Yorke formed Radiohead with schoolmates at Abingdon School in Oxfordshire. Their 1992 debut single, "Creep", made Yorke a celebrity, and Radiohead went on to achieve critical acclaim and sales of over 30 million albums. Yorke's early influences included alternative rock acts such as Pixies and R.E.M. With Radiohead's fourth album, Kid A, Yorke moved into electronic music, influenced by Warp acts such as Aphex Twin. With the artist Stanley Donwood, Yorke creates artwork for Radiohead albums and his other projects. He often incorporates "erratic" dancing into his performances.
Yorke's solo work comprises mainly electronic music. His debut solo album, The Eraser, was released in 2006. To perform it live, in 2009, he formed a new band, Atoms for Peace, with musicians including the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and the Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. They released an album, [album artist=Atoms for Peace Amok[/album], in 2013. Yorke's second solo album, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, was released in 2014, followed by Anima in 2019. In 2021, Yorke debuted a new band, the Smile, with the Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and the jazz drummer Tom Skinner. Yorke has collaborated with artists including PJ Harvey, Björk, Flying Lotus and Modeselektor, and has composed for film and theatre. His first feature film soundtrack, Suspiria, was released in October 2018.
Yorke is an activist on behalf of human rights, animal rights, environmental and anti-war causes, and his lyrics incorporate political themes. He has been critical of the music industry, particularly of major labels and streaming services such as Spotify. With Radiohead and his solo work, he has employed alternative release platforms such as pay-what-you-want and BitTorrent. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead in 2019.
Cymbal Rush
Thom Yorke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Try to build a wall that is high enough
It's all boiling over
It's all boiling over
Try to save your house
Try to save your songs
It's all boiling over
It's all boiling over
Your loved ones
Your loved ones
A normal conversation
A normal conversation
(you should have took me out when you had the chance)
(you should have took me out when you had the chance)
All the rooms renumbered
And losers turned away
(you should have took me out when you had the chance)
Don't turn away
(you should have took me out when you had the chance)
Don't turn away
The lyrics to Thom Yorke's "Cymbal Rush" seem to deal with the frustration and inability to escape one's problems. The opening lines, "Try to save it but it doesn't come off the rug/Try to build a wall that is high enough," suggest a futility in attempting to fix a situation. This feeling of being overwhelmed is echoed in the repetition of "It's all boiling over."
The lyrics then shift focus to the attempt to save one's home and music, but to no avail as the problem "follows you up a hill." The repetition of "Your loved ones" speaks to the idea that the impact of the problem is not just personal, but also affects those closest to us. The phrase "All the rooms renumbered" seems to suggest a loss of control or order in the face of chaos or change.
The song then takes a darker turn with the repeated line "You should have took me out when you had the chance," implying that there may have been an opportunity to prevent or escape the situation, but it was not taken. The final plea of "Don't turn away" perhaps speaks to the difficulty of facing and dealing with problems head-on rather than denying or running from them.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cymbal Rush" convey a sense of frustration, helplessness, and a desire to escape or find a solution to one's problems, but with a bleak recognition that these may not be possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Try to save it but it doesn't come off the rug
Attempt to rescue something, but it remains stuck and immovable.
Try to build a wall that is high enough
Create a barrier that is tall and robust enough to provide protection.
It's all boiling over
An overwhelming and uncontrollable situation.
Try to save your house
Attempt to salvage something of great value and significance.
Try to save your songs
Attempt to preserve your creative output and personal expression.
Try to run but it follows you up a hill
Escape a problem or issue, but it persists and keeps coming back.
Your loved ones
Those closest to you, who you deeply care about.
A normal conversation
An everyday, unremarkable exchange with another person.
(you should have took me out when you had the chance)
A regretful statement that implies a missed opportunity to change the course of events.
All the rooms renumbered
Things rearranged and altered in a disorienting way.
And losers turned away
Undesirable or unimportant individuals shunned or excluded.
Don't turn away
Remain present and engaged instead of avoiding or dismissing.
(you should have took me out when you had the chance)
A repeated statement of regret about a past decision or action.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Sergio-nu2go
Try to save
But it doesn’t come off the rug
Try to build a wall that is high enough
It’s all boiling over
All boiling over
Try to save your house
Try to save your songs
Try to run
But it follows you up the hill
It’s all boiling over
All boiling over
Your loved ones
Your loved ones
A normal conversation
A normal conversation
You should have took me out
While you had the chance
You should have took me out
While you had the chance
All the rooms renumbered
And the losers turned away
Don’t turn away
Don’t turn away
There were ten in the bed
And the little one said
‘Roll over’
@reallycools
I love how Nigel just causally walks in and lays down some phat beats
@-l5905
Great timing Nigel, it was slick...
@rachelvillarim3279
Exaaaaacly 😄
@carlysimpo8182
so funny
@SirPhilMcCrackinVonBeggington
The beats are already playing. All Nigel did was turn the volume up so we could hear them.
@brendaluna173
something I love about Thom is how ordinary he seems to be, then all of the sudden the music starts and he blooms like a flower.
@bandplyrb7892
Brenda Luna like a lotus flower
@chappytk
So I was learning this song today and saw your comment. I think it goes even deeper than what you're saying. Even a simple sounding song like this isn't simple. The words don't match up with the piano hits, it's syncopated. Which means it takes twisting your brain a little bit to figure it out. Not only is it beautiful, but it's kind of hard to play and sing this at the same time, and I didn't even notice until I tried. He's a genius.
@robvp190
Exactly.. I play the Jonny parts in my radio cover band and it is amazing how `simple' the songs sound but how well they are composed. I always played classical music but playing Radiohead is so much fun.. for me it is classical music but in a modern jacket.
@agnidas5816
@chappytk when we write songs this comes automatically. it is way more difficult to learn some one elses song than it is to write your own. I find this aspect of music funny. I've done both - learned complex stuff like Bach and written my own stuff as well as played variations on a Bach theme ...