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)
Polyethylene
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tears of joy now scare ourselves of all that you want to be
Just got paid and now you're going
'Round inside your place
If I get scared I'll just call you
And I'll miss your glow as I unsettle
Oh, and I'll always feel, I will always be-
Right, one, two, three, four
So sell your suit and tie and come and live with me
Leukemia, schizophrenia, polyethylene
There is no significant risk to your health
She used to be beautiful once as well
Plastic bag, middle class, polyethylene
Decaffeinate, unleaded, keep all surfaces clean
Oh
If you don't believe this, sell your soul
If you don't get into it, no one will
Oh, oh, oh
No, oh, oh
Obtain
Obtain
The lyrics to Radiohead's song "Polyethylene" can be interpreted in various ways, but the overarching theme seems to be the superficiality and emptiness of modern life. The first verse starts with an acknowledgment of the tendency to pursue materialistic desires to the point where they become scary. The opening lines "Tears of joy now scare ourselves of all that you want to be" suggest that achieving one's desires often leads to a feeling of emptiness or even a sense of being overwhelmed. The second line of the verse "Just got paid and now you're going 'Round inside your place" implies a cycle of work and consumption that is hard to escape.
The chorus of the song suggests that the singer wants to break free from this cycle and find something more real and meaningful. The lines "So sell your suit and tie and come and live with me" seem to suggest a desire for a simpler, more authentic lifestyle. Additionally, the reference to "Leukemia, schizophrenia, polyethylene" might be a critique of the pharmaceutical-industrial complex and its tendency to treat human beings as mere commodities to be medicated and controlled. The lines "There is no significant risk to your health/She used to be beautiful once as well" might refer to the fact that even beautiful things can become poisonous or harmful in a culture that values profit over everything else.
Overall, "Polyethylene" is a critique of modern life and the ways in which it encourages us to pursue empty desires and commodify ourselves and others. The song suggests a desire to break free from this cycle and find something more authentic and meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Tears of joy now scare ourselves of all that you want to be
We're frightened by the thought of achieving our dreams and desires, even if they once seemed like something to be happy about.
Just got paid and now you're going 'Round inside your place
You just got paid, but you're still stuck in the same routine and living in the same place.
If I get scared I'll just call you
I'll reach out for help if I start to feel afraid or uncertain.
And I'll miss your glow as I unsettle
I'll miss the comfort of being around you as I become more and more anxious.
Oh, and I'll always feel, I will always be-
I'll always have these feelings and thoughts, regardless of what happens.
So sell your suit and tie and come and live with me
Stop living for material possessions and join me in a simpler life.
Leukemia, schizophrenia, polyethylene
These are all things that humans have created or suffered from in the modern world.
There is no significant risk to your health
Despite all our advances, we may still be harming ourselves in ways we don't even realize.
She used to be beautiful once as well
Even beautiful things can become dull or corrupted over time.
Plastic bag, middle class, polyethylene
Our modern consumerist society, where even the things we carry our goods in are made of plastic.
Decaffeinate, unleaded, keep all surfaces clean
We try to remove all trace of imperfection, contaminant, or danger from our lives at all costs.
If you don't believe this, sell your soul
These are the harsh truths of modern life - if you can't accept them, then you're in for a miserable time.
If you don't get into it, no one will
The world will keep turning and life will go on, regardless of whether or not we choose to participate in it.
Oh, oh, oh
A repeated vocalization that reflects the emotions of the singer.
No, oh, oh
A modified version of the above vocalization, which expresses a negative sentiment.
Obtain
A one-word statement that could be interpreted in different ways, depending on the context and the listener.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN CHARLES GREENWOOD, JONATHAN RICHARD GUY GREENWOOD, EDWARD JOHN O'BRIEN, PHILIP SELWAY, THOMAS YORKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind