Fog
Radiohead Lyrics
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Running round this house
And he never leaves
He will never leave
And the fog comes up from the sewers
And glows
In
The dark
Baby alligators
In the sewers
Grow up fast
Grow up fast
Anything you want, it can be done
How
How did you go bad?
Did you go bad?
Did you go bad?
Some things will never wash away
Did you go bad?
Did you go bad?
In Radiohead's song Fog, the lyrics speak of a little child who remains within a house and never leaves. The child is symbolizing innocence that is trapped by the gloominess of the world outside. The fog that comes up from the sewers and glows in the dark further symbolizes the darkness in the world. While the song mentions baby alligators growing up fast in the sewers, it can be assumed that the alligators are representing the people in this world who grow up too quickly and lose their childish innocence. The line "anything you want, it can be done" may refer to the way in which we try to change our lives to meet our desires, but we ultimately fail as we are unable to wash away the bad that had already formed inside.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a little child
There is a young child present in this household
Running round this house
The child is playing and moving throughout the space
And he never leaves
The child is a permanent resident of the house
He will never leave
It is implied that the child will never leave the space
And the fog comes up from the sewers
Mist rises from the city's sewer system
And glows
The fog is illuminated
In
It exists
The dark
The dimly lit environment
Baby alligators
Juvenile alligators
In the sewers
Residing in the underground drainage system
Grow up fast
They mature quickly
Grow up fast
Reiterated for emphasis
Anything you want, it can be done
The idea that anything is achievable
How
An expression of confusion or wonderment
How did you go bad?
A lyric questioning a person's moral decline
Did you go bad?
Another questioning of this person's decline
Did you go bad?
A repetition of the prior question
Some things will never wash away
Certain events or consequences can never be erased or forgotten
Did you go bad?
The repeated question carries a sense of questioning oneself
Did you go bad?
This final repetition brings closure to the song and solidifies its theme
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Edward John O'brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind