Lyrics for A Reminder as interpreted by shut

A Reminder Lyrics
If I get old
I will not give in
But if I do
Remind me of this

Remind me that
Once I was free
Once I was cool
Once I was me

And if I sat down and crossed my arms
Hold me until this song

Knock me out
Smash out my brains
If I take the chair and start to talk shit

If I get old remind me of this
That night we kissed and I really meant it
Whatever happens if we're still speaking
Pick up the phone
Play me this song

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  • 22 Comments
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Kade
03-07-2002

Rated 0 
This song is cool and nice. It's pretty self explanitory.

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imthecootie
05-14-2002

Rated 0 
I like this song, it is comforting when I am in a bad mood or something like that.

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allyrics
07-03-2002

Rated 0 
hi guy

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allyrics
07-03-2002

Rated 0 
gefen

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dashchick8044
08-24-2002

Rated 0 
i totally can relate to this song. I am a sophomore in high school currently and I always look at adults and hope I never am like that but I cant help thinking I will be. Cuz like I know that now I feel certain ways that a few years ago I probably said I never would. So I often wish for someone to be around and remind me of all the things I used to stand behind so adamantly. Thats why it's good to write down thoughts.

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jhienkleson
03-16-2003

Rated 0 
Don't EVER expect Radiohead to be too shallow. I think this is more than him just not wanting to get old.

At first it seems so, but then the last verse reveals that he is talking to a woman. He realizes that since he loves this woman, he is gonna become hardened and bitter since she is leaving him.

He doesn't mean getting old in years, but rather, changing as he goes on into his future since he had to leave this woman behind. 'Getting old' means letting go of fanciful love and becoming hardened. That's why he wants to be reminded that he kissed her once and that he 'really meant it' when he did.

Talking shit is saying that love isn't real, and/or that he never loved her (or anyone). He says that if he becomes THAT hardened that he wants someone to 'smash out his brains'

So, if he gets old (hardened) he wants her to play this song to him so he can remember that he wasn't always like that.

The fact that he wants her to play him the song over the phone might mean that he knows that she is going far, far away, never to return to him.

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jhienkleson
03-16-2003

Rated 0 
Don't EVER expect Radiohead to be too shallow. I think this is more than him just not wanting to get old.

At first it seems so, but then the last verse reveals that he is talking to a woman. He realizes that since he loves this woman, he is gonna become hardened and bitter since she is leaving him.

He doesn't mean getting old in years, but rather, changing as he goes on into his future since he had to leave this woman behind. 'Getting old' means letting go of fanciful love and becoming hardened. That's why he wants to be reminded that he kissed her once and that he 'really meant it' when he did.

Talking shit is saying that love isn't real, and/or that he never loved her (or anyone). He says that if he becomes THAT hardened that he wants someone to 'smash out his brains'

So, if he gets old (hardened) he wants her to play this song to him so he can remember that he wasn't always like that.

The fact that he wants her to play him the song over the phone might mean that he knows that she is going far, far away, never to return to him.

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1 Reply
Bojangles
06-04-2003

Rated 0 
Wow, you must really feel strongly about this, seeing as you posted it TWICE and all

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jhienkleson
06-26-2003

Rated 0 
I sure do, bojangles, although posting twice was an accident.

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relephora
05-16-2004

Rated 0 
this song which was released on the greatest EP ever to be pressed, "Airbag/How's my Driving EP" I'm not gonna get into the meaning, cuz like the others said, it's self explanatory. But the song is beautiful though. Dismal but inspiring.

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deryk
11-11-2004

Rated 0 
The opening sounds were recorded on a metro platform in Prague. You can hear the station announcer saying something in Czech.

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deryk
11-11-2004

Rated 0 
The opening sounds were recorded on a metro platform in Prague. You can hear the station announcer saying something over the tannoy.

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ILOVELIFE
12-20-2004

Rated 0 
Weird noise in the backround; the old Pink Floyd trick. This song is so like classic DSOTM or Wish You Were Here era Floyd.

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gren
12-26-2004

Rated +1 
reminds me of lost love...I remember a beach with the first girl I ever really loved and a full moon behind her everytime I hear this song...

If I get old remind me of this
The one night we kissed and I really meant it

I really did...hope you think me and of that night sometimes...

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dreamer
07-19-2005

Rated 0 
he doesn't want to forget being young. being young possesses a wider range of emotions due to naivety and being newly exposed to life's hardships. being young entails young love, which is quite possibly the most beautiful feeling ever. if he forgets, he wants her to remind him.

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lin_nea
06-25-2006

Rated 0 
this song is so pretty & so sad at the same time. i really like it a lot.

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atomsplitter
08-17-2006

Rated 0 
One of Radiohead's best. To me this song is about warning to stay young forever, but hopelessly knowing that old age and bitterness will come. Thom tells his girl to remind of who he used to be.....I love it.

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no_one69
04-29-2007

Rated 0 
"if i get old" i love that line as though it's not certain. you could either interpret it as statement that thom may die before hand or that he has not fully comprhended the certainty of age, it seems to be sung from the perspective of an iniave optomist trying to rekindle some passion for their life... i love it

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jcarrig
09-20-2007

Rated 0 
just discovering radiohead's b-sides and this is a fav

my take, which is the totally obvious one, is this song is for himself and directed to his girl/lover at the time: sayin if he gets old and cynical ("talking shit") to remind him of this time when he was younger and feeling more open minded.
i picture him when he was writin this, imagining himself when he was 70 listening to this song to bring himself back to grips with who he is or was, like he's writin a letter to himself for the future :)

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codiee
09-19-2008

Rated 0 
Yeah Thom is really deep. This song has the surface meaning, but I think it's also a really romantic song, like he talks about getting old, and I don't think he's fighting it. He's saying, play this song when I'm old as a reminder of days I was young/free/cool...
remind me of how kissing you made me real...
that's what he's saying I think. I feel like the older we get, the less important things like being 'free' and having those deep emotions for someone gets. We look for a lifelong partner, we want to feel SECURE--doesn't always coincide with being free...
he wants to not let go of these youthful almost 'dreamer' like qualities that make him alive. he doesn't wanna grow boring...

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eatenbytheworms
10-27-2008

Rated 0 
I think this song is about wanting to remain true to oneself, to ones' idealism when young. Beautiful song.

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LastFlowers
04-23-2009

Rated 0 
Simply beautiful song... Love Thom, Love Radiohead...

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