Prove Yourself
Radiohead Lyrics
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Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand
Look back up to the cathode ray
I'm better off dead
I'm better off dead
I'm better off
Prove yourself
Prove yourself
I want to breathe, I want to grow
I'd say I want it but I don't know how
I work, I bleed, I beg, I pray
And I'm better off dead
I'm better off dead
I'm better off
Prove yourself
Prove yourself
Prove yourself
I'm better off dead
I'm better off dead
I'm better off
Prove yourself
Prove yourself
Prove yourself
Prove yourself (whoa)
Prove yourself
Prove yourself
Prove yourself
The lyrics to Prove Yourself by Radiohead are a commentary on the struggles of living in a small town, where the singer feels as though they cannot breathe without the constant fear of violence. The line "I can't afford to breathe in this town" suggests that the singer is struggling to survive financially, which is leading to a feeling of suffocation. The lyrics "Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand" reveal that the town is plagued with violence and danger, making it impossible for the singer to feel safe even in simple moments of relaxation.
The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Prove yourself" multiple times, suggests a desire to break free from the limitations of small-town life and prove oneself to the world. The singer wants to grow and achieve success outside of the confines of their town, but feels trapped and unable to do so. The repeated references to death suggest that the singer feels as though their current situation is a kind of living death, and that they only way out of this is to prove oneself and escape to something better.
Overall, the lyrics to Prove Yourself by Radiohead convey a sense of desperation and frustration with small-town life, and a desire to prove oneself to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't afford to breathe in this town
I cannot afford to live a normal life in this place
Nowhere to sit without a gun in my hand
There's no safe place in this town
Look back up to the cathode ray
Thinking about the TV signal that's fading away
I'm better off dead
I'd be better off dead than suffer in this town
Prove yourself
Demonstrate your worthiness
I want to breathe, I want to grow
I desire to live and develop
I'd say I want it but I don't know how
I don't know how to achieve what I desire
I work, I bleed, I beg, I pray
I'm trying everything I can think of to escape this town
And I'm better off dead
Again, death seems preferable to the current situation
Prove yourself
Demonstrate your worthiness
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, 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