The Radiohead song so vulnerable it made Thom Yorke weep: “That’s too much me”
While the Britpop battle was raging on in 1990s England, Radiohead carved out a sound that was completely their own. While critics were quick to draw comparisons between America’s grunge scene and their first album, Pablo Honey – labelling it as derivative – Radiohead soon switched things up. With every album, they progressed with great skill, and by the time 2000 rolled around, no one had any doubts that Radiohead weren’t one of the biggest British bands of the modern age.
With 1997’s OK Computer, the band started weaving electronic instruments into their sound, depicting a landscape full of political turmoil and alienation. The album was so successful that fans didn’t think it would be possible for the band to top it, but over the next two decades, they released more spectacular albums that rivalled OK Computer, like Kid A, In Rainbows, and A Moon-Shaped Pool.
However, before OK Computer, the band released The Bends, which felt like a transitory album. Existing firmly in the realm of guitars, Radiohead blended ballads with powerful surges of instrumentation or delivered full-blown alternative rock headbangers, creating an accessible album that was considerably more unique and interesting than Pablo Honey. Some of the songs even made it onto the soundtrack of the American romantic comedy Clueless, a symbol of their continued domination of the ‘90s music scene.
While recording The Bends, the band went to see Jeff Buckley perform, and watching the singer deliver powerful falsettos felt like a revelation. Thom Yorke couldn’t believe what he was witnessing, telling Rolling Stone, “That was one of those, ‘It’s OK to do that?’ And it reminded me of this vulnerable part of me that I was choosing to hide.” When Buckley sang, it was as though he was turning himself outwards, revealing all of his inner thoughts and emotions through his tender words and unmistakable voice. Yorke knew that he needed to give himself over to the music like that, too, even if the prospect felt daunting.
“I remember I recorded ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ on my own to begin with. Then, when we came together to listen to it, the others said, ‘We’ll use that!’ and I was, ‘No, no, we can’t use that, it’s too vulnerable. That’s too much me.’” While Yorke was clearly scared at the thought of sharing something so personal with the world, the rest of Radiohead identified the brilliance in his raw vocal performance. In the end, when Yorke listened to the recording back, he broke down in tears.
“Because when you record, you’re going through one set of feelings, but the one thing you’re not really aware of is you. You’re not aware of your own identity, so it’s like meditating,” he added.
Yorke finds singing somewhat of a spiritual, otherworldly experience. “You’re not even aware of your own vulnerability, you’re just off somewhere, and then you come back. It’s like seeing yourself in the mirror for the first time, catching yourself unaware. It’s an odd feeling, but at the same time, that’s what recording vocals has become for me.” ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ ended up becoming one of the album’s most poignant tracks, and it even reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.
