The first song Thom Yorke impressed himself with
You wouldn’t necessarily think it would take much to impress Thom Yorke. After all, he’s the frontman of Radiohead, one of the world’s most influential and commercially successful bands, continually refining his work and triumphantly pushing himself into new creative territories.
Not only has Yorke enjoyed great success, but he has also gained the admiration of one of his heroes, R.E.M frontman Michael Stipe. Stipe, now one of Radiohead’s most prominent fans and a close friend, has expressed his deep appreciation for the band on numerous occasions. In fact, he even admitted that his song ‘Disappear’ was unintentionally “stolen” from ‘How to Disappear Completely’. Upon realising the similarity in the studio, Stipe immediately contacted Yorke to confess.
Alas, Yorke graciously gave his blessing for R.E.M to proceed with the track. After all, R.E.M is one of his all-time favorite bands, and their influence helped shape him as a songwriter, despite his evolution away from their style. This kind of rare acknowledgement from a hero would make most people happily kick back, crack a cold one, and bask in self-satisfaction.
Yorke isn’t any ordinary folk, though, is he? One of the main reasons why he and Radiohead have enjoyed such immense success is their ever-evolving nature and commitment to not resting on their creative laurels. They’re driven to make great art, and with such a mission comes intense self-critique, as there’s no way out of the present without honestly assessing the situation and addressing what can be done better next time.
This is why Yorke has been candid about what he perceives as the band’s shortcomings. Throughout their many phases, there are songs he doesn’t particularly care for. While the group famously refused to play their biggest hit, ‘Creep’, live for years, there are several other tracks the frontman has criticised, including the “naff” original version of the hypnotic ‘Pyramid Song’. He has also questioned why anyone would try to have sex to Radiohead’s music, acknowledging that it’s not exactly the most sensual soundtrack.
This self-effacing nature contributed to Yorke’s initial lack of focus on lyrics, a mindset he maintained until a friend criticised them. Up until then, he had considered lyrics the most disposable part of music, writing them at 16 without expecting anyone to pay attention. However, once he began concentrating on the words, he discovered that writing became more fulfilling, and crafting songs was easier. This shift in approach has become so integral that today, Radiohead can’t finish a song without solid lyrics, as they have become the lynchpin directing the music’s evolution.
When speaking to Q in 1997, Yorke revealed that the first of his own lyrics that truly impressed him were those for ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ from 1995’s breakout album, The Bends. It shows just how much of a tough taskmaster Yorke is; he was nearly 27 by the time the album came out, with that harsh but valuable experience with his friend almost a decade prior.
He said: “(Lengthy pause. 32 seconds, in fact.) Fake Plastic Trees. When we did demos, words would be made up on the spot. You throw it away or it sticks because it sounds amazing. You find the significance in it when you read it afterwards.”
Yorke explained that it was the same with much of the vocals on the ensuing OK Computer. He revealed that they are first takes, as after that, he’d start to overthink it, and the lyrics would start to sound lame. He noted ‘The Tourist’ as one example, where he doesn’t remember recording it, and it was on the shelf for months.
