by Radiohead
Rows of houses all bearing down on me
I can feel their blue hands touching me
All these things into position
All these things will want this world
And fade out again
And fade out
This machine will, will not communicate
These thoughts and the strain I am under
Be a world child, form a circle
Before we all go under
And fade out again
And fade out again
Cracked eggs, dead birds
Scream as they fight for life
I can feel death, can see it’s beady eyes
Hold these things into position
All these things we'll one day swallow whole
And fade out again
And fade out again
Immerse your soul in love
Immerse your soul in love
Radiohead have proven to be an exceptional band in many ways. They manage to reinvent themselves with every new album released by being unconventional and experimental. "Street Spirit" is featured on the band's second album The Bends, which was released in 1995. It was noted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Thom Yorke as "one of [the band's] saddest songs".
This song has a lot of symbols and represents symbolism. Symbols are words that an author may use in his poem or song to represent meanings other than the original. Therefore, the interpretation of this song varies, all based on the use of symbolism. Some of the symbols used here are rows of houses, the blue hands, machine, world child, circle, cracked eggs and dead birds. This song's basic theme suggests that the nature of our existence is tragic because we will just fade into the nothingness that we came from.
The first verse is about the paranoia of our own things sneaking up on us and one day taking control. The 'blue hands' are the hands of death. The "rows of houses" are supposed to represent the molds or skins we are supposed to fit into. We are supposed to "fit in" and yet some of us just can't help but be very different from others. So these lines could be about the idea that being forced to "fit in" is actually destroying our souls. the lines about "all these things into position, all these things will want this world" could be about the faith that is ahead of us or the faith of humanity is already written.
The second verse speaks of a "machine..." that "...will not communicate these thoughts". In the song, the author expresses his belief that computers are soulless and finds it hard expressing his thoughts and feelings by using them. Another meaning for the "machine" can be that it represents the machine of language or music; hence the lyrics are about the failure of words or music to express how he really feels. Then he calls on others to come "form in a circle" before they all disappear in the machine. Being a “world child” is more ambiguous. It may be advice to travel the world and learn and experience as much as possible, or it may be advice to appreciate everyone and everything in the world equally. "Form a circle" may be a continuation of the idea of acceptance (a circle of people holding hands), but a circle is also a symbol of eternity (a line without beginning or end) and so perhaps “forming a circle” means that we are to forget about such things as conclusions, ends, and death. We should avoid the disturbing knowledge of our certain death by deluding ourselves with notions of forever and eternity.
The cracked eggs represent the people who didn't even get a chance because this song envisions the day when everything collapses and there is no turning back. The 'dead birds' are people after everything is coming to an end.
The song is about the inevitability of death and the (inexpressible) feeling that the knowledge of this produces. However, rather than wallowing in the fact that life is hopeless and ultimately meaningless (something it does not deny), it seems to advise to do three things with life: be a "world child", "form a circle" and "immerse your soul in love". To "immerse your soul in love" is the most obvious of the three. Love is one of the most pleasurable and desirable experiences available and so immersion in it distracts one from the knowledge of certain death. Thom Yorke said it was about "fighting with the devil and losing every time"
Works Cited:
"Street Spirit (Fade Out)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Spirit_(Fade_Out)>.
Radiohead / DEAD AIR SPACE. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://radiohead.com/deadairspace/>.
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