"my body is floating down the river" can be read from different perspectives : Greek Mythology (river of forgetfullness) / can allude to burial method of the dead, and or reincarnation , or rebirth. Much like this song is a rebirth of the song "I Will" (but played backwards)
you really should listen to the Kid Amnesiac version of this. It's basically a studio recorded version of this live performance, which is much different to the original album version.
I used to skip over this song, and then I heard a live version and finally got how amazing it is. I agree with you that it is very political- spinning plates refers to politics and how it’s just a circus act . I can’t confirm this, but I read that this songs was about the genocide in Rwanda and how multiple governments could have intervened to stop the killings and didn’t.
Same for me - always skipped it - then one day all the times I'd heard it on accident has finally plugged into my musical brain lobe and it just smashed me - the chord progressions all locked in and the soundscape was devastating and it became an all time favorite. I turned my car volume all he way up and played it like 5 times in a row in absolute delight. Another piece of treasure. It is one thing for most really special bands that multiple listens (not always true but very often) are needed before your brain starts to put it all together and the songs hit. Radiohead is like this throughout dare I say most of their albums, with The Bends and In Rainbows being the possible exceptions. But Radiohead are in an entirely different category with the Beatles and Beck and Nine Inch Nails - where it literally took me YEARS before certain songs - or the entire album Kid A - I used to skip "National Anthem" and "Idiotecque" as hopeless experiments that had no musical enjoyment for me - now I am like I skipped "National Anthem?" WTH was wrong with me? And don't even get me started on how much I was wrecked that they ended this flawless masterpiece of "In Rainbows" with 'Videotape' which took me forever and finally a listen to the Basement version to fall in love with - but I had a hate relationship with it literally for a long time. But that is part of having a modern classical music composer as your 2nd writer/arranger/idea bouncer, a genius producer, and the greatest songwriter of the past 3 decades composing these songs. And it is what makes Radiohead so elusive for so many people, and I totally get it and try and don't push and will just let it be if people aren't down for it, as it is quite a commitment. I have found pointing people to Thom and Jonny's various acoustic (or + Tele) sets or like Thom's solo acoustic Bridge School set as alternate in roads. Hearing "There, There" acoustic is so phenomenal or the old guitar 'True Love Waits" are other ways in, and from there everyone has their own personal experience. But yeah - total same thing for me with this song.
Haven't heard this version before. I really like the piano in this version even though I do prefer the synthesizer sounds of the album version. It just feels more immersive. This is often an overlooked song in their discography. I'd recommend checking out some songs from The Smile's new album A light for attracting attention. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood are in that group and it sounds more or less like Radiohead which is just a wonderful thing. I'd recommend songs like Pana-Vision, Speech Bubbles or Thin Thing.
You are now an official full blown Radiohead fan! This is a deeper cut - I missed it for like 5 years despite really loving the album Amnesiac it comes from, one day after I'd heard it in the background dozens of times and kept going it hit me like truck and now is one of my all time favorites. But if you enjoy this one so well ight away you are ready for the whole 9 course meal. With the dessert being the dozens of fantastic B-Sides and hidden treasures never yet released. I am sure some purists will be like "oh everyone knows this song is amazing" but whatever, you are the ones who give our fandom a bad name - I love this band with my heart and soul and I know many of their songs take a long time to sink in and hit you - this one maybe was just my own ignorance I admit - but yeah - you are so totally on the ride now and I couldn't be happier!
Haha thank you my friend!! I enjoy listening to Radiohead and Im glad that I can share it with you all❤️ Haha i like deeper cuts too.. shows so much about the band and their music!! Ohh im a so ready for the 9 course meal!! Let's enjoy it!!
If you haven’t already you should check out the live version of Talking Heads “Life during Wartime”- it is iconic. Radiohead actually named themselves after a Talking Heads song and cite them as an influence on their music. This song is on your recommended list but I didn’t see a link so here you go! czcams.com/video/jShMQw2H2cM/video.html
Big Shout out to Jimmie V 🔥Thank you mate!!
By the way, 'living in cloud cuckoo land' is an expression in the UK which means you must be mad, (crazy, not angry), or do crazy things
This song brings me to tears every time I hear it a true masterpiece!!
"my body is floating down the river" can be read from different perspectives : Greek Mythology (river of forgetfullness) / can allude to burial method of the dead, and or reincarnation , or rebirth. Much like this song is a rebirth of the song "I Will" (but played backwards)
you really should listen to the Kid Amnesiac version of this. It's basically a studio recorded version of this live performance, which is much different to the original album version.
I love the live version but the Kid A Amnesiac version - Like Spinning Plates (Why Us?) - is next level
I used to skip over this song, and then I heard a live version and finally got how amazing it is. I agree with you that it is very political- spinning plates refers to politics and how it’s just a circus act . I can’t confirm this, but I read that this songs was about the genocide in Rwanda and how multiple governments could have intervened to stop the killings and didn’t.
whoaa.. you worded it better!! circus act!!!
Same as me, until I heard this I used to skip the album version
Same for me - always skipped it - then one day all the times I'd heard it on accident has finally plugged into my musical brain lobe and it just smashed me - the chord progressions all locked in and the soundscape was devastating and it became an all time favorite. I turned my car volume all he way up and played it like 5 times in a row in absolute delight. Another piece of treasure. It is one thing for most really special bands that multiple listens (not always true but very often) are needed before your brain starts to put it all together and the songs hit. Radiohead is like this throughout dare I say most of their albums, with The Bends and In Rainbows being the possible exceptions. But Radiohead are in an entirely different category with the Beatles and Beck and Nine Inch Nails - where it literally took me YEARS before certain songs - or the entire album Kid A - I used to skip "National Anthem" and "Idiotecque" as hopeless experiments that had no musical enjoyment for me - now I am like I skipped "National Anthem?" WTH was wrong with me? And don't even get me started on how much I was wrecked that they ended this flawless masterpiece of "In Rainbows" with 'Videotape' which took me forever and finally a listen to the Basement version to fall in love with - but I had a hate relationship with it literally for a long time. But that is part of having a modern classical music composer as your 2nd writer/arranger/idea bouncer, a genius producer, and the greatest songwriter of the past 3 decades composing these songs. And it is what makes Radiohead so elusive for so many people, and I totally get it and try and don't push and will just let it be if people aren't down for it, as it is quite a commitment. I have found pointing people to Thom and Jonny's various acoustic (or + Tele) sets or like Thom's solo acoustic Bridge School set as alternate in roads. Hearing "There, There" acoustic is so phenomenal or the old guitar 'True Love Waits" are other ways in, and from there everyone has their own personal experience. But yeah - total same thing for me with this song.
Haven't heard this version before. I really like the piano in this version even though I do prefer the synthesizer sounds of the album version. It just feels more immersive. This is often an overlooked song in their discography. I'd recommend checking out some songs from The Smile's new album A light for attracting attention. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood are in that group and it sounds more or less like Radiohead which is just a wonderful thing. I'd recommend songs like Pana-Vision, Speech Bubbles or Thin Thing.
You are now an official full blown Radiohead fan! This is a deeper cut - I missed it for like 5 years despite really loving the album Amnesiac it comes from, one day after I'd heard it in the background dozens of times and kept going it hit me like truck and now is one of my all time favorites. But if you enjoy this one so well ight away you are ready for the whole 9 course meal. With the dessert being the dozens of fantastic B-Sides and hidden treasures never yet released. I am sure some purists will be like "oh everyone knows this song is amazing" but whatever, you are the ones who give our fandom a bad name - I love this band with my heart and soul and I know many of their songs take a long time to sink in and hit you - this one maybe was just my own ignorance I admit - but yeah - you are so totally on the ride now and I couldn't be happier!
Haha thank you my friend!! I enjoy listening to Radiohead and Im glad that I can share it with you all❤️
Haha i like deeper cuts too.. shows so much about the band and their music!! Ohh im a so ready for the 9 course meal!! Let's enjoy it!!
The album version of this song changed my life forever. But I will stop from driving to hear this only one song live.
If you haven’t already you should check out the live version of Talking Heads “Life during Wartime”- it is iconic. Radiohead actually named themselves after a Talking Heads song and cite them as an influence on their music.
This song is on your recommended list but I didn’t see a link so here you go!
czcams.com/video/jShMQw2H2cM/video.html
alrighty!! let's check it out my friend!!