UKH

...and relevant

I'm seeking refuge from world news in Radiohead's Hail to the Thief album (2003)

The Hail to the Thief lyrics were influenced by what Yorke called "the general sense of ignorance and intolerance and panic and stupidity" following the 2000 election of US President George W. Bush.[22] He took words and phrases from discussion of the unfolding War on Terror and used them in the album's lyrics and artwork.[2] He denied any intent to make a "political statement" with the songs,[2] and told the Toronto Star: "I desperately tried not to write anything political, anything expressing the deep, profound terror I'm living with day to day. But it's just f*cking there, and eventually you have to give it up and let it happen."

I like Radiohead, but God save us from muso lovies.

"I desperately tried not to write anything political, anything expressing the deep, profound terror I'm living with day to day. But it's just f*cking there, and eventually you have to give it up and let it happen."

Get to f*ck. Also from 2003, some people with an actual claim to 'deep and profound terror' as a result of Bush and Blair's war.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jun/26/iraq.jasonburke

Bit of a contrast with a cosseted multi-millionaire, quaking in his boots while safely tucked up in his Surrey mansion.

Strange quote that, given that the album's title and first track (at least) are explicitly about the US presidential election that came before its release.

Their best album by some distance though.

T.

Well that link snapped me back to reality!

Thom Yorke is bloody talented though (although he does look rather odd) maybe this is the root of his angst? 

Totally agree on the talented bit, but there's loads of odd looking bods round my neck of the woods and most of them aren't wailing and gnashing their teeth at imaginary terrors. Perhaps he's just fully bought into the 'sensitive artiste' stereotype? 

Whatever. To my ears it just makes him sound a bit of a tosser.

What a warped response!

Should Mr Yorke stop writing now he has money in the bank?

But your ears are under six inches of sand.

Van Gogh sliced off his ear before presenting it to a local prostitute, I bet he was a lovie too. Pah, artists eh!

No. But charges of being a bit of a “luvvie” are reasonable (and could be levelled at a lot of successful artists). Thom has always seemed a bit contradictory, gong back at least as far as the whole “we won’t play Creep cos it makes us one-hit-wonder performing monkeys” and then playing it when it suited (and of course agreeing to change the f-word not just for Top of the Pops but actually on a studio “radio edit”). 

Around OK Computer’s promotion he went along with the “anti technology” vibe of the album, saying that every single time you survive a journey by car, you should celebrate....but on either some tour or the recording of Kid A, Ed O’Brien was waxing lyrical about cruising up and down the Sunset Strip in convertibles; maybe Thom just hid in a bunker though ?  

It could be seen in a 'What does he have to feel terror about?' way, and that'd be valid. On the other hand. because we're all different, one person feeling 'a deep and profound terror' at a doofus like George W Bush being elected president, isn't outwith of the boundaries of the human experience, you might say. I'd probably put it as 'something concerning which I try not to think about', but I'm not an emotionally expressive and successful musician. Obviously, any terror he talks about feeling wouldn't be like being a soldier - I think some people are just 'Very feeling feely people'. I know of one or two through my more alternative/hippy friends, and their reactions to some things can surprise me.