AboutAndreas Moss Expertise Your question is my challenge, I`m updated on news, gossip and where to find everything on the net since I have system over what info there is about Radiohead officially and unofficially. Feel free to share opinions, philosophies, gossip and thoughts about Radiohead as well.
Expert: Andreas Moss Date: 5/29/2006 Subject: Thief = Coldplay?
Question Though most like to categorize Hail to the Thief as simply a political album, I'd like to differ. THough, of course, there are political songs on there, much of it seems to deal with being famous and the change that comes along with it, something mostly untouched by Radiohead's past albums.
Songs like Myxomatosis seem to strongly hint towards this, and the titular "Thief" could be the endless Radiohead-copiers, if you look at the lyrics to 2+2 =5 that way. Some would say the Radiohead copiers could seem petty to Thom, but isn't that one of the things that spawned the crazy Radiohead transformation from OK COmputer to Kid A?
I was just wondering if this theory had any merit, and/or if Thom had alluded to it in interviews and press for H2TT.
Answer Hello Emanuel!
Sorry for the late answer. I've been a bit busy.
Its a very interesting question you have, and kind of weird, because I've thought of similar stuff recently.
Most people are very confused about the relationship between Chris Martin and Radiohead, and a lot of stuff indicates that Thom isn't too impressed with Coldplay. They've said stuff in interviews that indicates this.
And Chris Martin seems to have been worried about Radiohead disliking them, or "doesn't love them back" as he puts it. And he has met them and talked to them.
Thom has straight-out claimed Muse to be ripping Radiohead off though.
As for the lyrics and the title of Hail To The Thief, I can't give any clear answers as there's rarely any official explanations of their lyrics.
I heard another interview were they talked about all bands and artist stealing, and thats what the title is about. So stealing is kind of a good thing.
But I do think the song "I Want None Of This" is about Coldplay though (and other bands in the radiofriendly and more mainstream genre.) Its like an indirect saying he don't want that kind of stardomlife, but if they choose use his "sunshine" to "sell it all out", he "won't judge" them, but he warns them.
But I guess you can interpret it in many ways. It makes sense though.
But other than that I don't know. I'd be interested hearing other theories.
Generelly though, I don't think Radiohead cares that much about Coldplay and those other bands, if at all, and probably don't do much songs or lyrics about them. So the title HTTT is most likely not about Coldplay, but it can however have a cling about artists stealing from other artists.
Coldplay started out kind of Radiohead-ish with the Blue Room EP and such, but today its clearly a whole a different band in almost every angle. I'd compare them to the softer sides of Bon Jovi before Radiohead.
Thom do very symbolic lyrics though, so you can put a lot into them and still put them in lots of contexts without it being wrong. Thom seems to be making them that way. Very expressionate.
>Some would say the Radiohead copiers could seem petty to Thom, but isn't >that one of the things that spawned the crazy Radiohead transformation >from OK Computer to Kid A?
Yeah, kind of. But thats not the main reason, I think.
I think they said something about hearing "all those bands" on the radio trying to do the same thing as them, so it seemed meaningless to do the same. " But I also think its about developing their music.
I think Thom always wanted to progress musically, so I guess it came kind of natural. Making OK Computer 2 was kind of their aim NOT to do, because that would be selling out. I'd say it was more about pressure and musical instinct than other bands copying them, but who knows?
