When asked on the official RH message board about who was laughing at the end, Colin replied, "it's jonny laughing at one of his own jokes as usual that he's nicked from stephen fry or some radio four light ents programme from the last thirty years."
Regarding Johnny's laugh: note the production credit for Barry Hammond - he always worked out of Chipping Norton studios, where he also did 'Pop Is Dead'. If you google him you'll find references from the 70s to the 90s of his habit of surreptitiously recording the whole session on tape, and then playing back any amusing bits of banter etc. to the band later, which is presumably where the laugh came from!
India Rubber
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never wanted me that way
Now the dogs have had their meat
I think I will go plug in the mains
I tumble like a cloud
Before you burn in hell
I suffocate myself into your hair
Will the sparrow make her smile
I'm instantly your biggest fan
How was I to know that you practiced it before hand?
I tumble like a cloud
Before you burn in hell
I suffocate myself into your hair
In "India Rubber," Radiohead explores the theme of unrequited love. The first two lines suggest that the singer did something, perhaps tried to impress or win over someone, only to find out that their affections were unreturned. The lyrics "now the dogs have had their meat" suggest a sense of defeat or hopelessness, as if the singer has given everything they had, yet still failed to win the other person over. The following lines reveal a kind of self-destructive desire, as the singer contemplates "plugging in the mains" as an escape from the pain of rejection.
The chorus is where the lyrics take on a more surreal and enigmatic quality. With lines like "I tumble like a cloud" and "before you burn in hell", the singer seems to be experiencing a kind of freefall, or existential crisis, brought on by their unrequited love. The lines "I suffocate myself into your hair" suggest a kind of desperate longing, a desire to be as close to the object of their affections as possible.
The second verse is similarly cryptic, with lines like "will the sparrow make her smile" and "how was I to know that you practiced it before hand?" Once again, the singer seems to be grappling with a sense of inadequacy, as if they were always destined to fall short in their pursuit of this person. The final chorus, with its repeating lines, seems to suggest that the singer is trapped in a cycle of longing and despair, unable to escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Did it all for you to say
I did everything for you to acknowledge my love for you
You never wanted me that way
Unfortunately, you never reciprocated my feelings in the way I wished for
Now the dogs have had their meat
Now that others have taken what they wanted from the situation, I feel used up and disposable
I think I will go plug in the mains
I'll take a break and recharge myself to gather the strength to face the reality
I tumble like a cloud
I feel unstable and uncertain like a cloud flowing in the wind
Before you burn in hell
Before you face the consequences of your actions in the afterlife
I suffocate myself into your hair
I try to get as close to you as possible in the hope of being noticed and loved
Will the sparrow make her smile
I wonder if any little thing I do could make you happy
I'm instantly your biggest fan
I'm ready to do anything for you, as a devoted follower
How was I to know that you practiced it before hand?
I didn't realize that you had already calculated and planned it all out, letting me go through the emotions alone
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, 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