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)
Upside Down
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Be a whole lot better
But I don't give a damn about that
Because being with you is
Like getting too drunk
Laying ill and I’m falling down flat
I’m upside down i’m upside down
Here I am on bended knees
I’m standing around
Like a hanging broken dream you
Life in your bed can be out of this world
But I don't give a damn about that
Why’d you mind? Ever since you looked at me
Said, "Do you really like music like that?"
I’m upside down i’m upside down
Listen here, I am drunk again
Waiting for a word from you
When you’re walking out that door
I ran ahead of you i can't stop loving you
Oh yeah, oh yeah, all right i’m upside down
I am upside down
And here I am on bended knees
Waiting for a word from you
To knock me down, hand me your hand
The hand that threw a kind woo
I can't stop loving you
The lyrics to Radiohead's song "Upside Down" convey a sense of longing and dependence on another person. The singer expresses that their chosen lifestyle could be improved, but they don't care about that because being with this person is like getting intoxicated and falling ill. The metaphor of being upside down suggests a state of imbalance and vulnerability. The singer is on their knees, waiting for a word from the other person to knock them down, indicating a desire for validation or even rejection. They feel like a broken dream, metaphorically hanging and waiting for some kind of resolution.
The second verse continues the theme of dependency and longing. The singer is drunk again, waiting for a word from the other person as they walk out the door. The line "I ran ahead of you, I can't stop loving you" suggests that despite the pain or uncertainty, the singer still can't help but love this person. The repetition of "upside down" emphasizes the disorientation and instability they feel in this relationship.
Overall, "Upside Down" portrays the vulnerability and emotional turmoil that can come with being deeply attached to someone. The singer is willing to endure their own personal struggles and sacrifices for the sake of this connection, even if it means being constantly off-kilter and dependent on the other person's words and actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Shake it now the life that I choose could
The life that I have chosen could potentially be much better, but...
Be a whole lot better
...it doesn't really matter to me because...
But I don't give a damn about that
...I don't care about that at all because...
Because being with you is
...being with you is like...
Like getting too drunk
...getting excessively intoxicated...
Laying ill and I’m falling down flat
...feeling sick and collapsing completely...
I’m upside down i’m upside down
...I feel completely disoriented and upside down...
Here I am on bended knees
I am in a vulnerable position, desperate...
Waiting for a word from you to knock me down
...hoping for a message from you that would devastate me...
I’m standing around
...I am aimlessly lingering...
Like a hanging broken dream you
...like an unfinished and shattered aspiration you left behind...
Life in your bed can be out of this world
...being intimate with you can be incredibly extraordinary...
But I don't give a damn about that
...but I don't care about that at all because...
Why’d you mind? Ever since you looked at me
...why do you care? Since the moment you laid your eyes on me...
Said, 'Do you really like music like that?'
...you asked, do you genuinely appreciate music like that?
I’m upside down i’m upside down
...I still feel completely disoriented and upside down...
Listen here, I am drunk again
...listen to me, I am once again heavily intoxicated...
Waiting for a word from you
...waiting for a message from you...
When you’re walking out that door
...as you are about to leave...
I ran ahead of you i can't stop loving you
...I rushed in front of you, I cannot cease loving you...
Oh yeah, oh yeah, all right i’m upside down
...Yes, indeed, I am still completely disoriented and upside down...
I am upside down
...I am still disoriented and upside down...
And here I am on bended knees
Still in that vulnerable position, desperate...
Waiting for a word from you
...still hoping for a message from you...
To knock me down, hand me your hand
...to bring me crashing down, offer me your hand...
The hand that threw a kind woo
...the hand that expressed a gentle gesture...
I can't stop loving you
...I am unable to cease my love for you...
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind