Fake Plastic Trees
Radiohead (Live @ Bonnaroo 2006) Lyrics
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For a fake Chinese rubber plant
In the fake plastic earth
That she bought from a rubber man
In a town full of rubber plans
To get rid of itself
It wears her out
It wears her out
It wears her out
She lives with a broken man
A cracked polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and burns
He used to do surgery
For girls in the eighties
But gravity always wins
And it wears him out
It wears him out
It wears him out
Wears him out
She looks like the real thing
She tastes like the real thing
My fake plastic love
But I can't help the feeling
I could blow through the ceiling
If I just turn and run
And it wears me out
It wears me out
It wears me out
It wears me out
And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted
All the time
All the time
"Fake Plastic Trees," by Radiohead, is a song that takes the idea of the artificiality of modern life to an almost surrealist extreme. In the first verse, the singer describes a fake plant, made of plastic and bought from a "rubber man," which sits in "fake plastic earth." Not only is the plant fake, but everything about it is artificial, even the soil it is planted in. This suggests the idea that the world we live in is one in which even basic natural elements are fabricated and synthetic.
The second verse adds to this sense of artificiality, describing a woman who lives with a "broken man," a reference to the idea that many people living in our modern world feel broken or unfulfilled. The man is described as "cracked polystyrene," a reference to the cheap, lightweight material often used in packaging, and the fact that his parts can "crumble and burn" suggests the temporary nature of the relationships in the modern world.
The final verse of the song takes on a different tone, focusing on the singer's own feelings of disillusionment and alienation. He sings, "She looks like the real thing / She tastes like the real thing / My fake plastic love / But I can't help the feeling / I could blow through the ceiling / If I just turn and run." Here, the singer seems to be describing a relationship that is empty and unfulfilling, even though it appears to be "the real thing." He feels trapped and longs to escape, but ultimately feels powerless to do so.
Overall, "Fake Plastic Trees" is a powerful commentary on the artificiality and emptiness of modern life, as well as on the ways in which we can become trapped in relationships and situations that are fundamentally unfulfilling.
Line by Line Meaning
A green plastic watering can
A symbol of nurturing, but in this case, it’s made of plastic, just like the other fake items in her life
For a fake Chinese rubber plant
The object of nurturing; a fake plant made in China
In the fake plastic earth
Everything around her is fake, even the ground beneath her feet
That she bought from a rubber man
Her desire for fake things led her to buy from someone who specializes in selling fake items
In a town full of rubber plans
She’s not alone in wanting fake things, as the whole town is filled with similar products
To get rid of itself
The town and its inhabitants are trying to escape from their reality by surrounding themselves with fake things
It wears her out
Living in a world of fake things is tiring and exhausting for her
She lives with a broken man
Her partner is emotionally damaged
A cracked polystyrene man
He’s not enough; he’s just like the other fake items in her life
Who just crumbles and burns
He’s weak and fragile; he can’t provide her with the support she needs
He used to do surgery
He had a career before, but he’s no longer capable of fulfilling his previous aspirations
For girls in the eighties
The time period is significant to his past and their life together
But gravity always wins
No matter how hard he tries to stay afloat, he’ll always fall back down
And it wears him out
Living like this is exhausting for him too
She looks like the real thing
She appears to be normal, but in reality, she’s fake
She tastes like the real thing
She appears to be genuine and sincere, but it’s just a façade
My fake plastic love
The love between them is also fake and plastic
But I can't help the feeling
Even though he’s aware that everything is fake, he can’t help the way he feels
I could blow through the ceiling
He has the urge to escape from this fake reality
If I just turn and run
He feels like running away is the only way to escape
And it wears me out
The pressure of living in this fake world is too much for him too
And if I could be who you wanted
He’s willing to change and become what his partner wants
If I could be who you wanted
He wants to be accepted and loved for who he is
All the time
Permanently, constantly
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
@xxCasanova98xx
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
A green plastic watering can
For a fake Chinese rubber plant
In a fake plastic earth
That she bought from a rubber man
In a town full of rubber plans
To get rid of itself
[Chorus 1]
It wears her out
It wears her out
It wears her out
It wears her out
[Verse 2]
She lives with a broken man
A cracked polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and burns
He used to do surgery
For girls in the eighties
But gravity always wins
[Chorus 2]
And it wears him out
It wears him out
It wears him out
It wears
[Verse 3]
She looks like the real thing
She tastes like the real thing
My fake plastic love
But I can't help the feeling
I could blow through the ceiling
If I just turn and run
[Chorus 3]
And it wears me out
It wears me out
It wears me out
It wears me out
[Outro]
And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted
All the time
All the time
@petersmith6248
Heard this blasting out of my teenage daughters room last night. My work is done here
@LoneShot95
well done you should check on her though
@KJ-je9pm
She got good taste
@ScorpionGaming5
This is both a great and very concerning thing...
@edgargomez66
Smart kid
@Snowcrash777
Good show Sir! lol True though! Radiohead has some great lessons/observations. ;)
@Sbibb27
I’m jealous of anyone who listens to this tune for the first time.
@caseyinmi1315
Hi I am Casey . . . Close but just listened yesterday . . Really stopped to listen . . Thanks
@Sbibb27
Casey In MI 😊🙌🧡
@abrahamfrancis2394
Listening these lyrics for the first time. I'd kill for that.