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)
How to Disapear Completely
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's not me
I go
Where I please
I walk through walls
I float down the Liffey
I'm not here
I'm not here
I'm not here
In a little while
I'll be gone
The moment's already passed
Yeah, it's gone
And I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
Strobe lights and blown speakers
Fireworks and hurricanes
I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
The lyrics to How to Disappear Completely by Radiohead are metaphorical and suggest a desire to escape reality, to disappear, and to exist in a world where nothing is happening. The repetition of “I’m not here, this isn’t happening” emphasizes this feeling of detachment and unreality.
The first lines, “That there, that’s not me, I go where I please,” suggests a feeling of disconnect from oneself and others. The lines “I walk through walls, I float down the Liffey” suggest a desire to be invisible and free, able to move through the world effortlessly.
The second stanza further reinforces this feeling of wanting to disappear, with the lines “In a little while, I’ll be gone, the moment’s already passed, yeah it’s gone.” The use of past tense in these lines suggests that the singer longs to be removed from the present, living in a world where time has no meaning.
The final stanza, with its images of strobe lights, blown speakers, and fireworks, suggests a feeling of overwhelm and a desire to escape from external stimuli. The repetition of “I’m not here, this isn’t happening” throughout the song suggests a fear of being consumed by the present moment and a desire to disappear completely.
Line by Line Meaning
That there
The thing that is currently in front of me or happening is not really a part of me or something that I identify with.
That's not me
That thing/person/situation is not a reflection or accurate representation of who I truly am.
I go
I am free to make my own choices, especially when it comes to leaving or avoiding uncomfortable or unpleasant situations.
Where I please
I have the power to move or exist in any physical or mental space that I desire, regardless of what others may expect or demand of me.
I walk through walls
I possess the ability to overcome obstacles and barriers that would normally prevent me from achieving my goals or realizing my true potential.
I float down the Liffey
I am not anchored or restricted by any particular location or circumstance, but rather have the freedom to explore and experience new things.
I'm not here
I am disassociating myself from the current moment, either because it is too difficult to handle or because it doesn't align with my true desires or nature.
This isn't happening
I am struggling to accept or come to terms with what is occurring, or I am simply choosing to remove myself from the situation by denying its existence or reality.
In a little while
Soon, I will be gone from this moment or situation, as I have the power to change my circumstances and move on to something new.
The moment's already passed
I cannot go back or undo what has already happened in the past, so I must accept it and move on from it in order to grow and thrive in the present.
Yeah, it's gone
I acknowledge that the past is truly and finally over, and that I must let go of any lingering regrets or attachments that may be holding me back.
Strobe lights and blown speakers
I am overwhelmed by the chaos, noise, and confusion of the world around me, which is preventing me from focusing on my own goals and desires.
Fireworks and hurricanes
The unpredictable and uncontrollable aspects of life are making it difficult for me to navigate and find stability in my own existence.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher DeBlasio
So many times I’ve come back to this one song. I always feel like I’m a forgettable person. People may talk to me one day then never again speak to me. I always feel like I’m not here,
but I am here. There’s always someone
Someone that can help you
Someone that cares
That’s why I want to keep living
I want to be that someone
If I can’t be happy with myself, then I want to make people happy
Make people smile
Make people laugh
Give people hope
I want to share the little happiness I have with everyone
As long as I can help even if it’s a little bit, I can be happy too :)
Just spitting Some facts
don't want to sound cringe but I just wanted to say....
Keep going
-no matter how bad things are right now
-no matter how stuck you feel
-no matter how many days you've spent crying
-no matter how many days you've spent wishing things were different
-no matter how hopeless and depressed you feel
-I promise you won't feel this way forever
-keep going
Les Zani
[Verse 1]
That there, that's not me
I go where I please
I walk through walls
I float down the Liffey
[Chorus]
I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
[Verse 2]
In a little while
I'll be gone
The moment's already passed
Yeah, it's gone
[Chorus]
And I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
[Bridge]
Strobe lights and blown speakers
Fireworks and hurricanes
[Chorus]
I'm not here
This isn't happening
I'm not here
I'm not here
Kelsey W
A letter to y'all dealing with hard times and brain that won't quit giving you shit:
I've been sick since childhood and when I finally hit rock bottom, it took me over three years to stabilize. Took another two years to earn my GED and go to college. When things get bad you gotta take a deep breath and ask someone for help. Many of us feel like a burden and don't want to, but the people that care for you want to help you and want to be there by your side. You might not know who that person is right now, but that just means it's time to reach out.
Sometimes you recover over a few months, other times it can take years. You don't have to aim for happiness and joy, just inch your way towards stability. Once you've reached ground level you can go anywhere. The sun is really bright after you've dug yourself out of the pit, but developing healthy coping mechanisms and building support systems will supply ya with sunscreen and some stinkin' rad sunglasses. I'm not going to sit here on my bedbound ass and tell you "it gets better," 'cause lord knows you've probably heard that enough to make you sick.
What I am gonna tell you is something my dad said a couple years ago:
"Tomorrow is another day."
It might be better, it might be worse, but howsabout taking a daily gamble to see what the result's gonna be? Nothing is life is constant afterall. And well... No matter how many times you might lose the bet, it's impossible to never win.
I'm no psychologist or psychiatrist, therapist or counselor; this advice is just from some chronically ill gal to someone out there who might resonate with her message.
Love y'all. Hang in there.
J.J. Madrid
This song doesn’t make me sad or happy. It simply makes me feel irrelevant to this world. I’m just an organism walking around this world and there’s nothing good or bad about that.
Zack Lewine
Exactly. this song makes me feel like just a being. No purpose, just an animal, living it's life.
John-e5
We all hope it's not true somehow, but the reality of our situation is hard to escape.
ajpees
But I hate how true that is
Derrick Veney
Yep, non duality...easiest to accept
TD92
Beautiful
PyramidHead
I spent the day laughing with friends, only to come back and go to bed and listen to this while I'm crying.
I'm tired of life, tired of disability, of not being enough, not belonging...
Whenever I go, I don't feel at home, I'm searching for something I don't even know.
But I'm hanging on, for what? Because I don't want to hurt my family and friends, I don't belong with them, but I don't want them to end up like me.
wave wave
You are not alone, and i know it's fucking hurt but your are brave, we are brave and we'll get through this. Love❤
Jacob
Love ya, you're not alone.
🖤
Do.nugs. Do.dr*gs
yes