Subteranean Homesick Alien
Radiohead Lyrics


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The breath of the morning
I keep forgetting
The smell of the warm summer air

I live in a town
Where you can't smell a thing
You watch your feet
For cracks in the pavement

Up above
Aliens hover
Making home movies
For the folks back home

Of all these weird creatures
Who lock up their spirits
Drill holes in themselves
And live for their secrets

They're all
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight

Oh

I wish that they'd swoop down in a country lane
Late at night when I'm driving
Take me on board their beautiful ship
Show me the world as I'd love to see it
I'd tell all my friends but they'd never believe me
They'd think that I'd finally lost it completely
I'd show them the stars and the meaning of life
They'd shut me away
But I'd be alright
Alright
I'm alright
Alright

I'm just
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight
Uptight

Overall Meaning

The song "Subterranean Homesick Alien" is a reflection on the desire for escapism from a mundane existence. The opening lines describe the forgetfulness of the singer towards the natural environment around them, perhaps due to the repetition and commonplace of their daily life. They then contrast their experience of living in a sterile town with the idea of extraterrestrial life and the vastness of the universe. The aliens are framed as observers, creating "home movies" and documenting the curious behaviors of humanity.


The chorus expresses a sentiment of frustration towards the uptight nature of people, who "lock up their spirits" and "live for their secrets". The singer longs for a sense of liberation and escape from this restrictive way of life, dreaming of being taken away by the aliens to explore the world in a new way. They acknowledge that others may not believe their experiences or understand their desire for a different perspective, but they would still yearn for the freedom and possibility that the aliens represent.


Line by Line Meaning

The breath of the morning
The freshness of a new day


I keep forgetting
I tend to ignore or neglect


The smell of the warm summer air
The enjoyable scent of the summer season


I live in a town
I reside in a place


Where you can't smell a thing
Where it is impossible to detect any scent


You watch your feet
You pay close attention to where you step


For cracks in the pavement
For any damaged spots on the road surface


Up above
In the sky


Aliens hover
Extraterrestrial beings float or suspend in movement


Making home movies
Filming their experiences for their own personal use


For the folks back home
To share with their peers on their own planet


Of all these weird creatures
Of all the bizarre organisms


Who lock up their spirits
Who hold back their emotions or true selves


Drill holes in themselves
Cause damage to their own bodies


And live for their secrets
Lead a life obsessed with keeping secrets


They're all
Every one of them


Uptight
Anxious and rigid


Oh
Expressing strong emotion


I wish that they'd swoop down in a country lane
I desire for extraterrestrial beings to descend from the sky onto a rural road


Late at night when I'm driving
While driving during the late hours of the night


Take me on board their beautiful ship
Invite me to enter their attractive spacecraft


Show me the world as I'd love to see it
Reveal the planet as my ideal vision


I'd tell all my friends but they'd never believe me
I would disclose the experience but my companions would not accept it as true


They'd think that I'd finally lost it completely
They would assume that my sanity has completely abandoned me


I'd show them the stars and the meaning of life
I would display the stars and the significance of existence


They'd shut me away
They would isolate me from society


But I'd be alright
But I would be fine with it


Alright
Okay


I'm just
I am only


Uptight
Stressed and nervous


Uptight
Frazzled and edgy


Uptight
On edge and uneasy


Uptight
Tense and restless


Uptight
Anxious and jumpy


Uptight
Worried and perturbed


Uptight
Agitated and wrought


Uptight
Panicky and frantic


Uptight
Nervous and uptight




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
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Me me


on No Surprises

The way i interpret the lyrics: ; Once excitement of youthful perspective,, hopes, dreams are broken, into an almost nihilistic acceptance of patterns world, we coast,….. become a part of the dull hum we swore we never would become part of. Time pulls us forward, wears and tears until we accept. Can not fight against the current yet knowing we swore we would never.

no


on Radio Head - no surprises

heylo aaa

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