Radiohead – Paperbag Writer

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "Paperbag Writer" Ringtone to Cell

Blow into this paperbag,
Go home, stop grinning at everyone.
Blow into this paperbag,
Go home, stop grinning at everyone.

It was nice when it lasted,
But now it's gone.
It was nice when it lasted,
But now it's gone.

Blow into this paperbag.

Take your armor off,
You're not under attack.
Take your armor off,
You're not under attack.

Come on, come on.
Blow into this paperbag,
Go home, stop grinning at everyone.
Blow into this paperbag,
Go home, stop grinning at everyone.

And they were honeybees
On a blade of grass.
Take your armor off,
You're not under attack.

Blow into this paperbag.
Blow into this paperbag.

Send "Paperbag Writer" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Grim713

Track duration: 03:58

"Paperbag Writer" as written by Thomas Edward/selway Yorke

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Paperbag Writer song meanings
Add your thoughts

19 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:People who suffer panic attacks suffer from a lack of oxygen during the attack. They are frequently advised to hold a paper bag over their mouth which increases the body's uptake of oxygen.

    So, this is a song about someone suffering a panic attack, or at least over-reacting to something minor.
    Flag solenton May 14, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's about having a panic attack or high anxiety at a party.
    Flag Atoms4Peaceon March 26, 2011   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:Thom put this poem on their website a while back. It's ambiguous, but I'm fairly certain that it has nothing to do with us foreign policy:

    paperbag advice. (to be stamped on the side of all paperbags)
    side A. Blow into this paperbag go home and stop grinning at everyone.
    side B. If the boss sits there and accuses you of stealing, of not having the right motivation, dont just sit there and take it, hit the fucker in the face.



    Flag Thore824on March 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I thought Thom would never perform this live!
    Flag MissYourGlowon January 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's about huffing spray paint...duh
    Flag peoplewithhandson May 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh yeah, listening to this song could be a real wake-up call for a huge loser like me.
    Flag lrcgon May 02, 2008   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:When he says "It was nice when it lasted but now it's gone" he could be referring to any number of things where such is the case, the case being something that was nice is now gone. durp. I like what aeolus was saying. The title sounds so much like 'paperback writer' that the chance of the two songs having no relation whatsoever is unlikely. Regardless, the songs stands on its own two feet. Is anyone here an asshole or social outcast? Nobody? So I guess we all have friends in the real world. Let's put ourselves in the shoes of a loser with no friends. He would always be in defense mode, afraid that the first words to come out of anyone's mouth will be something nasty directed towards him. He would put on a false, happy face around others so the world would never find out how miserable he truly is. He's miserable because he's convinced that he's too much of a loser for anyone to like him. Now, let's spice it up a bit by saying he had a girlfriend and she dumped him. There you have it, the biography of thom yorke. If there's one thing artists sing or write or cry about more than anything else it's themselves. That being said, the song is awesome and I love thom yorke but i mean, he probably decided to become a poet after his girlfriend dumped him. That's how you define poet. Edgar Allen Poe, people. He was the saddest man on the planet and that's how he became so famous. His wife died though. What was it, bronchitis? Pneumonia? That's way more tragic than getting dumped. Thom would know, that's why he wrote this song.
    Flag lrcgon May 02, 2008   Link
    • 2 Replies
  • -1
    General Comment:People often are too quick to make a Radiohead song into a liberal piece of garbage. I know Thom's stances as much as anyone else and there are some political songs which he does. But this song makes no sense when applied to Homeland security. "It was nice when it lasted but now it's gone". Try and tie that lyric in.

    I think the song is about someone who is high on drugs and/or delusional about something that is very relevant. To the point where being able to function and get a grip on life has been severly interfered with. They've been hiding by getting messed up and shirking their troubles. Or they are off-base in what they think and this is an individual or maybe a collective calling the person in question out. Telling them to collect themselves and stop being nusance.
    Flag Lifxon September 28, 2007   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:it sounds like a spy movie or something
    Flag Hungryforalynchinon September 16, 2007   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:i haven't read any interviews or anything but it seems more likely to me that they just had the line "blow into this paperbag" in mind when they titled it and thought they would make a funny little beatles joke.
    Flag tommythecat42on September 15, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain