Been thinking about you, your records are here
Your eyes are on my wall, your teeth are over there
But I'm still no one, and you're now a star
What do you care?
Been thinking about you, and there's no rest
Should I still love you, still see you in bed
But I'm playing with myself?
What do you care when the other men are far, far better?

All the things you got,
All the things you need
Who bought you cigarettes,
Who bribed the company to come and see you, honey

I've been thinking about you, so how can you sleep?
Those people aren't your friends, they're paid to kiss your feet
They don't know what I know.
Why should you care when I'm not there?

Been thinking about you, and there's no rest
Should I still love you, still see you in bed
When I'm playing with myself?
What do you care when I'm not there?

All the things you got
That you'll never need
All the things you got
I'm played out and bleed to please you

Been thinking about you...



Lyrics submitted by GetupJill, edited by vdu

Track duration: 02:42

"Thinking About You" as written by Thomas Edward Yorke, Edward John O'brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Colin Charles Greenwood, Philip James Selway

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

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Thinking About You song meanings
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80 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:You don't really read an honest song about that too often and I love the term he uses as opposed to all the synonyms posted in this thread. I wonder how that person he wrote it about felt when they read the lyrics? I wonder if she came back to him and they got married and had two kids.
    Flag mrtewon April 30, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:'Playing with myself' is about masturbation. He sees her in bed, therefore he is probably in bed. The song isn't completely about masturbation, its one line. Even if it was, what is so wrong with that? Are you all so prude? And going even further, haven't you masturbated to an ex girlfriend? If you said no, you're lying. I tell you what, its not good for your constitution, but you've still done it at some point in your life.

    It only serves to make the song more sad, not perverted. Radiohead (read: Thom) builds up this image of longing and loss and caps it off with jerking it in bed, making it more pathetic and more real.

    People are saying he's playing with his own emotions, meaning he's lying to himself because part of him believes she'll come back. There's none of that in the song. He's bitter ('how can you sleep?') but not in denial.
    Flag vduon March 08, 2013   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Playing with myself lines, Are in reference to playing with his own emotions, Not playing with his wanker. Morons; Something else.
    Flagged SkylinexBleedsxRedon November 07, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:She's moved on. He feels left behind and sad. He misses her and he doesn't believe she needs him. He's got his hand (as so many have already said;). It's a sad song and thankfully quite easy to decipher (cause I suck at it:)
    Flag MaryMaryQuiteContraryon September 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:This song is about being in love or infatuated by a famous person, and yes he is talking about wanking.
    Flag thefirstdaysofspringon February 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I was thinking, how different this song would be if
    "Shit, I still love you, still see you in bed"
    was actually
    "Should I still love you? Just to see you in bed"
    That wouldn't be nice, the relationship between would have just been a physical/sexual one
    sounds like something radiohead might write about.. the latter lyrics sounds like what i'm hearing and possibly what i'm going through right now
    Flag nmrson February 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Didnt see this covered.. my small addition to this thread....

    Been thinking about you, your records are here
    (He owns her albums, probably listening to them)

    Your eyes are on my wall, your teeth are over there
    (Posters on the wall)
    Flag p1nkp1gl3ton August 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:my opinion i think it has to do with someone he loves dying.
    records being pictures, letters, or just the letter saying that person has passed away.


    no one can really tell you the true radiohead song meanings...only radiohead can and they dont because that just takes that fun out of everything.

    JUST BE HAPPY THEYRE MAKING MUSIC FOR YOU!
    Flag scatterbrain88on July 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:so what? it's a bit about wanking, and... "WHAT DO YOU CARE"???
    Flag daraki93on May 26, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think the "playing with myself" line doesn't necessarily mean physically, but emotionally. As in playing with emotions.
    Flagged ExoM7on April 06, 2009   Link

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