bones Live
Radiohead Lyrics


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I don't want to be crippled and cracked
Shoulders and wrists, knees and back
Ground to dust and ash
Crawling on all fours
When you've got to feel it in your bones
When you've got to feel it in your bones
Now I can't climb the stairs
Pieces missing everywhere
Prozak painkillers
When you've got to feel it in your bones
When you've got to feel it in your bones
I used to fly like Peter Pan
All the children flew when I touched their hands
You see, you've got to feel it in your bones




You see, you've got to feel it in your bones
Ah-ah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Radiohead's song "Bones" seem to revolve around physical pain and the loss of physical ability. The singer expresses a fear of becoming "crippled and cracked" and being "ground to dust and ash," likely referring to the aging process or perhaps a particular injury or illness. The image of crawling on all fours emphasizes a loss of grace and mobility. The repetition of "when you've got to feel it in your bones" suggests that the pain is intense and all-encompassing, impossible to ignore or dismiss. The singer mentions taking Prozac and painkillers, indicating that the pain is not just physical but may also be emotional or psychological.


The second half of the song takes a more metaphorical turn, with the singer lamenting the loss of his ability to "fly like Peter Pan" and touch the children around him. This could be interpreted as a loss of innocence or a sense of freedom and possibility, which has been replaced by pain and limitation. The final repetition of "you've got to feel it in your bones" is more triumphant, as if emphasizing that the pain has become a part of the singer's identity and he has learned to not only endure but also embrace it.


Overall, "Bones" presents a complex and somewhat bleak message about the inevitability of physical and emotional pain, but also suggests that there is strength to be found in learning to live with it.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't want to be crippled and cracked
I do not want to be physically and mentally broken


Shoulders and wrists, knees and back
All parts of my body are vulnerable to get hurt


Ground to dust and ash
If I keep pushing myself too hard, I may end up being burnt out like ashes


Crawling on all fours
I might become so weak that I will have to move on my hands and knees


When you've got to feel it in your bones
You need to understand something strongly and intuitively


When you've got to feel it in your bones
You need to understand something strongly and intuitively


Now I can't climb the stairs
I am physically incapable of doing something as simple as climbing stairs


Pieces missing everywhere
I am not the same person as I used to be; parts of me seem to be missing


Prozak painkillers
I am taking drugs to escape from the physical and mental pain


When you've got to feel it in your bones
You need to understand something strongly and intuitively


When you've got to feel it in your bones
You need to understand something strongly and intuitively


I used to fly like Peter Pan
I used to feel free and unbound, like I could fly like Peter Pan


All the children flew when I touched their hands
I had the ability to uplift and inspire children as if they too could fly


You see, you've got to feel it in your bones
It's important to understand or believe something strongly, without any proof or explanation


You see, you've got to feel it in your bones
It's important to understand or believe something strongly, without any proof or explanation


Ah-ah
No significant meaning, just a filler sound




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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Comments from YouTube:

husker1747

Incredible performance. I love the look of satisfaction on his face at 2:55. He knows the beauty of the words, song, and performance. Perfection.

Shane Landstrom

@Reddit Bandit Videos he sang it the way he meant to sing it, it's "out of tune" on purpose, not what I would call it but what do I know. I agree with husker, INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE. No one said it was his best

Shona Painter

I agree. An amazing performance. Incredible song and and a band sent to earth to make us all feel deeper.

husker1747

@Reddit Bandit Videos you go ahead and do that. There is a reason I used the word “performance”. A great performance doesn’t necessarily mean the singing is perfect. And singing in tune with perfect pitch doesn’t always equate to a great performance. This was an incredible performance.

Reddit Bandit Videos

You seriously can't hear all the times Thom sings way out of tune on this? Not incredible by a long shot. I know Radiohead are an amazing live band, one of the best, but let's praise the good songs and be realistic about other performances.

TheBoi353

Benji Jizanthapuss Everything Radiohead does show the talent they have.

Barlie Eats Stuff

This is what real music sounds like

Caitlin Tan

So fucking right!

Alun49

One of my favourite Radiohead songs. Bloody marvellous.

Shane Landstrom

One of their most underrated songs

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