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.
The Present Tense
Thom Yorke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is like a weapon, like a weapon
Of self defense, of self defense
Against the present, against the present
"Present Tense"
I won't get heavy, don't get heavy
Keep it lighting, keep it moving
As my world comes crashing down
I am dancing, freaking out
Deaf, dumb, and blind
In you I'm lost, in you I'm lost
I won't turn round while the penny drops
I won't stop now, I won't slack off
Or all this love will be in vain, ooooh
Stop from falling down a mine
It's no ones business but mine
Or all this love will be in vain
Ooohhhh
In you I'm lost, in you I'm lost
Thom Yorke's "The Present Tense" is a song about the struggle to live in the moment, to not dwell on the past or be consumed with worry about the future. The lyrics describe distance as a weapon of self-defense against the present, suggesting that our tendency to distance ourselves emotionally from what's happening in the here and now can be a way of protecting ourselves from pain. The line "I won't get heavy, don't get heavy" is a plea to stay light and not get bogged down with negativity, to keep moving and not get stuck in one place.
Despite the chaos and uncertainty of the world around him, the singer of the song insists that he is doing no harm, that he is simply trying to keep dancing and freaking out as a way of coping. It's a desperate but somehow hopeful message, a plea to hold on to love and not let it slip away. The repeated line "In you I'm lost" suggests that the singer has found someone or something he can hold on to, a source of stability in an otherwise tumultuous world.
Overall, "The Present Tense" is a powerful song about the struggle to stay present in our own lives, to live in the moment and not let fear and anxiety consume us. It's a message that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Distance
The distance is a defense mechanism against the present, a tool like a weapon to provide oneself with immunity.
Is like a weapon, like a weapon
The distance can be compared to a weapon, providing self-protection against emotional pain and from feeling present emotions.
Of self defense, of self defense
The distance that a person puts between themselves and others is for self-defense, protection from being hurt.
Against the present, against the present
The distance created is against the present emotions, and against the present moment and in-person interaction.
I won't get heavy, don't get heavy
I won't become a burden to you, so don't burden me with the weight of emotion.
Keep it lighting, keep it moving
Let's keep things light and avoid getting too deep or serious.
I am doing, no harm
I'm not intending to cause any harm or cause upset to you.
As my world comes crashing down
As everything falls apart around me.
I am dancing, freaking out
I'm trying to distract myself from the situation, acting out of fear and anxiety.
Deaf, dumb, and blind
I am ignorant to the truth, avoiding it due to fear and shielding myself from discomfort.
In you I'm lost, in you I'm lost
My identity is lost in you, and my sense of self is lost when I'm with you.
I won't turn round while the penny drops
I won't confront reality, even as it unveils the ugly truth around me.
I won't stop now, I won't slack off
I won't give up or be careless, even during difficult times, so as to not undermine the love shared between us.
Or all this love will be in vain, ooooh
If I were to give up, all our love would have been for nothing. I don't want to lose what we had.
Stop from falling down a mine
I will take caution to prevent myself from going down a path of self-destruction.
It's no ones business but mine
My struggles and hardships are only for me to deal with and nobody else's business.
Or all this love will be in vain
Once again, if I let myself fall apart, everything that we have built together would be for nothing. I want to preserve our love.
Ooohhhh
A vocalization of the emotional pain in the situation.
Contributed by Dylan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@juancamacho5746
This dance..
It's like a weapon..
Of self defense..
Against the present..
Present tense
I won't get heavy
Don't get heavy
Keep it light and
Keep it moving
I am doing
No harm
As my world
Comes crashing down
I'll be dancing
Freaking out
Deaf, dumb, and blind
In you I'm lost..
I won't turn around when the penny drops
I won't stop now
I won't slack off
Or all this love
Will be in vain
Stop from falling
Down a mine
It's no one's business but mine
Well, all this love
Has been in vain
In you I'm lost..
@avinashsingh-sp4nj
This dance
This dance
It's like a weapon
It's like a weapon
Of self defense
Self defense
Against the present
Against the present
Present tense
I won't get heavy
Don't get heavy
Keep it light and
Keep it moving
I am doing
No harm
As my world
Comes crashing down
I'm dancing
Freaking out
Deaf, dumb, and blind
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
I won't turn around when the penny drops
I won't stop now
I won't slack off
Or all this love
Will be in vain
Stop from falling
Down a mine
It's no one's business but mine
That all this love
Has been in vain
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
In you I'm lost
@hendrosetyow3072
This song made the love my life (who is my wife now) realized that she longer feels alone anymore as she has me now as life partner. When the line hit "In you I'm lost" she was stricken in the heart like how I was when I first heard it.
I never understands the meaning of the song, but I understands how love should feels by this song,
"I won't turn around when the penny drops
I won't stop now
I won't slack off
Or all this love
Will be in vain"
This gave me courage.
Thank you
@alvaropino3543
Everyone need: A Moon Shaped Pool from the basement
@anacosta6181
yes please
@tukychannel5316
Yeeeeesssssss pleeeeaaaaseeeeee!!!
@MattiasPerez13
Amen
@EstacaodeEnergia
by Paul Thomas Anderson
@anacosta6181
+Diego Marcelino Augusto. exactly
@ourso1266
This looks like an emo kid bonding with his new vegan stepfather and it's working
@user-bu6nq1ve6m
Ikr xD
@kyleplatz3751
lmao
@sopretentious
Haha I'm a huge Radiohead fan and this is the best comment :D