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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henre
05-24-2007

Rated 0 
This is one of the greatest songs ever written. The lyrics probably do not have one set meaning, but are rather a kind of word painting. The music is so awesomely well-written...

Also, in 10 minutes I'm going to watch a SICK string quartet arrangement of this song, done by a guy with a master's degree in classical composition. w00t w00t.

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crippledinside
05-28-2007

Rated 0 
I think it's about somebody who is slowly starting to see all the things wrong with the world and slowly descending into madness.

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WithSprinkles
07-01-2007

Rated 0 
god loves his children.

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westo
07-04-2007

Rated 0 
Is Thom being sarcastic when he talks about God loving his children? I think - given the conext of the line - it looks like he is.
Its the best (alongside Climbing up the Walls and Like Spinning Plates) song by the best band int world!

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stagechick
07-07-2007

Rated 0 
"kicking squealing gucci little piggy"
to me, this line makes me think of like a wealthy, plump business-person in Gucci...kicking and squealing cuz of something...
I dunno. This song is amazing because it has so many interpretations.
Personally, I usually think of it as either this guy's hatred of the corporate world, technology, and government, and how corrupt everything is. Then sometimes I relate it to God, him sort of asking God to forgive the world. And God's like "why don't you remember my name" sort of saying, why has the world forsaken me.
Other times I see the whole song as about religion. Either religion in general, maybe a holy war, and how corrupt religion has become, or God's anger at the world or this guy.

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meee91
07-14-2007

Rated 0 
look. I really like radiohead alot and they have some very good songs, but can someone please explain me WHY this song is so populair? no one seems to really understand what those lyrics mean ( they mean something different to everyone), and dont try to tell me the videoclip of this song 'means' anything. its called absurdism, people!! nothing wrong with aburdism, but dont try to explain it. thats jst stupid.
personally, i liked some parts very much (the slower ones) but the wild parts werent all that beautiful to me, simply cause it just didnt fit with the rest of the song, but again, its *absursim* :)
anyway, what I'm trying to say is this song is overrated and misunderstood, its a waist of time trying to understand it!!

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drowninyoursleep
07-15-2007

Rated 0 
thats WHY its so goddamn popular...
p.s climin up the walls radioheads second best song

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Beekarry
07-18-2007

Rated 0 
meee91 you're an idiot and this song is so misanthropic it makes me want to have it's little hateful babies. Tata...

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inthegarage5353
08-02-2007

Rated 0 
this songs teh shtuff

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graddy
08-13-2007

Rated 0 
Its about a new mind (possibly an andriod) discovering the world and its corruption, commenting on the dangerous ambition of society and the stupidity of relying on a devine being to save us.

I love this song as it reminds me of Taxi Driver 'some day the real rains going to come, and wipe the scum of the streets'

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femme_fatale
08-19-2007

Rated 0 
i thought he said whats THERE.....not whats that...hmmmm interesting

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louie99
08-20-2007

Rated 0 
its "WHATS THERE" instead of "whats that"..... clearly

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BrokenImperfect
10-05-2007

Rated 0 
I have no idea what's going on in this song. Maybe I need to read the Hitch Hikers Guide series?
But my opinion is that he's describing someone who has his mind set one one goal and blindly charging like a bull towards it, paying no mind towards the little people he steps on, the destruction he causes? And if Thom were king, this person would surely pay for the damage they caused. "the end does not justify the means" so he would be killed for persuing what he thinks is right and best? I have a feeling i'm way off but that's what I took from this song.

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**CHILIS**
10-08-2007

Rated 0 
"UTTER FUCKING CHAOS"

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potentone
10-15-2007

Rated 0 
if anything, i think graddy hit it on the nail.. . this song speaks of the corruption of the world and the people who are destroying it.. we as humans being PARANOID ANDRIODS of the world.... it is a choice between FEAR and LOVE that will change this world....don't listen to the propaganda of the enemy feeding you lies...READ because the truth will set you free. only we can change the future.

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sassee
10-24-2007

Rated 0 
well, here is one possible overlay of meaning to attach to these strange words:

it is a highly disguised attack on the hypocrisy of American evangelicals.

"unborn chicken voices in my head" sounds like a reference to the folks who picket the abortion clinics.
The singer is weary of all the noise (and the hypocrisy).

"what's that, what's that" is their reply to his complaint.
they are baffled, since they are so righteous in their own eyes,
they can't imagine anyone could disagree.

The second bit is like the first. everyone hates hypocrites, they are first
against the wall. all their high and mighty talk of morals was false.
Again, "whats that, what's that!?" -- it makes no sense to them.

They in fact are the androids, unthinking, programmed with an agenda, and a paranoid one at that.

There is no connection to Hitchhiker's Guide here, only using a character's name from the classic book.

"Ambition makes you ugly" "Gucci little piggy" are references to how their love of money is not hidden.
They make much to do over the "unborn", as if they cared, but are oblivious to the voice of the poor who
are ravaged by the greed of the rich.
like marie antoinette, "the poor have no bread? well, let them eat cake!"

No idea about the bit about "not remembering my name" and "off with his head".
perhaps that part has a completely separate meaning, who knows.

"Rain down, from a great height" is such a beautiful line... reminds me of
the song by The Who, "Love, Reign O'er Me". In this case, the singer is forgetting
the hypocrites for now and crying out to [God/TheForce/Whatever] for relief. From a
great height is clearly refering to something above this evil world, and the tone
of the song is a cry from deep within the singer's heart, for refreshment from the
dry parched land.

the ending has echos of the final apocalypse, the panic, the screaming, (but yuppies
networking doesn't fit in with this interpretation)...

then, God loves his children, yeah! Certainly God, if he exists, loves his children,
but who are his children? The singer's view is unclear. It doesn't sound like a
mock, but a plea from the singer for mercy in the midst of the panic and screaming
and vomit of the final terror.

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Frylock2314
10-26-2007

Rated 0 
I think it's what's there not what's that. And he says 'my brother', after the first 'why don't you remember my name'.

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Zinc_443
10-26-2007

Rated 0 
On interview, thom yorke said this was just a piss-about song, they wanted a song structure to reflect the beatles, 3 parts to it...... for the meaning hell knows, I think the Hitchhikers guide concept is kool but I doubt its that

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beardy1991
11-17-2007

Rated 0 
the point to me is
we are all significant due to capitalism
which is true
we are all meant to work like computers cause of the gorvernment
they dont care your opinion is worthless
this song scared me when i listened to it when i got the meaning, i went cold inside

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Hungryforalynchin
11-29-2007

Rated 0 
it sounds like another Radiohead apocalypse to me
but this time from a slightly humorous angle

oh and you gotta love 'God loves his children'
cause hey, he so does not

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silental
12-06-2007

Rated 0 
Radiohead's finest achievement.

I need to listen to it a bit more to conjure up a personal meaning.

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kara_13
12-07-2007

Rated 0 
reminds me to i am the warlus. well i think this songs has got a meaning, at least it should have it to the band.
i believe beardy1991 said a couple of true things there.
it reminds me to i am the warlus, i don't know why, maybe they're both the same confusing.
i LOVE the beggining, the guitar just sounds amazing.

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Londonboy82
12-18-2007

Rated 0 
Thom Yorke is in a bar and gets into a verbal and/or physical fight with some noisy yuppie types. In which he expresses his opinions on their character. "Ambition make you look pretty ugly-kicking squealing ugly gucci piggy" then "When I am king you will be first against the wall." In other words he would have them executed if he had the power. Gets thrown out, says to the doorman "don't you know who I am? I am Thom Yorke lead singer of Radiohead." Hence the "Why don't you remember my name?"
In his mind he wants to burn the place down. To paraphrase-"Gucci little pig skin crackling." He walks away and it starts raining. So he shouts to God "Go on rain it all down on me" then sarcastically "God loves his children"
I believe it was an actual event experienced by Thom Yorke
But of course the expanded metaphysical meaning is much deeper.

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BrazilianFan
01-16-2008

Rated 0 
please, people......listen to the Easy All-Stars project called RADIODREAD....ITīS an Ok Computer entirely covered ON reggae style.......ITīS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ESPECIALLY "PARANOID ANDROID" , "CLIMBING UP THE WALLS" AND "LUCKY"!!!!!!!!!!!!

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beardy1991
01-17-2008

Rated 0 
When i listen to this song,
its sends a strange shiver, chill down my back,
almost as in scared.
It gets the modern world so right.
The hatred about the Capitalism,
and corruption that is the modern world

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