I found Tourist one of OK Computer's more difficult tracks to understand, but in the end I disagree with most of you (as much as you can disagree about interpretations).
I reckon it's kind of a follow-up to No Surprises where he'd decided to go for a fake life, and now here the cracks (or "sparks", as he calls them) are beginning to show. He panics ("overcharged") and begins to run madly away from where he was an in an unknown direction. I like the idea that he ends up brushing death, and we return to the beginning with "airbag".
The danger of his wild and unplanned change of direction is expressed by the chorus, where he's told to slow down - to basically lie down before he hurts himself.
I found Tourist one of OK Computer's more difficult tracks to understand, but in the end I disagree with most of you (as much as you can disagree about interpretations).
I reckon it's kind of a follow-up to No Surprises where he'd decided to go for a fake life, and now here the cracks (or "sparks", as he calls them) are beginning to show. He panics ("overcharged") and begins to run madly away from where he was an in an unknown direction. I like the idea that he ends up brushing death, and we return to the beginning with "airbag". The danger of his wild and unplanned change of direction is expressed by the chorus, where he's told to slow down - to basically lie down before he hurts himself.