Scatterbrain
Radiohead Lyrics

The opening lines of Radiohead's "Scatterbrain" convey a sense of danger, discomfort and disorientation. The force-ten gale suggests a stormy weather, where birds are thrown around and hail acts like bullets, adding to the bleak and foreboding atmosphere. It's a representation of the external forces that the singer is trying to navigate through. The reference to the roof pulling off by its fingernails evokes an image of vulnerability and instability in a stormy and chaotic world. The singer is aware of the danger but is struggling to find shelter against the forces that threaten to tear everything apart. The voice rapping on the window-sill could be a voice of comfort, or a call to action, encouraging the singer to take action against the forces beyond.

In the next set of lines, the singer reflects on the past, but everything seems scattered and fragmented, much like a Scatterbrain. The headlines whipped up by the wind, and the people stuck in their own thoughts and actions, add to the sense of confusion and disorientation. The singer acknowledges that any fool can pick a hole in the situation, but they wish they could fall in. It's a sense of resignation or detachment and a desire to be a part of the world around them.

Overall, "Scatterbrain" is a song that deals with themes of vulnerability, disorientation, and detachment in a stormy world. The singer is struggling to navigate through external forces and make sense of the world around them. The song is a poignant and evocative reflection on the human experience in the face of chaos and uncertainty.