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)
We Suck Young Blood
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you sick?
Are you begging for a break?
Are you sweet?
Are you fresh?
Are you strung up by the wrists?
We want the young blood
Are you torn at the seams?
Would you do anything?
Flea-bitten? Moth eaten?
We suck young blood
We suck young blood
Won't let that creeping ivy
Won't let the nervous bury me
Our veins are thin
Our rivers poisoned
We want the sweet meats
We want young blood
The lyrics to Radiohead's song We Suck Young Blood are open to interpretation, but one interpretation is that the song is about society's insatiable desire for youth and how it preys on young people who are vulnerable and naive. The repeated question "Are you hungry? Are you sick? Are you begging for a break?" seems to suggest that the singer is addressing someone who is struggling and suffering in some way, which could represent the plight of young people who are disadvantaged and marginalized.
The lines "Our veins are thin, Our rivers poisoned" could be interpreted to mean that society is sick and dying, and that young people are being sacrificed and exploited to sustain it. Furthermore, the repeated lines "We suck young blood" emphasize the predatory nature of this dynamic, highlighting the fact that young people are being consumed by a system that values youth and vitality over all else.
Overall, the song seems to be a critique of the way that society values youth and exploits young people, while at the same time consuming and destroying itself in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you hungry?
Are you feeling empty and unsatisfied in life?
Are you sick?
Are you unwell, physically or emotionally?
Are you begging for a break?
Are you desperately in need of some kind of relief or respite?
Are you sweet?
Are you innocent and pure, or perhaps just appearing that way?
Are you fresh?
Are you new or recent, with a sense of vitality or excitement?
Are you strung up by the wrists?
Are you constrained or trapped, unable to move freely or do as you please?
We want the young blood
We desire the energy, vibrancy, and potential of youth.
Are you fracturing?
Are you falling apart or breaking down?
Are you torn at the seams?
Are you coming apart at the edges or splitting apart?
Would you do anything?
Are you desperate enough to take any action, no matter how extreme or risky?
Flea-bitten? Moth eaten?
Have you been worn down and battered by life or circumstances?
We suck young blood
We exploit and consume the younger generation for our own gain.
We suck young blood
We drain the vitality and promise of youth to sustain ourselves.
Won't let that creeping ivy
We refuse to let the invasive and destructive forces of society overtake us.
Won't let the nervous bury me
We won't allow fear and anxiety to overwhelm and paralyze us.
Our veins are thin
Our life force and energy is depleted and weak.
Our rivers poisoned
The very essence of our being is polluted and corrupted.
We want the sweet meats
We crave the richness and luxury of life, even at the expense of others.
We want young blood
We covet the potential and energy of those who are younger and less jaded than us.
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