbles
All surrogate and bullet proof
And bullet proof
And bullet proof
And bullet proof
The lyrics to Radiohead's song Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was speak to the painful and destructive nature of human relationships. The opening lines “Limb by limb and tooth by tooth, tearing up inside of me” suggest both the physical and emotional anguish of a relationship gone awry. The next line, “Every day every hour, I wish that I was bullet proof,” hints at a sense of vulnerability and helplessness in the face of this turmoil. The singer is expressing a desire to become indestructible so that they can withstand the pain that they are experiencing in their relationship.
The lines “Wax me, mould me, heat the pins and stab them in,” reflect a sense of manipulation by the singer’s partner. The image is of someone being molded and shaped into something that is not natural or comfortable. The metaphor of “heat[ing] the pins and stab[bing] them in” suggests that the singer is being forced into a shape they do not want, like a voodoo doll. The phrase “you have turned me into this” is an indictment of the partner for having caused the singer so much pain.
The chorus “So pay the money and take a shot, leadfill the hole in me, I could burst a million bubbles all surrogate and bullet proof, and bullet proof, and bullet proof” is an appeal to someone, perhaps a lover or a therapist, to fix the singer’s brokenness. The line “leadfill the hole in me” is particularly evocative, suggesting an emptiness or a void that needs filling. But the song is ultimately a lament for the fact that no one can offer the singer the invulnerability they crave. The repetition of “And bullet proof” is a reminder of this fact.
Line by Line Meaning
Limb by limb and tooth by tooth
Bit by bit, I am slowly falling apart
Tearing up inside of me
My emotions and thoughts are causing me great pain and distress
Every day every hour
Constantly, without a break or reprieve
I wish that I was bullet proof
I desire to have emotional and mental strength to withstand any hurt or harm
Wax me
Make me malleable, shapeable
Mould me
Shape me, influence me
Heat the pins and stab them in
Inflict pain on me, torment me
You have turned me into this
You have been an influential force in making me who I am
Just wish that it was bullet proof
My only hope is that I can stand strong and withstand any harm or damage
So pay the money and take a shot
Spend the money and harm me, hurt me further
Leadfill the hole in me
Plug up the void within me with something heavy and destructive
I could burst a million bubbles
I am vulnerable and fragile, capable of being destroyed easily
All surrogate and bullet proof
I will put up facades of strength and resilience, even though I am not truly impenetrable
And bullet proof
The idea of being unbreakable and invincible
And bullet proof
The repetition of the concept of being invulnerable, as if to emphasize it
And bullet proof
Once more, emphasizing the idea of being unbreakable and impervious
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