โข Rolling Stone Magazine article:
Radiohead Cover Carly Simonโs โNobody Does It Betterโ
James Bond theme from 1977, composed by Marvin Hamlisch with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, is Radiohead's most frequently played cover
BY ANDY GREENE
APRIL 4, 2017
โRadiohead have never played a lot of covers in their live set, though over the years they have attempted everything from Glenn Campbellโs โRhinestone Cowboyโ to Neil Youngโs โCinnamon Girlโ to Tim Buckleyโs โSing a Song for You.โ Most of their covers were played a single time and forever dropped, like New Orderโs โCeremonyโ and Blondieโs โUnion City Blue.โ Even at their earliest club shows before Pablo Honey came out they filled their sets with original material rather than cover songs.
Strangely enough, the cover song theyโve played the most is Carly Simonโs โNobody Does It Better.โ The 1977 theme to James Bondโs The Spy Who Loved Me was first played by Radiohead on August 18th, 1995, during a TV appearance on MTV London to promote The Bends. (You can watch that performance above.) They must have liked it since they added it to their setlist through the rest of the year, and even brought it back a couple of times on the OK Computer tour a couple years later, playing it a total of sixteen times, odd as it was for them to be singing about James Bondโs sexual prowess night after night. Thom Yorke told the crowd at a 1995 gig it was the โsexiest song ever written.โ
Itโs also the only James Bond theme (excluding Dr. No in 1962) up to that point to have a different title than the name of the movie, though the line โthe spy who loved meโ does appear in the song. It was still an enormous worldwide hit and got songwriters Carole Bayer Sager and Marvin Hamlisch nominated for an Oscar, though it lost to Debby Booneโs โYou Light Up My Life.โ
Thirty-eight years later, Radiohead wrote โSpectreโ for the James Bond movie of the same name, but it was rejected in favor of Sam Smithโs โWritingโs on the Wall.โ It may have been a mistake since most critics werenโt too impressed and preferred Radioheadโs song. After all, nobody does Bond better than Radiohead. Well, maybe Duran Duran did it better with โA View to a Kill.โ Paul McCartney probably did it better to with โLive and Let Die,โ not to mention Shirley Basseyโs โGoldfingerโ and โDiamonds Are Forever.โ OK, a lot of people did it better than Radiohead โ just not Sam Smith.โ
Nobody Does It Better
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you're the best
I wasn't lookin', but somehow you found me
I tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me, the spy who loved meIs keepin' all my secrets safe tonight
And nobody does it better
But sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why'd you have to be so good?
The way that you hold me, whenever you hold me
There's some kind of magic inside you
That keeps me from runnin' but just keep it comin'
How'd you learn to do the things you do?
And nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, baby, darlin' you're the best
Baby, you're the best
Baby, you're the best
Baby, you're the best
The lyrics of Radiohead's song "Nobody Does It Better" describe the intense admiration and love the singer feels towards their partner. The opening line, "Nobody does it better," sets the tone for the rest of the song by letting the listener know that the singer sees their partner as the best at everything they do. This level of opinion seemingly makes the singer feel sad or inadequate compared to their partner's excellence, which is expressed in the lyrics, "Makes me feel sad for the rest."
The next few lines, "I wasn't lookin', but somehow you found me / I tried to hide from your love light," show how the singer wasn't necessarily searching for someone to love, but their partner entered their life anyway. The reference to "the spy who loved me" in the next line could be interpreted as the partner being someone unexpected, like a spy in a James Bond movie. The phrase "keepin' all my secrets safe tonight" could also be interpreted to mean keeping the singer's secrets safe within this new relationship.
The chorus repeats the opening line, emphasizing that nobody does it better than the partner in question. However, the singer expresses a slight sense of frustration towards the end of the chorus, saying, "Why'd you have to be so good?" The following verse is filled with wonder and amazement, as the singer questions how their partner learned to be so good at everything they do. The song once again ends with a repetition of "Baby, you're the best," reinforcing the idea that the singer sees their partner as the ultimate in perfection.
Overall, the lyrics of "Nobody Does It Better" are a tribute to a partner who is seen as the best at everything they do. The singer is enamored with their partner's excellence and wonders how they could be so good at everything. The song portrays a sense of awe and admiration for a partner who is seemingly perfect in every way.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody does it better
No one can perform better than you
Makes me feel sad for the rest
I feel sorry for those who are not as good as you
Nobody does it half as good as you
No one can even match half of what you can do
Baby, you're the best
You are the best, my love
I wasn't lookin', but somehow you found me
I didn't expect to find you, but somehow we met
I tried to hide from your love light
I tried to avoid falling in love with you
But like heaven above me, the spy who loved me
You are like an angel in disguise, watching over me with love
Is keepin' all my secrets safe tonight
You protect my secrets and keep them safe
But sometimes I wish someone could
Even though you are the best, sometimes I wish there was someone else who could do it better
Nobody does it quite the way you do
No one can do it the way you do it, uniquely and perfectly
Why'd you have to be so good?
I wonder why you are so talented, and it makes me love you even more
The way that you hold me, whenever you hold me
The feeling I get when you hold me is indescribable
There's some kind of magic inside you
There is a mysterious, enchanting quality about you
That keeps me from runnin' but just keep it comin'
Your love keeps me grounded and feeling safe, so please keep showing it
How'd you learn to do the things you do?
I am amazed at your abilities, and I wonder how you became so great
Baby, baby, darlin' you're the best
You are my sweetheart, my dear, and you are the best of the best
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@underated17
Nobody does it better than Yorkie
@MarcoGosatti42
This cover is epic. Radiohead nailed it.
@davekatz3679
Please don't sully Radiohead with that stupid chicken on a ball logo tho.
EVERYONE does it better than Spurs.
;)
@MarcoGosatti42
@@davekatz3679 I got called a legend once for being a Radiohead and Tottenham fan. I'll take that ๐
@nensija_
I WOULD DIE FOR THIS MAN
@nerolives
Me too
@estercrisci2215
Me too
@Squasagedog
That guitar tone !
@tankaashada5623
Everybody does it better
@summeryboo-bp8xc
Nero you are my hero for uploading this.