Lyrics for Climbing Up the Walls as interpreted by piesupreme

Climbing Up the Walls Lyrics
I am the key to the lock in your house
That keeps your toys in the basement
And if you get too far inside
You'll only see my reflection

It's always best with the covers up
I am the pick in the ice
Do not cry out or hit the alarm
You know we're friends until we die

And either way you turn, I'll be there
Open up your skull, I'll be there
Climbing up the walls

It's always best when the light is off
It's always better on the outside
Fifteen blows to the back of your head
Fifteen blows to your mind

So lock the kids up safe tonight
Shut the eyes in the cupboard
I've got the smile of a local man
Who's got the loneliest feeling

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  • 132 Comments
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typo
01-06-2002

Rated +1 
this song gives me nightmares.

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toadtws
01-14-2002

Rated +4 
Listen to this song late at night, alone, locked in your room with headphones on and your eyes closed. I double-dog dare you. :-)

I'd have to say my favorite part is when Thom gives his distorted scream at the end... Chilling!

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penguins69
01-14-2002

Rated 0 
this song is actually about when thom yorke worked in a mental hospital or something. i remember reading it had to do with some program in england where they let the safest mental patients out on release. which is what that line about hit the alarm is about. people around asylums had alarms in thier houses, cos the people they let out werent always safe. so its a first person account of crazy people terrorizing people. (i remember thom saying it was about waking up so see someones eyes outside his window.) creepy.

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2 Replies
livgirl
02-15-2002

Rated 0 
I don´t think this song is scary is more like instrospective, I think tom is talking about himself, it´s about when you feel that you are traped inside yourself,"either way you turn I´ll be there" "open up your skull..." is like how can you be your worst enemy.

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livgirl
02-19-2002

Rated +2 
Oops my mistake, IT is about a mental institution, anyway, still it`s a beautifull song,and since music is art everybody can have a different interpretation of the song. in my opinion is a masterpiece

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livgirl
02-19-2002

Rated 0 
Oops my mistake, IT is about a mental institution, anyway, still it`s a beautifull song,and since music is art everybody can have a different interpretation of the song. in my opinion is a masterpiece

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lunatic96
03-07-2002

Rated 0 
This song is obviously Thom singing from the point of view of a murder..."either way you turn, i'll be there" tells the victicm that there is no escaping...a truly scary song...

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seano
03-12-2002

Rated 0 
This song isn't that scary, its just a bit weird. This song is really really good though!
The drums make the song really good, and that pinging sound which is a bit scary! The screaming at the end is weird too, but cool!!

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tintin
03-31-2002

Rated 0 
it's my favourite song of all time. It still blows my mind and I've listened to it thousands of times. It's interesting that the lyrics aren't what I thought they were - the bit where he sings 'so not cry out and hit the alarm' I always thought were 'I've got the smile of an ugly man'. Guess it isn't, but i still love it.

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ParaniodAndriod
04-12-2002

Rated +1 
it means so much. of every single radiohead song ever written, id say this is my favorite. it even beats idoteche. its just incredible. if i am walking down the streets of boston and listening to this, i will sing the lyrics so loud. go to boston. you will hear me.

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stonor
04-15-2002

Rated 0 
I've read the mental institution thing too. but knowing Thom's lyrics I'm prettys sure he's just using an every day life experience to desrcipe something deeper.

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Matt_Bellamy
04-16-2002

Rated 0 
It reminds me of fluffy bunnies

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vellox
04-30-2002

Rated 0 
This is one my all-time favorite Radiohead songs. The eerie wail of the distorted guitar and the pinging sound, combined with Thom's haunting scream truly make it a surreal listening experience. The lyrics posted here though are slighty off.

The line "So not cry out or hit the alarm, you'll get the loneliest feeling" is actually "I've got the smell of a local man, Who's got the loneliest feeling"

To me this song is simply about a murderer who's on the loose, and his next victim could be anyone.

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therymz
05-11-2002

Rated 0 
I think its about an obsessive boyfriend or husband that kills his girlfriend or wife.

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Amlug
06-09-2002

Rated 0 
here is 1 sentence missing after "shut the eyes in the cupboard" "I've got the smell of a local man, you'll get the loneliest feeling" intead of repeating "so no cry out or hit the alarm"


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Chloe le Fay
07-07-2002

Rated 0 
Quite possibly one the eeriest, creepiest songs ever written. I love it.

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stardroplet
07-19-2002

Rated 0 
c r e e p y

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paranoia_girl
07-27-2002

Rated 0 
I adore this song, its my favourite radiohead song thus far. It's just amazing. Haunting and still profound even if it is cryptic. Makes me wish the insight we get into thom yorkes mind didnt come so fleetingly. Again he can be surreal and detached, but you are dragged in there.

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theartistsleisure
08-04-2002

Rated 0 
this is probably my all time favorite radiohead song. it sends a chill down my spine everytime I hear it. radiohead is such an awesome group. very few musicians today can draw a listener into the music as radiohead can. i love it. absolutely love it.

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mxboard
08-13-2002

Rated 0 
I think this song is about one's own fear inside us, trying to climb out and make us not enjoy life. For me, once I understand that, I can overcome it.

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kill_me_killroy
08-18-2002

Rated +1 
ok these lyrics are just so wrong. -- you got these from the booklet yer, ? i havnt seen the correct cersion any where yet. but well, here they are now, i worte them out.

Fitter…Fitter….(distorted sound)

I am the key to the lock in your house,
that keeps your toys in the basement
And if you get too far inside,
you'll only see my reflection

It's always best when the colour/?collar is off,
I am the pick in the ice
Do not cry out or hit the alarm,
You know we're friends till we die

but either way you turn,
I'll be there,
open up your skull,
I'll be there,
climb up the walls

It's always best when the light is off,
it's always better on the outside
Fifteen blows to the back of my head,
Fifteen blows to your mind
So lock the kids in a safe tonight,
shut the eyes in the cupboard
iv got the smile of a local man,
who’s get the loneliest feeling

but either way you turn,
I'll be there,
open up your skull
I'll be there,
climb up the walls

Climb up the walls.
Climb up the walls

i listen to this song quite a bit, cant help but curl up in a ball on my bed, and try and shake my self to sleep or drown myself in a puddle of tears…..sadly “perhaps” my bed soaks up them to quickly.—mayb im doing it the hard way. Mayb I should by a fishbowl. Anyway, has anyone been on holiday—been a tourist swimming around looking at all the local attractions pointing at all the local people and their peculiar little oldee worldee life styles. Has one of the old men sitting on a wall propping himself up with some kind of farming tool stared back and given you a smile… the “smile of a local man whos got the loneliest feelings” I have, in a small place called Madera, whilst listening to this song on my head phones…it was almost enough to make me wana smile back in the same lonely way/but I just stared instead. I don’t know if this song is about hospitals or mental people or an old man sitting on a wall after a hard days work growing his food, all I know is that iv seen this reflection- fuck------I live In its shadow.

Im a very happy person really.




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jujitsumetaphor
08-23-2002

Rated 0 
I think, once you know that it relates to the Mental Hospital Thom used to work in, this is one of the least cryptic radiohead songs. The UK government programme referred to above is called 'Care in the Community' and as far as I know it is still running today. It has been extremely controversial with a number of very high profile cases where care in the community patients have gone psycho and murdered people- one killed a random commuter on the London underground I recall. I see this song as being about the thin veneer of civilisation; that deep seated fear of the unknown that modern society does its best to distract you from with rockstars, blockbuster movies and football games- but not if you live next to a mental hospital or an institution for rehabilitated sex offenders.

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voodooekonomiks
09-24-2002

Rated 0 
i am previously the user paranoidandroid. however, i have not been able to sign in, so i got another name. i love radiohead more than anything. this song is so incredible, when i listen to it, i want to curl up in a balld or scream out loud or die or be born again or just smile and love his gorgeous voice and the gorgeous music and all that lovey dovey crap.

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kid A
03-03-2003

Rated 0 
One of the best songs off OK Computer which is saying something as there is not a bad song or even a nearly bad song on the entire album

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streetspirit
03-19-2003

Rated +1 
radiohead is a band where... for example.. say you hear one of their songs.. karma police... perhaps. Once youve gotten done with this song, you say to yourself... man!.. karma police is my favorite song. But, next day later you listen to another radiohead song.. you say to yourself again.. man.. this song is my favorite.. and it keeps going and going. Radiohead is a band amongst others. They dont just have one big hit, theyve got the whole stack.

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