YOU USED TO BE ALRIGHT WHAT HAPPENED? DID THE CAT GET YOUR TONGUE? DID YOUR STRING COME UNDONE? ONE BY ONE IN PROCESSION IT COMES TO US ALL IT'S AS SOFT AS YOUR PILLOW ET CETERA ET CETERA 15 STEPS THEN A SHEER DROP
A DARK VOICE SITTING ON THE STAIRCASE CALLING NUMBERS FROM A BOOK IT COULD KILL YOU WITH A LOOK YOU USED TO BE ALRIGHT ETC CETERA ET CETERA HOW COME I END UP WHERE I STARTED? HOW COME I END UP WHERE I WENT WRONG? I WON'T TAKE MY EYE OFF THE BALL AGAIN YOU REEL ME OUT THEN YOU CUT THE STRING
don't really want to talk about this one to tell you the truth. except that it's one of my favorites because the words explain a lot. i think they explain something that is very hard to explain...and perhaps something that is harder to admit.
There were 15 steps between the Ezrat Nashim and the Courtyard of the Temple in Jerusalem, on which the Levites stood and sang during the offering of sacrifices. Fifteen Psalms (Chapters 120-134), collectively known as the "Songs of Ascent", correspond to the 15 steps on which the Levites stood.
Have you ever asked why Down is the new Up? It goes back to Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, as always. When in the final canto of the Inferno, Dante and Virgil must climb along the body of Satan to reach mount Purgatory. Since Satan is "stuck" in the middle of the planet, his torso,is at the centre of the Earth, down therefore, changes to up when the poets reach that point. They must literally turn topsy-turvy to continue the climb. There is a long discourse on this in the poem.
No, I haven't read "Brave New World". I'll look it up. I did see the paintings in Barcelona close up and the etchings in 15ETCH reminded me of that. The writing was just as difficult to see... 'etched' into the layers of paint.
Yes, Rachel Owen (Thom's partner) did her Ph.D. thesis on the illustrations on Dante's Divina Commedia. Thom read the books and they seem to have influenced a lot of his writing, which is not surprising. Of course, once to get to the mythological level of meaning, you can connect almost everything.
this song has nothing to do with a woman misleading him and then ignoring him. even going to the lowest level of interpretation, it doesn't seem right.
it's more about one's failed attempt to resist the mundane steps of life. he used to be fine going through the motions. now he's in trouble.
there are 15 steps to lead a happy life. and whoosh you're gone. it comes to us all. death. the procession controlled by a dark voice. like numbers from a book... et cetera et cetera... next.
you used to be alright what happened? did the cat get your tongue? did your string come undone? one by one one by one in slow procession silence is golden
just like he used "silent, silence" (this was in brave new world. to settle the children down) in no surprises, "silence is golden" is in reference to society's status quo.
It may all be in good faith, but it strikes me that this thing is being treated like a rebus, like a mathematic formula that must be cracked in order to get the "right" answer. Perhaps there'll be references to past things, but to me there is by far more to pictures (not using the word art as of yet) than solving the puzzle, to reach that definite objective truth, like it's a riddle that an artist have made for you to answer (and then you win a horse).
(And maybe I'm irritated by the whole thing because I think it's a bit distastefull to bring into any kind of discussions about Radiohead, or in principle any discussion about anything, a bandmember's private life, such as his wife and her whereabouts; and also the principle of wanting to formulate an understanding of the imagery here).
Anywhoo, to me it almost looks like modernist stone age grafitti, almost appearing desperate in its need to be uttered (kind of like those sentences you will most definitely find in public toilets).
In a Dilbert comic by Scott Adams, the main character says something along the lines: "Now that we don't even have our own offices and just wander the halls at random I feel the urge to make grafitti to prove to myself that I'm actually here". That's the feeling I get from looking at this.
the lyrics are scratched? why? they don't like to song anymore? i wonder when we get some info about the other new songs... 15 step seems to be their favourite and the most difficult to finish.
down is the new up, pull and pulk revolving doors etc... are pieces of 1920s avantgarde movements ideologies. so even the early avantgarde movements didn't create something completely new, they just gave the sentences different meanings. well, like everyone knows dada-movement has huge influence on thoms lyrics and the way the whole band tries to find new ways to create music.. or so?
well, we don't have to interpret the lyrics this way...
YOU USED TO BE ALRIGHT
ReplyDeleteWHAT HAPPENED?
DID THE CAT GET YOUR TONGUE?
DID YOUR STRING COME UNDONE?
ONE BY ONE
IN PROCESSION
IT COMES TO US ALL
IT'S AS SOFT AS YOUR PILLOW
ET CETERA ET CETERA
15 STEPS THEN A SHEER
DROP
A DARK VOICE SITTING ON THE STAIRCASE
CALLING NUMBERS FROM A BOOK
IT COULD KILL YOU WITH A LOOK
YOU USED TO BE ALRIGHT
ETC CETERA ET CETERA
HOW COME I END UP WHERE I STARTED?
HOW COME I END UP WHERE I WENT WRONG?
I WON'T TAKE MY EYE OFF THE BALL AGAIN
YOU REEL ME OUT
THEN YOU CUT THE STRING
don't really want to talk about this one to tell you the truth. except that it's one of my favorites because the words explain a lot. i think they explain something that is very hard to explain...and perhaps something that is harder to admit.
ReplyDelete...SHEER
ReplyDeleteDROP.......
There were 15 steps between the Ezrat Nashim and the Courtyard of the Temple in Jerusalem, on which the Levites stood and sang during the offering of sacrifices. Fifteen Psalms (Chapters 120-134), collectively known as the "Songs of Ascent", correspond to the 15 steps on which the Levites stood.
ReplyDeletenew lines in 15 steps!
ReplyDeletealso, interestin thing about the psalms, really.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever asked why Down is the new Up? It goes back to Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, as always. When in the final canto of the Inferno, Dante and Virgil must climb along the body of Satan to reach mount Purgatory. Since Satan is "stuck" in the middle of the planet, his torso,is at the centre of the Earth, down therefore, changes to up when the poets reach that point. They must literally turn topsy-turvy to continue the climb. There is a long discourse on this in the poem.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Very interesting. I'll have to finish reading the Divine Comedy then. ;-)
ReplyDeletehave you read Brave new world?
ReplyDeleteit might get a sense.
kid a times * would paint with very pasty material over canvas and then scratching to get the words.
Didn't Thom's partner get her PhD studing the art of Dante's Divina Commedia? Remember reading that somewhere.
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't read "Brave New World". I'll look it up.
ReplyDeleteI did see the paintings in Barcelona close up and the etchings in 15ETCH reminded me of that. The writing was just as difficult to see... 'etched' into the layers of paint.
Yes, Rachel Owen (Thom's partner) did her Ph.D. thesis on the illustrations on Dante's Divina Commedia. Thom read the books and they seem to have influenced a lot of his writing, which is not surprising. Of course, once to get to the mythological level of meaning, you can connect almost everything.
i'm wondering if the etching is from work towards the 2006 calendar
ReplyDeleteAn etching makes something more permanent. It can be covered up but it's always there... dig down deep enough and you can find it.
ReplyDeletethis song has nothing to do with a woman misleading him and then ignoring him. even going to the lowest level of interpretation, it doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeleteit's more about one's failed attempt to resist the mundane steps of life. he used to be fine going through the motions. now he's in trouble.
there are 15 steps to lead a happy life. and whoosh you're gone. it comes to us all. death. the procession controlled by a dark voice. like numbers from a book... et cetera et cetera... next.
from the old one:
ReplyDeleteyou used to be alright
what happened?
did the cat get your tongue?
did your string come undone?
one by one
one by one
in slow procession
silence is golden
just like he used "silent, silence" (this was in brave new world. to settle the children down) in no surprises, "silence is golden" is in reference to society's status quo.
Man, whatever happend to subjective experiences?
ReplyDeleteIt may all be in good faith, but it strikes me that this thing is being treated like a rebus, like a mathematic formula that must be cracked in order to get the "right" answer. Perhaps there'll be references to past things, but to me there is by far more to pictures (not using the word art as of yet) than solving the puzzle, to reach that definite objective truth, like it's a riddle that an artist have made for you to answer (and then you win a horse).
(And maybe I'm irritated by the whole thing because I think it's a bit distastefull to bring into any kind of discussions about Radiohead, or in principle any discussion about anything, a bandmember's private life, such as his wife and her whereabouts; and also the principle of wanting to formulate an understanding of the imagery here).
Anywhoo,
to me it almost looks like modernist stone age grafitti, almost appearing desperate in its need to be uttered (kind of like those sentences you will most definitely find in public toilets).
In a Dilbert comic by Scott Adams, the main character says something along the lines: "Now that we don't even have our own offices and just wander the halls at random I feel the urge to make grafitti to prove to myself that I'm actually here".
That's the feeling I get from looking at this.
Anyway.
Over and out.
shut the fuck up you fuckhead.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the best argument.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous internet is such a .. ah, why waste it.
the lyrics are scratched? why? they don't like to song anymore? i wonder when we get some info about the other new songs... 15 step seems to be their favourite and the most difficult to finish.
ReplyDeletedown is the new up, pull and pulk revolving doors etc... are pieces of 1920s avantgarde movements ideologies. so even the early avantgarde movements didn't create something completely new, they just gave the sentences different meanings. well, like everyone knows dada-movement has huge influence on thoms lyrics and the way the whole band tries to find new ways to create music.. or so?
well, we don't have to interpret the lyrics this way...
it would´ve been nice if the song had 15 lines to it :D xD
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite HDs. I wonder if this will end up inscribed in one of the paintings.
ReplyDelete