The band first performed the song in 1998 during the tour. An early soundcheck performance features in the 1998 documentary "Meeting People Is Easy".
During the "Kid A" sessions in 1999, Radiohead recorded demos for the song in various studios, until it was recorded at their Oxfordshire studio at the end of January, 2000. In early February, the strings were recorded and performed by the Orchestra of St John's inside a church near the band's studio, composed by the multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood on an ondes Martenot. An isolated strings track was included on the compilation "Kid Amnesia".
“That song is about the whole period of time that "OK Computer" was happening. We did the Glastonbury Festival and this thing in Ireland. Something snapped in me. I just said, ‘That’s it. I can’t take it anymore.’ And more than a year later, we were still on the road. I hadn’t had time to address things. The lyrics came from something Michael Stipe said to me. I rang him and said, ‘I cannot cope with this.’ And he said, ‘Pull the shutters down and keep saying, 'I’m not here, this is not happening.’” — Thom Yorke
How to Disappear Completely (A
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 hereThis isn't happening
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
"How to Disappear Completely" by Radiohead can be interpreted in many ways, but a common theme is the desire to escape from reality. The opening lines "That there, that's not me…I'm not here, this isn't happening" suggest that the singer feels detached from their surroundings and wants to disconnect from their own identity. The following lines about walking through walls and floating down the Liffey add to the feeling of dissociation, as if the singer is not bound by physical limitations.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly distressed. The repetition of "I'm not here, this isn't happening" suggests that they are trying to convince themselves that what is happening around them is not real. The use of vivid imagery such as strobe lights and blown speakers, fireworks, and hurricanes add to the sense of chaos and disorientation.
Overall, "How to Disappear Completely" can be seen as an examination of the desire to escape from the pressures of everyday life, but also the fear that comes with feeling disconnected from reality.
Line by Line Meaning
That there
I am referring to something that is not me
That's not me
I am not what you see
I go
I make my own choices
Where I please
I have the freedom to be wherever I want
I walk through walls
I am capable of overcoming obstacles with ease
I float down the Liffey
I move effortlessly like a river
I'm not here
I am detached from reality
This isn't happening
I am in my own world, detached from the present
I'm not here
I am not physically present
In a little while
Soon
I'll be gone
I will leave and not return
The moment's already passed
The opportunity has already been missed
Yeah it's gone
The moment cannot be regained
And I'm not here
I am mentally and emotionally disconnected
This isn't happening
I am not experiencing reality as it is
I'm not here
I am not present in reality
Strobe lights and blown speakers
Chaotic and intense environment
Fireworks and hurricanes
Dazzling yet destructive events
I'm not here
I am disconnected from the surroundings
This isn't happening
I am experiencing a distorted perception
I'm not here
I am absent from reality
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
Me me
on No Surprises
The way i interpret the lyrics: ; Once excitement of youthful perspective,, hopes, dreams are broken, into an almost nihilistic acceptance of patterns world, we coast,….. become a part of the dull hum we swore we never would become part of. Time pulls us forward, wears and tears until we accept. Can not fight against the current yet knowing we swore we would never.
no
on Radio Head - no surprises
heylo aaa