Lyrics for 2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm.) as interpreted by SyntaxLies

2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm.) Lyrics
Are you such a dreamer
To put the world to rights?
I stay home forever
Where two and two always makes a five

I'll lay down the tracks
Sandbag and hide
January has April's showers
And two and two always makes a five

It's the devil's way now
There is no way out
You can scream and you can shout
It is too late now

Because
You have not been
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Yeah, I'm not feeling it
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Yeah, I need it
I needed attention
I needed attention
I needed attention
I needed attention
Yeah, I love it, the attention
Paying attention
Paying attention
Paying attention

I try to sing along
I get it all wrong
Because I知 not
Because I知 not
I swat them like flies
But like flies the buggers
Keep coming back
But I知 not

Oh, hail to the thief
Oh, hail to the thief
But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not
Don't question my authority or put me in the dock
Because I'm not
Because I'm not
Oh, go and tell the king that the sky is falling in
But it's not
But it's not
But it's not
Maybe not
Maybe not

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ChoppedSuey72
02-22-2006

Rated 0 
"put me in the dock" i thought it was box O.o

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Duiel
03-04-2006

Rated 0 
I think it has something to do with not being in accordance with society

That could fit in with the 1984 thing too if you want it to.

But the 2+2=5 expression is pretty cliche, so I'm not sure it's that specific.

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b-rad1796
03-05-2006

Rated 0 
To me, the song seems to be about voluntary ignorance; people who choose to ignore reason and believe in nonsense. And because we haven't been "paying attention" it's the "devil's way now". The entire album is reflection on the state of the world we're living in. People voted and supported Bush and Blair despite the obvious warning signs.

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JAStewart
03-06-2006

Rated 0 
This song related to George Orwell's novel; 1984.

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Drewskee
03-23-2006

Rated 0 
I didn't read al the opinions so if this was said before ...soz. This song is about how ppl cant think for themselves... when the tv tells u 2+2=5 ppl just go... o! ok, must be! "I stay home forever
Where two and two always makes a five" and people are not paying attention to the fact that they do just that, they believe anything cnn and sky newas or whateva tells them... People are giving their power away to the people above to do whateva they want to. (War, Coprate companys). Whateve the ppl with power say... the public eats... but it's starting to backfire... slowly! ;)

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DamnDJ
03-27-2006

Rated 0 
Fantastic song. I love Thom's voice in this and I love when it gets all crazy. If you haven't had the chance to watch "The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time", I recommend doing so because the animation that plays with this song is amazing and very fitting for the mood of the song. Great way to start the CD.

Be wild.

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DamnDJ
03-27-2006

Rated 0 
Fantastic song. I love Thom's voice in this and I love when it gets all crazy. If you haven't had the chance to watch "The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time", I recommend doing so because the animation that plays with this song is amazing and very fitting for the mood of the song. Great way to start the CD.

Be wild.

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renosian
04-05-2006

Rated 0 
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
yo

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Govtwriteslyrics
04-07-2006

Rated 0 
PEOPLE we must understand this song is about the MAN who sold the world the third anti christ that discovers music in the third person is HIS life and the government has written music for HIM HE will discover he cant be killed by walking around a park and making prank sexual phone calls to a city thats why when you are face to face with Him you cant kill Him although music is HIS life you can see the trends in such bands as the eagles the police and especially david bowie thats why there is jesus doesnt want me for a sunbeam before it on nirvanas unplugged thats why its the man who sold the world he sells out all the bands especially pink floyd with THE WALL ten years before the berlin wall ironic no govt we are all bricks in the wall not to mention the flesh and bone by the phone also found in personal jesus by johnny cash you can see it in discographies as well in radiohead nirvana and audioslave as well as the stones let it bleed and the beatles let it be if you are a music buff you can understand and see HAIL TO THE THIEF THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD

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concerned
04-07-2006

Rated 0 
Are you such a dreamer
To put the world to rights?
I stay home forever
Where two and two always makes a five

-PHILOSOPHERS ARE DREAMERS WHO WONT ACCEPT ANYTHING UNLESS IT IS LOGICAL (ESPECIALLY THE CONCEPT OF JESUS CHRIST AND OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, THOM WOULD RATHER DENY LOGIC AND BELIEVE IN THE TRUTH (EVEN IF IT MEANS 2+2=5)

I'll lay down the tracks
Sandbag and hide
January has April's showers
And two and two always makes a five

-ILL PROTECT MYSELF AND HIDE FROM THE WICKED WORLD'S INFLUENCE

It's the devil's way now
There is no way out
You can scream and you can shout
It is too late now

-ONCE YOU DIE, IT IS TOO LATE. REPENT AND TURN TO THE LORD NOW, EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD IS MOSTLY UNDER SATAN'S INFLUENCE

Because
You have not been
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Payin' attention
Yeah, I'm not feeling it
Payin’ attention
Payin’ attention
Payin’ attention
Payin’ attention
Yeah, I need it
I needed attention
I needed attention
I needed attention
I needed attention
Yeah, I love it, the attention
Payin’ attention
Payin’ attention
Payin’ attention

I try to sing along
I get it all wrong
Cause I’m not
Cause I’m not
I swat them like flies
But like flies the buggers
Keep coming back
But I’m not

-IF YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION AND LISTENED WHEN PEOPLE TOLD YOU THE END WAS NEAR, AND THAT YOU NEED GODS FORGIVENESS, MAYBE YOU WONT GO TO HELL

All, hail to the thief
All, hail to the thief
But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not
But I'm not
Don't question my authority or put me in the dock
Cause I'm not
Cause I'm not
Oh, go and tell the king that the sky is falling in
But it's not
But it's not
But it's not
Maybe not

EVERYONE ELSE HAIL'S TO SATAN AND CAREFREE SIN, BUT I WONT.

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FakePlasticLovee
04-16-2006

Rated 0 
i love this song.. the way it starts slower and builds up to a climax where Thom's voice takes on a more edgy sound.. his voice makes radiohead what it is in my opinion.. the part where it goes like "Don't question my authority or put me in the dock" thats the best part... one of the top 5 radiohead songs.

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Redux_ZERO
06-22-2006

Rated 0 
Ffs, this isn't a song about the bible. It's implying that the character of the song lives a life confined to his own ideas. He's just a dreamer, pretty self explainitory there.

"I'll stay home forever, where two and two always makes a five."
He's going to stay in his own little world, where everything he anyway that he wants, all truths are
different to him from the outside world. Keep in his "bed", so to speak.

"January has april showers"

Again, he's just living his life according to HIS rules, things go the way he wants them to.

"It's the devil's way now
There is no way out
You can scream and you can shout
It is too late now"

Obviously, this life style is a bad habit to have. And now he can't get out of the world he's made up, and will always make things go his way.

"Don't question my authority"
Simply put, he doesn't want others to challenge his ideas.


I don't understand why people say this is a political song, Radiohead isn't that shallow, their lyrics have a lot more potential then just bashing government officals. If you want that silly stuff, then go listen to System of a Down (ew.)

This song, is basically just a man trapped in his own ideas who can't get out.

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best_day_ever
06-23-2006

Rated 0 
2+2=5 is, to me, yet another reference to the amazing book 1984 by Mr. Orwell. if you haven't read it, get up, turn of the computer, go to the library/bookstore and pick it up and read it. right now. drop everything.

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best_day_ever
06-23-2006

Rated 0 
oh,and also, to Govtwriteslyrics : you are either completely insane, or genius. it's a fine line, and i can't decide. but your interpretation is interesting to say the least.

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Nonlinear314
07-12-2006

Rated 0 
corporate corruption, specifically accounting fraud. this was a big issue when HTTT was released. enron, etc. not paying attention to the books. Once you get sucked in you are comprimised and can't get out because you will be punished, even if you realize that you have done wrong.

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cikuuzis
07-18-2006

Rated 0 
Ok, the phrase 2+2=5 is similar to one used in Orwell`s 1994, BUT i dont think that it has the same meaning as in Orwell`s book. I think that in this song 2+2=5 means that in his home [or in his own reality] he can live under his own laws of nature and everything else. He understands that its imposible to make world a better place, so he decides to stay at "home" where he can create his own little world where 2+2 are equal 5.

It`s like you can never change the order of the world where 2+2 alway will be 5 and where everything is in a strict order and days passing by with "no suprises", but there always will be your own world where everything can happen...

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Cadeo
07-31-2006

Rated 0 
I Happen to own the guitar tab book for hail to the thief and the lyrics are actually 'coz i'm mad' not 'but i'm not' etc........ I think this strengthens the argument for this song being about 1984 as a big theme in the book is that Winston contemplates that he could be a lunatic or mad because he thinks differently to everyone else..... In a wider sense Orwell's books in general seem to be present in the song (as the video for the song is clearly an interpretation of 'Animal farm') this plus the 2+2=5 analogy of the propoganda which does also effect him 'at home' through the telescreen in everyones houses and the 'january has april showers' bit all can't be coincidence..... Great lyrics, great music, brilliant song.

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saMwise.
08-20-2006

Rated 0 
i have 5 words for you
nineteen eighty-four
"He loved Big Brother"

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Dressed2Depress
08-28-2006

Rated 0 
I dunno if I have commented on this before or not but i think that in part it is about GWB and possibly Tony Blair and the power thhey weild being compared to 1984 but I also think there is a msg in the lyrics relating to global warming as well i.e. january has april showers and of coarse go and tell the king that the sky is falling in.

Anyway I like how this interpretation links up with sit down stand up where thom starts almost chanting "the raindrops" over and over again and in a way it ties into the motif of rains as cleansing and washing away suffering and pain, for lack of a better word, that appears in other radiohead songs notably Paranoid Android.

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skistar123
08-28-2006

Rated 0 
it seems to be about 1984 - when the party tries to reform the main character, they tell him that 2+2 do not have to equal 4, they can equal 3 or 5 or anything - they equal whatever the party says they equal. it shows the power of the party that they can control what a sum equals.

I think this song is about trying to break away from tghe idea that someone controls everything and to try to be your own person.

if that makes sense

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wil555
09-24-2006

Rated 0 
saMwise...

i have 5 words for you
nineteen eighty-four
"He loved Big Brother"

...that's not five words..and way to give away the book.

1984 was probably the best book I've ever read, and this song is inspired by that book. Any interpretation of it outside of that is perfectly cool, and that's why music is so great. I like what people have said about this song outside of the Orwell allusion.

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chris_geetah_man
10-11-2006

Rated 0 
ok simple ... its basically about propaganda, and the use of it to brainwash people. Its a reference to the book basically. for instance;

2+2=5, some guy was brainwashed to believe that 2+2=5 when it doesnt obviously. but thats how bad it is, and thats how bad the people of america are when it comes to george bush and his propaganda. theres alot of parralels. theres no questioning, dont question it; 2+2 = FIVE OK ??? but you should question it.

PAY ATTENTION... and hail to the thief(george dubya bush)

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arrstar
10-26-2006

Rated 0 
Maybe there's "No way out" because there's a wolf at the door. I love how Radiohead seemingly connects the first and last songs on their albums.

Like in Kid A's Motion Picture Soundtrack:
"Helps me get back where I belong"...that would mean "Everything is in it's right place".


Obviously OK Computer has the biggest connection:
"Hey man, slow down" vs. "An airbag saved my life".


Amnesiac:
"Don't talk politics and don't throw stones" vs. "I'm a reasonable man, get off my case".

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Scaremongering
11-11-2006

Rated 0 
wil555, 2+2=5 :)
and I agree, don't give away the ending ffs. glad ive already read it

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nowxisxforever
11-28-2006

Rated 0 
I loved this song when they played it at Laser Radiohead. Yaaaay.

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