They're all tired of fakeness, plasticness - her, him, and then "me" in each verse. Fake trees, fake bodies (plastic surgery), and then fake love. He's disillusioned, and on the one hand he thinks he could find the real emotion he's looking for if he "just turn[s] and run[s]" from all the fakery, but then follows it with "if I could be who you wanted all the time", suggesting that he knows he himself is, at least sometimes, faking it too. The whole album "The Bends", and even more so "OK Computer" after it, is all about asking what is real and what is worthwhile amidst the confusion of modern technology, consumer capitalism and depressive/anxious feelings.

@christopherhuot2826

2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't have said it better !

@matthewmorley310

2 жыл бұрын

Well said

@el34superlead

2 жыл бұрын

I was just about to write my thoughts on the meaning. Then read this. Couldn't have said it better.

@penderyn8794

2 жыл бұрын

The fact they couldnt understand the lyrics tells you why most of the public won't understand deeper lyrics with a purpose A lot of intellectual thought is wasted therefore - and why needed change can be so slow

@el34superlead

2 жыл бұрын

@@penderyn8794 This song has a lot going on. Good music and vocals can distract from the lyrics. Many great songs sometimes take a few listens to interpret what's being said.

This song is pretty straight forward, its about being disillusioned with how fake the world has become

@seanlynch1185

2 жыл бұрын

Don't bother. Brad and Lex are at the back of the class.

@SvenTviking

2 жыл бұрын

I believe it’s about plastic surgery addiction.

@davidwavidshmavider

2 жыл бұрын

I think they missed the most tellingly specific line, “He used to do surgeries, for girls in the eighties.” And I think it spins off that to cover other superficial fake shit.

@whosHJQ

2 жыл бұрын

It's about boob jobs. Fake plastic tits.... Gravity always wins

@seanlynch1185

2 жыл бұрын

@@DogmenHardcastle I am sorry to have learnt that Brad and Lex are pro-trump and anti-trans

The Bends and OK Computer were both staggeringly good albums worthy of anyones time and money.

@moonillusions832

2 жыл бұрын

Let's not forget about Kid A

@kimn9802

2 жыл бұрын

Another overlooked and underrated masterpiece is Amnesiac. I actually like it better than OK Computer, which of course is still brilliant but gets all the attention.

@robster191

2 жыл бұрын

@@kimn9802 yesss I love this opinion. This is how I feel

@user-br2gi8kh5s

Жыл бұрын

And in rainbows

@Shrasha

11 ай бұрын

@@kimn9802Moon Shaped Pearl is sublime. Radiohead are such a great band

First song I ever learned on guitar, will always hold a special place in my heart. This whole album is sublime and the band is one of a kind.

@timmylawson-tancred7256

Жыл бұрын

It’s not sublime, it’s Radiohead.

This song is so hauntingly beautiful and honest. I don't know how this doesn't reach inside of people and take hold of them, but everyones different I guess I love Lex, she is so amazing and uniquely intelligent, one of a kind - in the best way for sure

@DWQJVB

2 жыл бұрын

It’s kind of one of those songs where you get it or you don’t. Nothing wrong with not getting it, just move on to Killer Cars.

@sidviscous5959

2 жыл бұрын

@@DWQJVB anything from "Hail to the Thief" . . . my favorite album since 2003

@ROArecords2

2 жыл бұрын

It’s like when someone doesn’t like a movie with too much talking in it. On songs like this, you’re either the type that can let the emotion and lyrics take you or you just want action and energy all the time.

@hinasakukimi

2 жыл бұрын

this song changed something in me the first time i heard it

Love this explanation from Lex, i always thought the same about the meaning of the song. It's basically about how superficial and fake most relationships are (friends, lovers etc) and we try to accomodate with it even though we ALL want the real deal.

I’ve bee attending concerts since the 80s and seen so many I’ve lost count. RadioHead by far is the best ! Can’t wait to see them again. Effing brilliant!

This song is amazing!

Such a great song! Loved the reaction. Is it just me, or does the audio for your intro beat keep playing for the first minute or so? It was subtle enough that it almost sounded like part of the song - I was like "huh, did I never notice that triplet high hat feel in the first verse???"

@hexkid6351

2 жыл бұрын

Or her duet with Thom Yorke on "This Mess We're In"

@eastchchkea6475

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, some other rhythm was playing over it, not sure what, but definitely not part of the song

@Tanatie

2 жыл бұрын

@@eastchchkea6475 Lex listening to techno on her headphones 😂

@aliciasavage6801

2 жыл бұрын

Oh thank god I thought I was going crazy - it was irksome

@ronparsons8786

2 жыл бұрын

Distracting for sure but even that can't drown out the greatness of this song

SO SO SO HAPPY YOU GUYS DID THIS SONG!!!! LOVE RADIOHEAD'S FULL COLLECTION!

Brad, you just touched on a perspective that is unique to those of us who have heard these songs for years. As a reaction channel, you’re sometimes just hearing a song once. Back in the day, we listened to these songs over and over again, discovering something new every time. So you may focus on lyrics one time around, then the music another time, and eventually it all just melds together where the lyrics, music and “vibe” is inseparable.

this song live, like the glastonbury versions is a whole other level over the album version

@chrismartin2663

2 жыл бұрын

2003? I was there for that one and it was amazing being there that's for sure.

@glencookson3203

2 жыл бұрын

100% agree…… like many others…..

Great guys!! can't go wrong on Radiohead...the whole "The Bends" album is actually worthy of a full review....next: the title song please!!!!

@79casual

2 жыл бұрын

Unbelievable album 👍🏻

@DWQJVB

2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic

@alexnehrenberg3430

2 жыл бұрын

Hell's yeah! The Bends has a badass guitar solo. I haven't listened to them in years, but I know that album pretty well.

@nomaddamon100

2 жыл бұрын

I'm a fair bit of a metal head, but this (the bends) is still one of my most favorite albums of all time, it went in my newer car today with a bunch of thrash albums and David Bowie 🤣

@Music-tg5is

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, the entire Bends album, start to finish is an all time 100% classic. Not a filler track to be found anywhere.

‘No alarms and no surprises’ should be next on your chill list……..

The line about a fake plastic girl/love reminded me of a Roxy Music song called 'In Every Dream Home A Heart-ache'. I'm sure Brad would enjoy the lyrics of that one.

@supertrexandroidx

2 жыл бұрын

I don't know, it might lull him to sleep if it's as slow as this one ;)

When they recorded this song they got stuck on the ending so, after hours in the studio, they said eff it and went to a pub to grab a few ales to reset. When they returned to the studio they recorded this version on the first take and at the end, when the vocals end, Thom Yorke immediately burst into tears. It's such a masterpiece

@mondegreen9709

2 жыл бұрын

Actually afaik John Leckie the producer sent the other guys to the pub and just recorded the take with Thom on his acoustic and then the band overdubbed him when they got back. Which was a bit tricky bc it was a bit hard keeping time with him.

@sirlordcomic

2 жыл бұрын

I never heard that story before.There's a similar story about Van Morrison after he finished recording the vocals for T.B Sheets, he broke down in tears. I'd guess there's more to these songs for the writers than anyone else really knows.

Good to see more Radiohead as always. A good thing to remember about these and a lot of songs like is that the lyrics are largely open to interpretation. The writer obviously had something in mind when they wrote it, but it’s more about what you get from the song than trying to figure out what they meant by it. This is what makes the songs relatable.

Still my favorite song by them.

There is a song by Bjork that she sings with Thom Yorke the singer of Radiohead. "I've seen it all" Hope you'll get to listen to it.

This is so brilliant in the way they capture the emotions of the lyrics.

whats the annoying sound in the background?

@sandrapetro3047

Ай бұрын

Sounds like a bird with a sore throat!

@CL2005

29 күн бұрын

I think it's the sound of their brains struggling to cope.

You guys should react to… Radiohead - High and Dry 🎸🤘

@robertofernandez3868

2 жыл бұрын

And No Surprises

@kennethmardis2132

2 жыл бұрын

Another great song by them

@alexnehrenberg3430

2 жыл бұрын

Good song, but there are better ones to do a reaction to in my opinion.

Radiohead - Let Down is a masterpiece

@Bigger_Hammer

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! I second that!

You should listen to Just. But watch the official video. I also think Lex would like a lot of the tracks on the Bends just for the quality of the guitar playing.

my #1 favorite Radiohead song of all time! The album this song is from, called The Bends, is also my favorite of their albums.

Wooooow what a change Brad!! Glad you finally let the music flows in you, after lyrics

This is off of the album The Bends which is definitely my favorite Radiohead album,many great tunes off of this album.If you want a more upbeat song from this album try the song,Just,or the title track.

This and ‘creep’ are two lyrical masterpieces. Grew up in the stone roses era and to say these are my favourite band says a lot.

One of my favorites from Radiohead!

"If I could be who you wanted, all the time..." so devastating.

Love this song, from the first time I heard it, in the car at full blast! Love it when it kicks in the 3rd verse. Live, this song was so fantastic! Jonny Greenwood leaves the planet! Street Spirit, Just, My Iron Lung are all masterpieces on this album. The latter two are absolute rockers!

Loved this reaction. I respond to music in both of those ways- sometimes I just feel it and don’t care what it means, and sometimes I get a message from it, but it may be a personal one that wasn’t the meaning the artist had in mind. A lot of artists make their lyrics vague, so you can do just that, which I think is pretty cool. This song, with the buildup, the emotion, and the reflectiveness, always gets me, and I love it. Other great songs from this album include The Bends, My Iron Lung, and Street Spirit/Fade Out.

Knives out, You and Whose army? and Black Star next from this brilliant band.

great band, one of the best concerts i've been too

What is this strange other like drum machine track is going on in background?

@sjlittler70

2 жыл бұрын

Glad I’m not the only one that can hear that! Not sure the lyrics are correct either.

@pigeonboy7102

2 жыл бұрын

@@sjlittler70 the drums are all wrong, but the lyrics are spot on.

@throesofrejection4012

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah i hear it too

This song is an existential crisis in lyrical form, and how so many feel anxiety and depression with all the faux, fake, substitute, imitation and veneered, people, places and things that permeate so much of modern life.

What is that noise!!? Someone’s phone going off? Lmao

I remember in the 90s paying no attention to Radiohead unless one of their songs was in my ears while out somewhere. All of these years later I've kind of discovered them and now they're in my top 5 bands of all time.

I’ve always thought of this as a vocal “love letter” to Los Angeles. I mean almost everything in the song to me just drips with visions of L.A.- and yes, I mean “love letter” with total irony.

@FirstnameLastname-nd9wx

2 жыл бұрын

i think it's just the world as a whole. LA might be the centre of it, since it's the centre of media and entertainment and that but i think it's just how modern life is.

@penname5766

2 жыл бұрын

Maybe but they’re an English band so I think it’s more a statement about modern society in general.

this song is such a stunner.. Thome sings his heart out.

What a summary by Lex, not only does she feel the music, but she gets the deeper lyrical content - or comes up with something very plausible at least!

Love this song. Meant to play at full volume

Man hang on to your girl because she really is something of a brilliant human being !!! Kudos to Lex in understanding the meaning of sogs

This is THE greatest Radiohead song

Lex is spot on (by the end) - Another great reaction. I'll check out your reaction to Paranoid Android next

YES!!!!! THANK YOU! I hope you enjoy. Now I watch!

My favorite song of theirs.

it's called being pensive, introspective, mournful.... those are all ways to think also

Man i could listen to this song and Not be able to feel the vibe or shed a tear

if you do "just" by them, watch the video, makes it more fun.

@Bigger_Hammer

2 жыл бұрын

How many chords can we squeeze into one song and hold my beer 🍺 moment! Brilliant song.

It’s simple, you can burst through the ceiling if you stop focusing on what’s fake are consumable. Sung and composed beautifully

This song and album was so good Radiohead was embarrassed to play it for a few years. Brad got emotional.

You can't understand the song, while the lyrics explaining the song are RIGHT THERE. Tells us a lot.

It’s about creating someone in your head and your hopes being lifted then dropped and wanting to be that perfect person for that person you see as special but deep down you know that will never be

I love your smile Lex

Great explanation from Lex.

Dealing with the disconnected, but plastic modern life. Trying to keep up with the fake, commercialized happiness, and the big lie that advertisement sells you. He’s wanting to break free but cant

@jxchamb

2 жыл бұрын

And decades later even more relevant thanks to social media and whatnot.

Lex loves it lmao. .. there's a rift lol bloody funny

I can relate with this song A LOT right now.

Yorke is a beautiful vocalist, pitch perfect.

This is why poetry should be taught in schools. They both didn't have the words to describe their experience from modern poetry with music.

It's about finding the real, in a world full of fakeness. Meeting that person that makes you see the world different, makes you feel apart of it.

A fun video from Radiohead that fits this season is There There

Love this song 🎵

I remember hearing this for the first time and just feeling so incredibly sad. I didn't even pay attention to the lyrics but the feel of the music and the vocal melody were painful. Once I realized what he was saying then it made sense how I felt. Also, Morphine!!!! Buena, Head With Wings, Cure for Pain. Morphine!!!!

One of my favorite songs of all time.

Great, great song!

Stunning ❣️🥰

What. A. Band.

The sidelook says it all... Envy 🙂

You nailed the meaning, Lex

i usually enjoy the music first, the sounds, the tunes it makes, i don't care what the lyrics is, as long as it's in sync with my ears and taste, it's good enough. then at some point, i'd take my time to study the lyrics, what it's all about, so i can understand more about it by using my brain, not just my ears. trust me, once you get both aspects, you'd enjoy it much more, enjoying both the music and lyrics at once, even more when the lyrics are in fact relatable to your situation or your life in the past. this song is just one of many songs that i can relate to, it gives me an emotional rollercoaster, and shed some tears at the end.

Probably the greatest band ever assembled. Their B-sides and single releases are better than most band’s album cuts. Check out Staircase, Down is the New Up, Spectre, The Daily Mail, and Lull just to make a few gems. Made the ultimate 180 degree turn with the release of Kid A after making what many consider the greatest album of all time, OK Computer. And then released In Rainbows just to mess with every other band. A work of pure art.

You never get the greatest songs straight off the bat.

You can guarantee Lex is going to come up withthe truth, bless you both!

This music is beautiful

This song is beautiful.

It's about hating false things, and being drawn to what's real.

This is probably my favorite radiohead song

Amazing band. Live performances in the states is rare. I saw them in Cincinnati in 2018. Unbelievable show. All members on one song played only drums.

@NoYoutubeName1

2 жыл бұрын

Wow, is there a video of that? What song?

@deshisha2925

Жыл бұрын

I live in Dayton, I hope they come back to Ohio sometime eventually.

Great song, incredible band

you get it my friend, mauri ora!!

I always label this song as looking through the depression glass

My favorite song by Radiohead… and Adam L nailed it. Tired of the fake world

He’s lucky to have you.

The mood of this song pairs up with the mood of Fight Club so good.

@matthewmorley310

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting take, I’m inclined to disagree though tbh. I feel as if F**** C*** has an energy too punky, fake plastic trees seems to work along the same lines of fakeness but in a much more lethargic and hopeless way. I like your thinking though :)

Certain lyrics sometimes will hit you in life when life hits you.

Am I the only one that was hearing some odd synth beat way in the back?

I love radiohead but I think you do need a slightly jaded outlook of life to fully appreciate them.

or "Subterranean Homesick Alien"...that is such a unique song...you guys will love it

Gravity always wins

Brads working it out...Lex is vibing. Love it....thats off 20 seconds of the tune...some songs take time. I had to watch it without the reaction. Amazing.

Check out High and Dry by Radiohead. From The Bends (same album as this). Great song!

Yeah, I think Lex has it. This was big when I was in college and I can corroborate with people being fake. But that's life. It happens forever.

the wind down for this song is one of my favourites. Do Street Spirit by them next.

I know it wore them out eventually but I unironically love these early Radiohead melodies. Their early music might sound a tad dated but I don't care, just works.

More Radiohead! They're one of the biggest bands of the last 30 years but under a lot of people's radar as they never went for hit singles or typical promotion. But check out maybe, like - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi: Live from the Basement. Or for a great song with more straight up lyrics, "House of Cards."

Ma'am, I apologies I don't know your name, your freckles are adorable and this song makes me weep like a baby. Any ounce of manliness I have in me instantly leaves as soon as this song plays and I am left in a ball of beautiful tears. Good god.

Not at the time when released which was 1994 on The Bends album. But when I listen to this song now, does remind me of what some physicists think is true but still a hypothesis called the Holographic Principle.

Listen to Street Spirit next 🎵