Nude
Now that you found it
It's gone / Now that you feel it
You don't
These lines especially just perfectly encapsulate the futile and fleeting nature of finding happiness and contentment.
For anyone who hasn’t heard the version from the OKNOTOK Cassette, I definitely recommend it. I find it even more haunting and beautiful than the Kid A version. https://youtu.be/BY9DWD6CRDQ
I’ve mostly gotten desensitized to Radiohead (a lot of stuff I’ve been listening to lately are way more depressing), the only one that still hits is Climbing up the walls, though probably for personal reasons. For example How to disappear completely or No surprises or Pyramid song just sound comforting. ‘It’s all going to be over soon’ vs ‘I am here in your mind and a part of you forever’
just my opinion
mostly:
Have a nice life, Giles Corey ( <- those 2 are definitely the most depressing), Street Sects (a bit more angry and heavy sounding), Narrow Head, Oathbreaker
edit: also Psychonaut 4, if you’re into metal
that song grabs you and pulls you in and you get lost in the emotion of it so it makes that climactic part with all the scattered horns so interesting and jarring every time
Top picks, no order:
Street Spirit
How To Disappear Completely
Climbing Up The Walls
Motion Picture Soundtrack
Wolf At The Door
Like Spinning Plates
True Love Waits
Videotape (if you think it's about suicide, but I don't)
I do think it's about death, or moreso the acceptance of it.
It's always read to me like someone had a really wonderful day that they knew they'd cherish forever, and are thankful that despite what comes they'll have this one reminder that life was worth living. I could also see it being about someone recording a goodbye video for years in the future on a day they knew was important to them.
In Rainbows lyrics have always been the hardest for me to interpret but I've never got suicide vibes from it. The whole album is about accepting death and that death is the culmination of our experience on earth no matter the highs or lows, but in a peaceful way? I think Videotape is the same. I think it's very sweet.
Alright, so I've got three. A personal one, one that makes sense, and a more popular pick.
Separator. The song is my favorite off of TKOL and will always be, but I can't listen to it without weeping. This past December, my leopard gecko died of an aggressive and untreatable parasitic infection in my hands. I had recently listened to TKOL for the first time on a very long road trip and LOVED it. So, I had the "amazing" idea of setting my alarm to Separator to begin supportive end of life care. Bad idea, the song is now deeply entrenched in emotional trauma 😮💨
Like Spinning Plates (Why Us? Version).
Crazy good song but deeply existential, really depressing but amazing and better than the original song in my opinion.
Street Spirit (Fade Out). No explanation needed. If you've heard it, you know.
True Love Waits is probably the most accurate one as in its a very sad song that gets me everytime but for personal reasons
No Surprises or How to Disappear Completely is probably the ones that hit the most for me, the ladder being my favorite radiohead song
The most depressing and gut wrenching RH songs always seems to have a finale of hope and optimism -
So - with that said
I’d say- the most depressing and bleak song is “We Suck Young Blood”
But - on my list of depressing but optimistic are Let Down and Present Tense (which are 2 of their top 10 songs)
Motion Picture Soundtrack. the stuff that revolves around end/death/ending of a relationship (of any kind) is what hits me the most, that plus the tragic instrumentation make it take that spot for me. That said, I honestly never found Radiohead to be gut wrenching. I just always stuck with the sound and whatever Thom babbles about. I find it calming, reassuring, contemplative mostly.
It’s between Street Spirit and True Love Waits for me. Both songs completely change my mood after I listen to them. How to Disappear Completely does this as well, but it’s a more comforting song imo
Nude Now that you found it It's gone / Now that you feel it You don't These lines especially just perfectly encapsulate the futile and fleeting nature of finding happiness and contentment.
don’t get any big ideas , they’re not gonna happen🥲
Motion Picture Soundtrack
For anyone who hasn’t heard the version from the OKNOTOK Cassette, I definitely recommend it. I find it even more haunting and beautiful than the Kid A version. https://youtu.be/BY9DWD6CRDQ
I’ve mostly gotten desensitized to Radiohead (a lot of stuff I’ve been listening to lately are way more depressing), the only one that still hits is Climbing up the walls, though probably for personal reasons. For example How to disappear completely or No surprises or Pyramid song just sound comforting. ‘It’s all going to be over soon’ vs ‘I am here in your mind and a part of you forever’ just my opinion
what have you been listening to?
mostly: Have a nice life, Giles Corey ( <- those 2 are definitely the most depressing), Street Sects (a bit more angry and heavy sounding), Narrow Head, Oathbreaker edit: also Psychonaut 4, if you’re into metal
True Love Waits
In my opinion True Love Waits isn’t as depressing as people make it out to be. The melody rather sounds optimistic/hopeful if you take out the lyrics
i agree with ya
The Live in Oslo version for me. His 'don't leave' is heart wrenching.
How to disappear completely.
MPS or Videotape.
not the saddest, but i think fake plastic trees is sad
Harry Patch (in memory of)
Last Flowers is definitely up there.
This isn’t the saddest, but the moment the intro to Spectre starts playing, it changes my whole mood
that song grabs you and pulls you in and you get lost in the emotion of it so it makes that climactic part with all the scattered horns so interesting and jarring every time
Every single time.
4 minute warning, motion picture soundtrack, and harry patch fr
Top picks, no order: Street Spirit How To Disappear Completely Climbing Up The Walls Motion Picture Soundtrack Wolf At The Door Like Spinning Plates True Love Waits Videotape (if you think it's about suicide, but I don't)
Out of curiosity what do you think videotape is about?
I do think it's about death, or moreso the acceptance of it. It's always read to me like someone had a really wonderful day that they knew they'd cherish forever, and are thankful that despite what comes they'll have this one reminder that life was worth living. I could also see it being about someone recording a goodbye video for years in the future on a day they knew was important to them. In Rainbows lyrics have always been the hardest for me to interpret but I've never got suicide vibes from it. The whole album is about accepting death and that death is the culmination of our experience on earth no matter the highs or lows, but in a peaceful way? I think Videotape is the same. I think it's very sweet.
That’s a really nice interpretation. Thanks for sharing! :)
How I made my millions
Go slowly
Morning bell/amnesiac
Glass Eyes.
Ful Stop
Codex, there’s just something about it that makes me weep. Especially when he sings “jump off the end” and “you’ve done nothing wrong”
Fake Plastic Trees.
Like Spinning Plates
Honorable mentions that haven’t been said yet: All I need, specifically the bridge, and gagging order.
Can’t believe nobody has mentioned Lucky
Let Down
Motion Picture Soundtrack; especially the OKNOTOK version.
Black Star
Alright, so I've got three. A personal one, one that makes sense, and a more popular pick. Separator. The song is my favorite off of TKOL and will always be, but I can't listen to it without weeping. This past December, my leopard gecko died of an aggressive and untreatable parasitic infection in my hands. I had recently listened to TKOL for the first time on a very long road trip and LOVED it. So, I had the "amazing" idea of setting my alarm to Separator to begin supportive end of life care. Bad idea, the song is now deeply entrenched in emotional trauma 😮💨 Like Spinning Plates (Why Us? Version). Crazy good song but deeply existential, really depressing but amazing and better than the original song in my opinion. Street Spirit (Fade Out). No explanation needed. If you've heard it, you know.
4 minute warning
nobody saying (nice dream)?
Doesn’t this get asked constantly? Haven’t we already come to the conclusion? Wasn’t it formulated scientifically?
Yes to all that. Yet the incessant posts persist.
True Love Waits is probably the most accurate one as in its a very sad song that gets me everytime but for personal reasons No Surprises or How to Disappear Completely is probably the ones that hit the most for me, the ladder being my favorite radiohead song
Like Spinning Plates (only original, not piano)
How to Disappear Completely and Let Down are the saddest for me, Fake Plastic Trees too
It's a tie between street spirit and motion picture soundtrack for me.
The most depressing and gut wrenching RH songs always seems to have a finale of hope and optimism - So - with that said I’d say- the most depressing and bleak song is “We Suck Young Blood” But - on my list of depressing but optimistic are Let Down and Present Tense (which are 2 of their top 10 songs)
Street spirit (fade out) & exit music for me
True love waits album version. A true tear jerker every single time. Next is all i need.
pyramid song, as soon as it starts I feel something in my chest
Motion Picture Soundtrack. Specifically the version from the OKNOTOK Cassette. https://youtu.be/BY9DWD6CRDQ
Idioteque, specially the ambience outro
Motion Picture Soundtrack. the stuff that revolves around end/death/ending of a relationship (of any kind) is what hits me the most, that plus the tragic instrumentation make it take that spot for me. That said, I honestly never found Radiohead to be gut wrenching. I just always stuck with the sound and whatever Thom babbles about. I find it calming, reassuring, contemplative mostly.
Street Spirit
Very good comments here. I’ll add All I Need
No surprises or how to dissapear maybe idioteque
4 minute warning and motion picture soundtrack
It’s between Street Spirit and True Love Waits for me. Both songs completely change my mood after I listen to them. How to Disappear Completely does this as well, but it’s a more comforting song imo
im very basic but for me its high and dry.
Black Star
videotape, mps, true love waits, htdc