Radiohead – Anyone Can Play Guitar

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Send "Anyone Can Play Guitar" Ringtone to Cell

Destiny, destiny protect me from the world
Destiny, hold my hand, protect me from the world
Here we are, with our running and confusion
And I don't see no confusion anywhere

And if the world does turn
And if London burns
I'll be standing on the beach with my guitar
I want to be in a band
When I get to heaven
Anyone can play guitar and they won't
Be a nothing anymore

Grow my hair, grow my hair I am Jim Morrison
Grow my hair, I want to be want to be want to be Jim Morrison

Here we are, with our running and confusion
And I don't see no confusion anywhere

As the world does turn
And if London burns
I'll be standing on the beach with my guitar
I want to be in a band
When I get to heaven
Anyone can play guitar and they won't
Be a nothing anymore

Send "Anyone Can Play Guitar" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by piesupreme

Track duration: 03:38

"Anyone Can Play Guitar" as written by Thomas Edward/o'brien Yorke

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

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Anyone Can Play Guitar song meanings
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48 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:"And if London burns..."
    The Clash?
    Flag WinterlySkyon July 31, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ahh right i love this song!!!
    Meaning wise i'm not sure if people know about this but before jim morrison was in the doors there was a band called Rick and the Ravens there was 6 of them and one night one member left. They had a gig due that night and was told they could only play if they had six people! So they called on jim (who can't play the guitar) to stand around and pretend to play so they could do the gig! So thats my view where this song came from!!! Interpret this story however you wish but keep loving radiohead!!!

    Peace and Love
    Soybn
    Flag Soybnon May 15, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This was written as Thom's response to a The Doors documentary. He thought Jim Morrison to be a hypocrite thus the sarcastic line "Grow my hair/Grow my hair I am Jim Morrison" ... the whole song is sarcastic saying that if you play guitar you are no longer a nobody. Obviously not ... Decent song in all pretty poppy but one of the best off Pablo Honey along with You.
    Flag crackedpolystyrenemanon March 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I don't know... I think Thom means that anyone can play guitar and being a somebody as not being a good thing. What I mean is, anyone can play guitar, but not everyone who picks up a guitar is good at it and just play it to be cool and not because they truly love the instrument.
    Flag Siberianhusky89on October 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:Naw, what he's saying is anyone can PLAY the guitar, but the real point is to be able to create. When he says I want to be Jim Morrison he's being kind of sarcastic, like yeah if I look like a rockstar-grow my hair long and can play the guitar, then I'm talented. He's criticizing all the people who learn to hit some chords and yell over it and try to become an icon like Morrison thoughtlessly, and I think the people who buy into it as well. Play guitar to play guitar, not to look cool. But Yorke is kind of in the middle of it all- the world's coming to an end and he's just standing on a beach with his guitar... great imagery.

    That's just my take, but it's a pretty damn awesome song.
    Flag antimony220on December 09, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is a sad song, it makes me think of some sad loner who thinks that if he can only learn to play guitar, everyone will love him and worship him and he'll have friends and be happy. And he's suicidal and thinks that'll be the end of his problems because he'll get to heaven where everyone can play guitar.
    I know it's meant to be sarcastic, but this is just what it makes me think of ;)
    Flag blaarghhon August 26, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I like the MTV Beach House version better (which is a great video, by the way, you can tell how pissed off they are at the whole situation), where he sings:

    "Grow my hair, grow my hair, I am Jim Morrison
    If I grow my hair, maybe I can become Jim Morrison: fat, ugly, dead"
    Flag lemonparty.govon April 22, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Radiohead have psychic powers according to "radiohed" because River Phoenix died months after this song was released!
    Flag Better_than_sexon September 02, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this might be to simple of an interpritation for a radiohead song but to me it just sounds like he wasnt happy with his life and he's counting on becoming famous so he can get away from it.
    Flag KrizzySheedyon December 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the jim morrison is irony, thom saw the film about the doors and hated how he seemed to think he was god. see the mtv beach house performance of this song where in said second verse thom adds "FAT. UGLY. DEAD"
    Flag Peolon December 19, 2006   Link

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