Lyrics for 15 Step as interpreted by black_cow_of_death

15 Step Lyrics
How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out then you cut the string

How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
I won't take my eyes off the ball again
First you reel me out and then you cut the string

You used to be all right
What happened?
Did the cat get your tongue?
Did your string come undone?

One by one
In procession
It comes to us all
It's as soft as your pillow

You used to be all right
What happened?
Et cetera, et cetera
Fads for whatever
Fifteen steps
Then a sheer drop

How come I end up where I started?
How can I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out and you cut the string

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Dr. D
05-22-2006

Rated 0 
I heard this song off of a... well... "sketchy" site, and I have to say that I can't get it out of my head. I love its awesome syncopated drumbeat (that reminds me of idiotheque somewhat) and I like the part at the end with the synths. I hope it makes it on the album! ^_^

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DigiLSD
05-23-2006

Rated 0 
Im so addicted to this song..
The beat is amazing and it mixes up so beatifully with the unaggressive guitar riff.. I can't wait to get my hands on the next radiohead album!!

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HighandDry
05-25-2006

Rated -1 
WHERE CAN I GET THIS SONG????
I would honestly literally die for any members of radiohead- (well, maybe apart from the bald guy, be reasonable) and would gladly sell my body for tickets to see them.

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Drewb18c1
05-28-2006

Rated 0 
what 15 steps are they refering to? this seems to be about being mislead by somebody/something. i have the bootleg from may 9th in amsterdam...amazing

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BadPhysh
05-29-2006

Rated -2 
love this song
got it from a copenhagen bootleg, and it's probably my favorite (this or badysnatchers).
as for "the bald guy"(grrr), Phil Selway does an excelent job on this one
lyrics wise, I think it's just about the general frustrations of life holding you back.

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HighandDry
05-30-2006

Rated 0 
Nah i wasnt dissing, theyre all H-O-T.
Still have'nt heard this song. :(

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HighandDry
05-30-2006

Rated 0 
Nah i wasnt dissing, theyre all H-O-T.
Still have'nt heard this song. :(

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black_cow_of_death
05-30-2006

Rated 0 
If you have AIM, instant message me, I'll send it to you. My screen name is blackcowofdeath.

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ilovealkaline
06-05-2006

Rated 0 
i love this song. i think you could easily compare it with morning bell, not just because of the 5/4 time, but because the mood of the songs seems the same

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scarymegalomania
06-10-2006

Rated 0 
I think it's actually in 5/8 time. Anyway, yes it is a great song, i like the way someone else here described the guitar part as "unagressive"

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papel
06-10-2006

Rated -1 
In Boston on 06/04/06, the lyrics are a little bit different than above (and probably will differ on the final product, if this song appears on their next album):

how come i end up where i started?
how come i end up where i belong?
won't take my eyes off the ball again
you reel me out then you cut the string

you used to be alright
what happened?
did a cat get your tongue?
did your string come undone?

one by one
one by one
comes to a halt
soft as a pillow

you used to be alright
what happened?
et cetera, et cetera
thanks for whatever
fifteen steps
then a sheer drop

how come i end up where i started?
how come i end up where i belong?
won't take my eyes off the prize again
you reel me out then you cut the string

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papel
06-10-2006

Rated 0 
oops...last verse should say

"won't take my eyes off the ball again"

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mintyexx
07-10-2006

Rated 0 
Ok no one has commneted on here in awhile.. but where did this song come from?? Why do I not have it??? Grawr.

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Nonlinear314
07-12-2006

Rated +1 
it is coming out on the new album. All the new songs are great.

Theme seems to be along the lines of people who don't learn from the past are destined to repeat it.

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eatenbytheworms
07-14-2006

Rated -1 
There are people who say this is a political song about Tony Blair. I am sure it could be interpreted that way but I would rather think of it as a song about feeling rejected by someone the narrator likes. He can't understand why it is that he ended up without this girl. She used to be alright, and would talk to him, and all of a sudden she won't talk to him anymore. He is wondering what he did to make her stop paying attention to him and he is angry about the fact that she led him on and then left him hanging. This is a great song. One of the best ones for the new releases.

Oh and there used to be two lines which were changed:

'Slow procession
Silence is golden'

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pete_dystopia
07-17-2006

Rated -1 
I thought it was -

He comes to us all
Your soul is his pillow

I'm kinda disappointed that it's not.. For a while I thought this was about alcholism. Oops. No that's the 12 steps :) :{

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pete_dystopia
07-17-2006

Rated 0 
I thought it was -

He comes to us all
Your soul is his pillow

I'm kinda disappointed that it's not.. For a while I thought this was about alcholism. Oops. No that's the 12 steps :) :{

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pete_dystopia
07-17-2006

Rated 0 
Fuck. I really get these things wrong

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eatenbytheworms
07-18-2006

Rated 0 
I think it's actually 'when it comes to us all it's as soft as your pillow'.

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luxamnesiac
07-21-2006

Rated 0 
i like the idea of it being BOTH -- a political song and a rejection-in-relationship song. it has the broader meaning and the more personal meaning. i think radiohead is good at that... because all their songs you can take something for yourself and it's going to be different. and i sound like a nut, no?

p.s. i about died when they played this at bonnaroo. and i loved how people tried to clap along but couldn't because the beat is somewhat unique. i gave up right away.

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RadioheadxxSlave
08-04-2006

Rated 0 
You wouldn't die for Phil, HighandDry? Shame. I was lucky enough to hear this song when I saw Radiohead in L.A on the 29th. Frankly. I don't really remember it. Actually...I don't really remember if they played this one. I think they did...All I know is I heard it somewhere. Maybe youtube. I just have to remember it.

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tarzan05
08-14-2006

Rated +1 
I saw this at Bonnaroo and the way it crescendoed made me freak out a little (plus Thom up there, on the stage freaking out). Makes me excited about the new album... Sounds like a relationship song, pretty cut and dry...

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eatenbytheworms
08-26-2006

Rated 0 
I am pretty sure the first line is 'how come I end up the way I started?' and not 'how come I end up where I started?' If you have good headphones you will clearly hear the 'y' sound (from 'way').

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eatenbytheworms
10-06-2006

Rated 0 
i think this song is along the lines of 'skip divided'. as thom said (about 'skip divided') it's about 'dislocation'. it's about the human failure to make a physical connection even when every other connection is in place. it's about the fact that we are only able to communicate on levels that are not personal, because we have lost that ability because of computers and such. so the narrator ends up not being able to get across that he likes this woman but he blames it on her.

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ThisIsLabor
10-29-2006

Rated 0 
Can't wait to hear the studio version of this.

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