I'd just like to add this one thing. Today I was listening to this song and I came to line "tires that grip in the wet / shot of baby smiling in back seat" and I had a vision.
It was an old car commercial for brand new expensive tires. The scene was a car climbing a mountain in a torrential downpour. It was cut like an action movie almost, the car weaving, narrowly avoiding danger on account of these hi-tech tires that funnel water out with increased efficiency. Then, the last shot of the advert is a baby, strapped in the back seat, smiling.
I thought, Thom was probably watching tele one day (most likely stoned) and felt something profound and disturbing upon seeing this ad. If I had to guess, it's to do with the emotional manipulation employed by modern advertising--shamelessly guilting parents into springing for better tires, for the sake of their precious children. It's capitalism ruthlessly plucking at our vulnerable heart strings. That commercial, that IMAGE is a microcosmic example of the subtle, encroaching darkness that is enveloping our society. And I believe, that subject is mostly what Fittier Happier, and Ok Computer, and even Radiohead are about.
I've heard Thom say that this song has to do with rather bleak rules for the 90's that were sort of implied by the culture. As in, you must do these things to be a good person. Certainly most of the song is easy enough to fit into that framework (with a few good ol Yorke strangeness tossed in). I think having the expensive tires to protect your children aligns with that pretty well.
I know it's a stretch to think Thom's seen that very commercial, but it's fun to think so anyway... :)
Hi, excellent analysis, nothing ridiculous about it at all. That's exactly the kind of media snippet that Thom would pick up on. Being stoned can help reach these insights, but with practise you can see clearly when totally sober. 'Fitter Happier' is undoubtedly about coercion and manipulation by advertising and market forces - 'on Sundays ring road supermarket' being my favourite line as it pre-empted Ikea culture. As Thom once said, 'nobody uses words like happy and sad. Unless they're in advertising', which could be used as a subtitle to Fitter Happier. Explore all Radiohead songs in the way that...
Hi, excellent analysis, nothing ridiculous about it at all. That's exactly the kind of media snippet that Thom would pick up on. Being stoned can help reach these insights, but with practise you can see clearly when totally sober. 'Fitter Happier' is undoubtedly about coercion and manipulation by advertising and market forces - 'on Sundays ring road supermarket' being my favourite line as it pre-empted Ikea culture. As Thom once said, 'nobody uses words like happy and sad. Unless they're in advertising', which could be used as a subtitle to Fitter Happier. Explore all Radiohead songs in the way that you have with this one, and you stand a fighting chance of escaping the encroaching darkness.
I'd just like to add this one thing. Today I was listening to this song and I came to line "tires that grip in the wet / shot of baby smiling in back seat" and I had a vision.
It was an old car commercial for brand new expensive tires. The scene was a car climbing a mountain in a torrential downpour. It was cut like an action movie almost, the car weaving, narrowly avoiding danger on account of these hi-tech tires that funnel water out with increased efficiency. Then, the last shot of the advert is a baby, strapped in the back seat, smiling.
I thought, Thom was probably watching tele one day (most likely stoned) and felt something profound and disturbing upon seeing this ad. If I had to guess, it's to do with the emotional manipulation employed by modern advertising--shamelessly guilting parents into springing for better tires, for the sake of their precious children. It's capitalism ruthlessly plucking at our vulnerable heart strings. That commercial, that IMAGE is a microcosmic example of the subtle, encroaching darkness that is enveloping our society. And I believe, that subject is mostly what Fittier Happier, and Ok Computer, and even Radiohead are about.
I've heard Thom say that this song has to do with rather bleak rules for the 90's that were sort of implied by the culture. As in, you must do these things to be a good person. Certainly most of the song is easy enough to fit into that framework (with a few good ol Yorke strangeness tossed in). I think having the expensive tires to protect your children aligns with that pretty well.
I know it's a stretch to think Thom's seen that very commercial, but it's fun to think so anyway... :)
Hi, excellent analysis, nothing ridiculous about it at all. That's exactly the kind of media snippet that Thom would pick up on. Being stoned can help reach these insights, but with practise you can see clearly when totally sober. 'Fitter Happier' is undoubtedly about coercion and manipulation by advertising and market forces - 'on Sundays ring road supermarket' being my favourite line as it pre-empted Ikea culture. As Thom once said, 'nobody uses words like happy and sad. Unless they're in advertising', which could be used as a subtitle to Fitter Happier. Explore all Radiohead songs in the way that...
Hi, excellent analysis, nothing ridiculous about it at all. That's exactly the kind of media snippet that Thom would pick up on. Being stoned can help reach these insights, but with practise you can see clearly when totally sober. 'Fitter Happier' is undoubtedly about coercion and manipulation by advertising and market forces - 'on Sundays ring road supermarket' being my favourite line as it pre-empted Ikea culture. As Thom once said, 'nobody uses words like happy and sad. Unless they're in advertising', which could be used as a subtitle to Fitter Happier. Explore all Radiohead songs in the way that you have with this one, and you stand a fighting chance of escaping the encroaching darkness.