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)
Separator
Radiohead Lyrics
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From a long, weary dream
The sweetest flowers and fruits are hanging from trees
Falling off the giant bird that's been carrying me
It's like I've fallen out of bed
From a long and vivid dream
Just exactly as I remember
Every word
And my heart, in my mouth
Like I'm fallen out of bed
From a long and vivid dream
Finally I'm free of all the weight I've been carrying
And as that woman blows her cover
In the eye of the beholder
I'm a fish now out of water
Falling off a giant bird that's been carrying me
I fell open
I laid under
At the tip out
I was just your number
I want stay on it
And get back under
And if you think this is over
Then you're wrong
If you think this is over
Then you're wrong
If you think this is over
Then you're wrong
(Wake me up, wake me up)
If you think this is over
Then you're wrong
(Wake me up, wake me up)
Like I'm fallen out of bed
From a long and vivid dream
Finally I'm free of all the weight I've been carrying
When at last you'll give in
When at last you'll give in
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up
The lyrics of Radiohead's song Separator present a surreal and dreamlike depiction of a person's awakening from a state of confusion and burden. The use of metaphoric imagery is notable, as the person who sings the song seems to have fallen out of bed from a long, weary dream where they were carried by a giant bird. This dream was vivid and left a deep impression on them, as they remember every word and every gesture. However, waking up from it feels freeing, and they describe the sensation as finally being free of all the weight they have been carrying.
In the latter part of the song, the woman referred to in the lyrics seems to be hiding something, and her true self is being revealed to the beholder. A sense of displacement and being out of one's element is also present, as the person singing becomes a fish out of water, still falling off the giant bird that had been carrying them. They also express the desire to return to their previous state, where they were just someone's number.
The repetition of the phrase "Wake me up" towards the end of the song suggests a desire to not just physically awaken but also to be shaken out of a mental or emotional slumber. The song's overall meaning is open for interpretation, but it seems to speak to the desire to be free from the weight of life's burden and to find a sense of liberation from the constraints that hold us back.
Line by Line Meaning
It's like I'm fallen out of bed
The singer is experiencing a sudden and jarring shift in their reality, as if they have just woken up from a dream.
From a long, weary dream
The dream they had been experiencing was long and tiring.
The sweetest flowers and fruits are hanging from trees
In their dream, the world was idyllic and beautiful, with fruit and flowers readily available.
Falling off the giant bird that's been carrying me
The shift in reality feels like falling off of a large bird that was previously carrying them in their dream.
Just exactly as I remember
Despite the sudden shift, everything seems to be exactly as they remember it from their dream.
Every word
Even the smallest details from their dream seem to be accurately represented in their new reality.
Every gesture
All physical movements and actions are just as they were in the dream.
And my heart, in my mouth
The singer feels nervous and apprehensive about this new reality.
Finally I'm free of all the weight I've been carrying
The new reality feels like a relief to the singer as they are no longer weighed down by their previous burdens.
And as that woman blows her cover
Something has been exposed or revealed, perhaps a hidden truth or deception by a woman.
In the eye of the beholder
Beauty or truth is subjective and can differ from person to person.
I'm a fish now out of water
The singer feels out of place or uncomfortable in this new reality, like a fish out of water.
I fell open
The singer feels vulnerable and exposed, like they have fallen apart.
I laid under
The singer has surrendered to their vulnerability and is at the mercy of their surroundings.
At the tip out
They are on the verge of something, possibly a new realization or revelation.
I was just your number
The singer feels like they were never seen as a person, but rather just a number or statistic to someone else.
I want stay on it
The singer wants to remain in this new reality, perhaps because it feels better than their previous one.
And get back under
They want to explore and understand this new reality, even if it means returning to their vulnerable state.
And if you think this is over
There is more to come, the situation is not resolved yet.
Then you're wrong
The statement is emphatic, and the situation is anything but over.
Wake me up, wake me up
The singer is either pleading with someone to wake them up from this new reality, or asking themselves to wake up from their dream.
When at last you'll give in
The singer is waiting for something or someone to give in, perhaps a surrendering of their former identity or reality.
Wake me up
The singer is desperate to wake up from this dreamlike new reality.
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