Lyrics for Paranoid Android as interpreted by piesupreme

Paranoid Android Lyrics
Please could you stop the noise, I'm trying to get some rest
From all the unborn chicken voices in my head
What's that, what's that?

When I am king you will be first against the wall
With your opinion which is of no consequence at all
What's that, what's that?

Ambition makes you look pretty ugly
Kicking, squealing, Gucci little piggy

You don't remember, you don't remember
Why don't you remember my name?
Off with his head, man, off with his head, man
Why don't you remember my name?
I guess he does

Rain down, rain down, come on rain down on me
From a great height, from a great height, height
Rain down, rain down, come on rain down on me
From a great height, from a great height, height

That's it sir, you're leaving
The crackle of pig skin
The dust and the screaming
The yuppies networking
The panic, the vomit
The panic, the vomit
God loves his children
God loves his children, yeah

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tcepser
07-19-2002

Rated 0 
this song can be explained! as much as i love it, it has been quoted by radiohead that this song was not to be taken seriously!

i still have to say that this is one of the greatest and radiohead are the greatest! :)

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sean7711
07-24-2002

Rated 0 
i heard it was about like when thom was experiencing night life and he came home and wrote this song or something

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Equilan
07-28-2002

Rated 0 
I haven't studied the lyrics of this song yet but this song is just awesome. the mood is just incredible

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ruben
07-29-2002

Rated 0 
Kid Rock Is GAY !!!!!!!!

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JulieMarlene
07-30-2002

Rated -1 
Well. I don't know about him being gay, but he is annoying. But anway, this isn't about Kid Rock, is it now?

So, about THIS song...As of last night, I hadn't heard this song, but I must say, GREAT make out song. Just the beat and junk...yeah. Good song.

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ruben
07-31-2002

Rated 0 
I just said that because Kid Rock doesnt like Radiohead at all.

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Fufu
08-03-2002

Rated 0 
That's because he doesn't have a good taste in music.. Which he why he is a "punk rock" rapper..

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ruben
08-05-2002

Rated 0 
He has said stuff about them on a talk show and also in an interview and even on his lastest video.

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rainbow8711
08-16-2002

Rated 0 
To be perfectly honest, I can't even start to come up with the words of how amazing this song is and what it means to me, but

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rainbow8711
08-16-2002

Rated 0 
To be perfectly honest, I can't even start to come up with the words of how amazing this song is and what it means to me. It has always reminded me of Bohemian Rhapsody, because of the numerous parts of the song telling a story and each putting across a different opinion, maybe not quite as good but to be honest it's very close. My favourite line is "God loves his children", simply because of, I think, the irony. I very much agree with everything in this song and think Radiohead are undescribably amazing. Every one of their songs seems to be a soundtrack to my life.

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Jondude11
08-23-2002

Rated 0 
this song is pure randomness and of course, to a band like radiohead, it probably has an incredible meaning that once figured out will all make our jaws drop - but i dont know how close we are to finding that meaning. we know that marvin was the paranoid android. and there are some paranoid references in there. but even with the "kickin, screamin gucci little piggy"-like lines, there is some meaning. besides its cryptic meaning, it is one of the best not just radiohead songs, but best songs ever to be created.

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riverscuomorocks
09-21-2002

Rated 0 
this song is incredible. god loves his children, yeah.

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Imani110
09-28-2002

Rated 0 
I think in tying the lyrics together to mean one thing creates a violent allegory where the victim finally exacts revenge on his tormentors while mocking their beliefs and their traits.
One interpretation I get from it is the outsider who watches the upper-class born-again jocks with disgust and mocks them until the outsider decides to make them pay for their hypocrisy. The person fears for his safety daily, but still refuses to assimilate and therefore will remain an outsider (I am paranoid, but not an android)...

So this person comes in with a gun and comes after this tormentor and everyone does what he says because he's got a gun (When I am king, you will be first against the wall). The jock-type tells him, "I do really like you." but his opinion is no longer of any consequence. So then the jock-type begs for his life, a kicking, squealing gucci little piggie. Perhaps this jock-type has called the singer names and never called him by his rightful name, and this angers the singer (You don't remember, you don't remember, why don't you remember my name
Off with his head man, off with his head man
Why don't you remember my name?), but now that the tormentor has a gun pointed at him he is using his name (I guess he does).
The rain down part would be where you would see in slow motion the victim pulling the trigger or making that final decision to go beyond the point of no return and the second time you hear this is when the victim is actually shooting the person and maybe these are the things that are playing in his head or it could be all of those memories of being tormented flooding back into his mind while he is making that brutal decision:
(That's it sir, you're leaving) the decision to through with it and take this person's life
(the crackle of pig skin) pigskin a reference to football, maybe deflating a football (player)?
(the dust and the screaming) the bullet passing through the person and hitting the wall behind making some plaster fall and the screaming people when they see the murder
(The yuppies networking) the rest of the people fleeing
(the panic, the vomit) People panicking, maybe getting sick from seeing the gore or the jock-type's body losing its muscle control or the panic of the shot person causing him to become physically ill
(God loves his children) mocking this person's religion by saying "How will your beliefs save you now?" or mocking his belief that he is a religious person and therefore one of God's children and now look at him
-OR-
This shooter believes he is doing God's work by eliminating this person
-OR-
In God's creation he also created ugly things like panic and vomit and so it mocks just how much God loves His children to give them such awful things.

Of course, I could be wrong.


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KidAmnesiac
10-07-2002

Rated 0 
I thikn this song is about the evil in people. It starts out showing the evil in himself. "can you please stop the noise i'm trying to get some rest from all the unborn chicken voices in my head." and then him dreaming about being more htan he is and a power trip. Then it's like putting guilt on people for him not being known. Then it erupts in chaos. "That's it sir, you're leaving the crackle of pigskin the dust and the screaming the yuppies networking the panic the vomit" then it's like yeah we are all pieces of shit but god loves him. that's just what i think

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partymidgets
03-04-2003

Rated 0 
Here it is through partymidget colored glasses, divided by the three parts:

1.) The paranoid android and the voices
The "paranoid android" is hearing voices. The voices his conscience and are the same computer voice as on Fitter Happier and aren't included in the lyrics. They say "I may be paranoid, but I'm no android" and variations. Then he has a flashback, which seems like the moment that he made a threat to someone of greater power, lets say a boss (when I am king...). The computer voice plays again to show you that it's still just this man and the voices present.

Now assume from that point, this man became very powerful, because he was paranoid that he might not be the best, and that his whole life might go to hell. He therefore spent his whole life as this "paranoid android," and has become pretty much soleless trying to deal with his fear of his perception of failure. That's what his conscience is pointing out.

2.) Death and the P.A.
The first little verse is death, the second is the man. If you follow me on the first part, this should make sense. Apparently something significant happens at the end of the scene when the man seems to think that death has submitted to his threats. What exactly that is does not matter, but it signifies the transition to the third part.

3.) Pearly gates
Hear the "choir of angels?" Lots of major religions describe salvation as something that "rains down." He asks and is denied, as the last section says. "God loves his children" is a great little satirical end to the song.

This song is amazing. The message also keeps kind of the same theme as Fitter Happier by hopefully making that person ask themself: what's really important in life?

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snoyarc
03-06-2003

Rated 0 
are you all sure the lyrics aren't "reign down, reign down, come on reign down on me"?

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koka kola
03-11-2003

Rated 0 
like that makes sense, i dont think its grammatically possible to "reighn down". oh well, great song anyway

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slugsinthefields
03-15-2003

Rated 0 
this song is crazy. But I think it's so awesome because nobody else could pull off a song like this. Radiohead know what it's all about. Who is Jove? I mean, maybe i'm hella out of it, but is he a bandmember or something? jw

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username
03-20-2003

Rated 0 
Whoever said this song was about shooting up jocks needs to go back to their nu-metal. I HIGHLY doubt that's what this, or any song by Radiohead is about. Or any song from any band worth listening to at any rate.

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OwnPersonalDemon
03-22-2003

Rated 0 
jove is this crazy member who keeps coming back....I think he thinks of himself like a prophet or sumthing....hes pretty fucked in the head....heheh

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UnemployedDaysleepe
03-23-2003

Rated 0 
I THINK It’s a story told from the point of view of either a man-made robot or a god fearing lower class service industry loser about how people often think they have figured out the world and have the right answer to life’s problems, as if they have some handbook to life (the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy) that allows them to always put everything in its right place. and then force the world to agree with them And the public (mob) is all too eager, like baby birds in a nest waiting for mama bird to come home with today’s answers (the panic, the vomit.)As far as the writer of the song goes, it seems if nothing else very self deprecating, criticizing the kicking squealing Gucci little piggy then the person who wants to revolutionize the world and destroy her in the process. Also I cant help but make a connection to the way the large lower classes often treat and are treated by the upper classes/governments and how close this is to many peoples idea of God the creator, but maybe I’m just being paranoid. anyway that’s just my opinion I mean what do I know?

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UnemployedDaysleepe
03-23-2003

Rated 0 
oh yeah i forgot to mention that radiohead's next album after ok computer was called KidA (the panic) with songs like the national anthem and idioteque

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craigus
03-27-2003

Rated 0 
I believe a huge aspect of this song has to do with The Hitchhikers Guide To The galaxy character Marvin. It also uses a few quotes from the book as mentioned earlier in these messages {about yuppies been first against the war when the revolution comes.} but the thing everyone seems to missing is the point that Marvin in the books {The original {Paranoid Android} and before that the radio plays, was sentient and had a personality. He was able to feel emotions and therefore became depressed because of his intelligence, and for almost knowing everything. that could would and will happen. That would drive anyone crazy.

That’s just my two cents

Craigus

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craigus
03-27-2003

Rated 0 
I believe an aspect of this song has to do with The Hitchhikers Guide To The galaxy character Marvin. It also uses a few quotes from the book as mentioned earlier in these messages {about yuppies been first against the war when the revolution comes.} but the thing everyone seems to missing is the point that Marvin in the books {The original {Paranoid Android} and before that the radio plays, was sentient and had a personality. He was able to feel emotions and therefore became depressed because of his intelligence, and for almost knowing everything. that could would and will happen. That would drive anyone crazy

That’s just my two cents

Craigus

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Lyra
03-30-2003

Rated 0 
I think that craigus got it right.I'm not a real fan of Radiohead, but I think that's one cool song.As far as Marvin is concerned, he was the first thing I thought when I heard the title. He gets depressed because he is too intelligent to deal with a routine as boring and undemanding as his everyday life. Maybe it represents people nowadays and their lifestyle. Anyway its a great song and Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy is the best book ever!

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