About Gabe Johnson Expertise I am an expert on the material in Radiohead`s songs. I can answer nearly any question related to lyrics interpretations and changes from album to album. I can also answer many questions related to specific band members such as their upbringings and musical influences.
Experience I have listened to Radiohead heavily for three years, and discuss/research Radiohead in order to further my appreciation and knowledge for the band.
I was reccomended by a Pink Floyd expert from this site to apply.
Publications Write monthly music review for school paper.
Expert: Gabe Johnson Date: 8/17/2004 Subject: Kid A
Question Was it just me or was the point to the song "Kid A" was in some way the innocence of it all? It meaning just like...life in a way.
Answer Dear jeff,
Good question.
I'm assuming you're interpreting the lyrics of the song by themselves, and not in the way that they are presented. I think it would be helpful for both of us if I copied them here.
I slipped away
I slipped on a little white lie
We've got heads on sticks
You've got ventriloquists (times 2)
Staring at the shadows at the edge of my bed (times 4)
Rats and children'll follow me out of town.
Rats and children follow me out of their homes.
come on kids
I've always found the lyrics to this song interesting because of the way Thom draws parallels to the classic children's story about The Pied Piper of Hamlin. If you aren't aware of the story, here's a brief summary: A village has a rat problem. Some strange man comes into town, he calls himself the Pied Piper. He claims he has a magical pipe that can draw all and any living creatures out to follow him. The village doesn't believe him, but theyt ell him they'll reward him handsomely if he does it. Well, he does it. He drowns every rat in town in a nearby lake. When he returns for his money, the village can't pay because they never could in the first place; too poor. The Pied Piper is very pissed about this "Little white lie" that the village told. So, to punish the village and their ignorance, he uses his magical Pipe to draw all the children to follow him to a magical door, the door leads to a "better place" where the people aren't so caught up in their own problems. The children follow him, and the people of the village never see them again. All because of a little white lie.
I'm guessing Thom is trying to draw a huge political parallel that I cannot even begin to guess what. I mean, he talks about the ventriloquism like they have people that can get people to say things that they do not really want to say, or that they do not really believe, which is common in "conspiracy-type" politics that Thom oh-so-frequently likes to bring up.
The shadows at the end up his bed, which the narrator refers to four times in a row, perhaps is this looming task that he feels obligated to complete, and that is liberating the ones ignored, who really are the future of the "village." It can be applied to corrupt nations and perhaps even our own.
Your innocence analogy also works for some of the lyrics, but the lyrics blatantly call up the Pied Piper, which forces me to do that giganticly long-winded interpretation that I just did.
Thanks for making me investigate this one, it was fun. I hope I helped, and I like your simple and sensible interpretation.
