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)
Climbing Up The Walls w
Radiohead Lyrics
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That keeps your toys in the basement
And if you get too far inside
You'll only see my reflection
It's always best when the light is off
I am the pick in the ice
Do not cry out or hit the alarm
And either way you turn
I'll be there
Open up your skull
I'll be there
Climbing up the walls
It's always best when the light is off
It's always better on the outside
Fifteen blows to the back of your head
Fifteen blows to your mind
So lock the kids up safe tonight
Shut the eyes in the cupboard
I've got the smell of a local man
Who's got the loneliest feeling
That either way he turns
I'll be there
Open up your skull
I'll be there
Climbing up the walls
Climbing up the walls
Climbing up the walls
The lyrics to Radiohead's Climbing Up the Walls, from their landmark album OK Computer, are mysterious and unsettling. The opening lines "I am the key to the lock in your house/That keeps your toys in the basement" suggest a sinister presence, someone who holds power over the listener's possessions and space. The line "And if you get too far inside/You'll only see my reflection" implies that this person is a dark reflection of the self, lurking in the shadows and waiting to emerge.
The second part of the first verse introduces a new layer of unease, with the lines "It's always best when the light is off/I am the pick in the ice/Do not cry out or hit the alarm/You know we're friends till we die." Here, the singer seems to be suggesting that they thrive in darkness and that they will not betray the listener's confidence. However, the mention of a pick in the ice, presumably an instrument of violence, and the implication that the listener is under surveillance, adds to the sense of danger.
The chorus, with its repeated phrase "Climbing up the walls," reinforces the idea that the singer is a menacing presence, while the lines "And either way you turn/I'll be there/Open up your skull/I'll be there" suggest that the singer is not simply a physical entity, but a psychological force as well. The second verse takes on a more ominous tone, with the mention of violence ("Fifteen blows to the back of your head/Fifteen blows to your mind") and the instruction to "lock the kids up safe tonight/Shut the eyes in the cupboard."
Overall, Climbing Up the Walls is a song about the darker corners of the psyche, and the fear and uncertainty that can emerge from within. The lyrics are deliberately vague, allowing listeners to project their own fears onto the words, and the music is eerie and unsettling, adding to the overall sense of unease.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the key to the lock in your house
I have control over you and your possessions
That keeps your toys in the basement
Your most valuable possessions are hidden away
And if you get too far inside
If you delve too deeply into your own psyche
You'll only see my reflection
You'll see the darker parts of yourself that I represent
It's always best when the light is off
Darkness hides what we don't want to see
I am the pick in the ice
I am the hidden danger that threatens your safety
Do not cry out or hit the alarm
Don't bother trying to resist me, you'll fail
You know we're friends till we die
You're trapped with me forever
And either way you turn
No matter what direction you take
I'll be there
I'll always be present in your life
Open up your skull
Allow me into every part of your being
Climbing up the walls
Slowly consuming and taking over your mind
It's always better on the outside
The world outside is less complicated and dangerous
Fifteen blows to the back of your head
The violence and destruction I am capable of
Fifteen blows to your mind
Pushing you closer to the edge of sanity
So lock the kids up safe tonight
Protect your loved ones from my influence
Shut the eyes in the cupboard
Hide from me whatever you can
I've got the smell of a local man
I'm drawn to those closest to you
Who's got the loneliest feeling
People who feel isolated and alone are the most vulnerable
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