Lyrics for Electioneering as interpreted by piesupreme

Electioneering Lyrics
I will stop, I will stop at nothing.
Say the right things when electioneering
I trust I can rely on your vote.

When I go forwards, you go backwards
And somewhere we will meet.
When I go forwards, you go backwards
And somewhere we will meet.
Ha ha ha

Riot shields, voodoo economics,
It's just business, cattle prods and the I.M.F.
I trust I can rely on your vote.

When I go forwards, you go backwards
And somewhere we will meet.
When I go forwards, you go backwards
And somewhere we will meet.
---
"Electioneering" as written by Thomas Edward Yorke, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'brien
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
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thisboy
01-31-2002

 Rated  0 
my exgirlfriend thought this was an example of a "perfect song". I like it but I could never understand why she thought it was one of the greatest of all time.

To each their own.

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dudleyj
01-31-2002

 Rated  0 
yeh mate.............


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cleverhandle
06-15-2002

 Rated  +2 
I know no one's reading this, but here I go anyway:

This song has some of the coolest lyrics ever: "When I go forwards/You go backwards/And somewhere we will meet." It's a play on words: as the politician "goes forwards" - gains more power - the people "go backwards" - lose control and power - and because the politician is relentlessly electioneering, he will meet each person somewhere along the way. This might be my favorite song on "OK Computer." Genius.

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render
07-12-2002

 Rated  0 
cleverhandle -- i agree completely.

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dnspiral9
07-23-2002

 Rated  +1 
definitely my favorite song on ok computer. in my opinion one of the best political songs ever made, especially because it was written so artfully that it could be pulled off with NO swearing, i have no objection to swearing in songs and no love for censorship but so many "political" songs of late are nothing but strands of words that have to be edited out when they get played on the radio. one of the saddest things i ever heard was some kids practicing a RATM song for a school talent show, they were actually playing pretty well but when they got to the end the singer had to yell "SUCK you, i wont do what you tell me!" into the microphone, even those who dont know what the lyric is supposed to be should be able to figure out what its really supposed to be (change one letter in SUCK). i wanted to go up to them and ask with a big sarcastic smile: "did you tell them to go "fudge" themselves when the administrators told you that your song needed to be edited?"

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paranoia_girl
07-28-2002

 Rated  0 
I think this has something to do with Karma.Politicians can be quite ruthless. They go forwards at your expense but what goes around comes around.

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rx2kONE
08-13-2002

 Rated  +1 
I think this song is about how politicians manipulate the public, almost indirectly "buying" their votes... Maybe.

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kid A
03-08-2003

 Rated  0 
I agrre with rx2KONE we are pesuaded to vote for people we dont really want to because they are the only people available. I love the "when we go forwards......." bit it ha so many meanings great song and another one off OK Computer

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parlor
04-15-2003

 Rated  0 
one of the easiest to understand on OK, and i think it's one of the most overlooked as well. seeing the boys play it live is rivetting...seeing anyone play it live who plays with passion is incredible

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strykerchick
06-03-2003

 Rated  0 
One of my favorite Radiohead songs...I'm just getting into them now anyway, lol, but I love this song! Makes me wanna dance or something.

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Max_Wayne
06-12-2003

 Rated  0 
I wouldn't go as far as saying it's my favourite OK Computer song. That title is held by either PA or Karma police. But I love the lead guitar in this, I think the music was just a platform for them to let loose on an album which was very tightly contained and controlled. The lyrics are incidental.

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ReadBukowski
06-20-2003

 Rated  0 
And QOTSA ripped it off with no one knows!

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oct deep elm
06-21-2003

 Rated  0 
this song is very reminicent of zeppelin mixed with a dash of the doors. sucha rockin rockin song.

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DeBurgo
04-07-2004

 Rated  0 
I'd just like to say that this song conveys a political messege better than any of the jumbled and braindead RATM songs ever did. It's not the deepest Radiohead song out there, but it's probably one of the more energenic ones (but I don't think that's saying much).

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subterranean_summer
06-30-2004

 Rated  0 
This song definitely stuck out on the OK Computer cd with it's harder sounding guitar and the line "When I go forwards, you go backwards, somewhere we will meet."
It's about politicians trying to get to the top, "voodoo economics."

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meursaultsrevolver
10-19-2004

 Rated  0 
deburgo don't make me fucking kill you man, ratm own you
its because of dickheads such as yourself that we're still stuck in this mess

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dw
11-03-2004

 Rated  0 
one of my fav radiohead songs.....amazinggggg amazing, these guys are too good

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Splaire89
11-15-2004

 Rated  0 
Yeh this song rox... it makes me boppy

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Davetheinvincible
11-18-2004

 Rated  0 
The whole idea of one thing going forwards while another goes backwards is also shown in johnnys guitar solo. It plays it once, then suddenly does it again backwards all the way back up...just an idea...

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rynox
11-26-2004

 Rated  +1 
Sounds like his opinion is that special interests' influence on politics is a form of electioneering. Maybe he has a point.

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Andrewonfire
11-28-2004

 Rated  0 
George W. Bush played this song, I would give him an x-factor for his troubles

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Brokenzero
12-28-2004

 Rated  0 
Yeah, this was made before bush got elected for his first term right. Its quite fitting.

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nomishood
01-17-2005

 Rated  0 
It's also about how Thom sees doing loads of gigs and appearing on TV all the time as "electioneering" his work.

It's one of the best radiohead moments when it comes out of the chorus to "Riot Shields, Voodoo Economics....it's just business, cattle prods and the IIIIIIMMMMMFFFF, trust I can rely on...." completely brilliant, would have been a massive single and might have made the proles think for once. But we don't want that, do we?

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nomishood
01-17-2005

 Rated  0 
btw, i used to think "trust i can rely on" was "just like candlelight". kinda fits anyway, what with candlelight having no substance and having a flickering nature and meaning (much like the electioneerer's words).

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b_dog
01-19-2005

 Rated  0 
I see this as the only real straight-out rock song on OKC. All the other songs are the type where you sit listening to them and they hit you in the gut with their gravity, but 'Electioneering' is more of a tune you can have on the radio when doing chores.

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