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)
Pearly*
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get your
Teeth so
Pearly?
Dew-drop
Dentures
Whitewashed
Faces
The third world, pearly
Vanilla (feel it crawl to me)
Milkshakes (crawl back again)
From Hard Rock (whatever you say)
Cafes (it won't go away)
That's where (I feel it crawl to me)
She got her (crawls back again)
Sweet tooth (it won't go away)
For white boys (whatever you say)
She runs from
The third world, pearly
Hurts me
Darling hurts me
Darling hurts me
Darling hurts me
The lyrics to Radiohead's Pearly* seem to be an observation of Western culture and the privilege that comes with it. The first stanza asks how someone got their teeth so white, which is often associated with wealth and access to cosmetic dentistry. The second stanza references the consumption of milkshakes and other indulgences found in Hard Rock Cafes, which are only accessible to those with disposable income. The lines "That's where she got her sweet tooth, for white boys" further suggest a fascination with and attraction to the privileges of Western society.
The final two lines of each stanza, "She runs from the third world, pearly", bring it all together. Here, the singer is running away from a more impoverished or disadvantaged society, with the hopes of finding a better life in the Western world, where things are seemingly more readily available. The repeated phrase "darling hurts me" could be interpreted as the artist feeling remorse for the inequality and lack of social mobility that exists for those not fortunate enough to live in the West.
Overall, Pearly* seems to be an observation on the stark differences between life in the Western world and life elsewhere, and the advantages and privileges that come with living in those societies. The song suggests a certain level of guilt and sadness over these disparities, but also acknowledges that the artist is a part of the society that creates them.
Line by Line Meaning
How'd you
How did you
Get your
Obtain or obtain with effort your
Teeth so
Teeth in such a
Pearly?
Lustrous, resembling pearl or nacre teeth?
Dew-drop
Small droplets of moisture, ball-shaped form
Dentures
Artificial teeth and gums
Whitewashed
Pretending to be better or different than what it really is
Faces
Facial expressions or appearance
She runs from
She escapes, avoids or evades
The third world, pearly
The developing nations or regions she comes from
Vanilla (feel it crawl to me)
Common or boring (I sense it slowly coming closer to me)
Milkshakes (crawl back again)
Frothy, sweet drinks (go back to their previous state)
From Hard Rock (whatever you say)
A type of music or a brand (no matter what you say)
Cafes (it won't go away)
Places to drink coffee (the feeling persists)
That's where (I feel it crawl to me)
In that place (I sense it slowly coming closer to me)
She got her (crawls back again)
She has acquired through purchase or persuasion (returns to its previous state)
Sweet tooth (it won't go away)
A craving for sugary foods (the feeling persists)
For white boys (whatever you say)
For Caucasian males (no matter what you say)
She runs from
She escapes, avoids or evades
The third world, pearly
The developing nations or regions she comes from
Hurts me
Causes emotional pain to me
Darling hurts me
Beloved causes emotional pain to me
Darling hurts me
Beloved causes emotional pain to me
Darling hurts me
Beloved causes emotional pain to me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN CHARLES GREENWOOD, EDWARD JOHN O'BRIEN, JONATHAN RICHARD GUY GREENWOOD, PHILIP JAMES SELWAY, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind