‘House of Cards’: The mellow Radiohead song Thom Yorke wrote for good vibes
Offering a stunning alternative to the phoney optimism of the Britpop years, Radiohead are often renowned for their seemingly endless ability to pen songs which are as innovative and original as they are incredibly melancholic and emotional. Their grunge-inspired 1992 debut might have launched the Oxfordshire band into the musical mainstream, but it was the unrelenting misery of records like OK Computer and Kid A that endeared them to entire generations of angsty teenagers.
Before legions of riled-up Radiohead fans jump to the defence of the Thom Yorke-fronted outfit, arguing that songs like ‘How to Disappear Completely’ or ‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ are actually not depressing at all, it must be noted that Radiohead’s appeal is not entirely limited to the relatable misery of Yorke’s songwriting. Records like OK Computer or In Rainbows completely subverted expectations upon their release, marking the band as a truly original voice within the incredibly homogenised landscape of British music.
Although the popular presentation of Radiohead is one of mopey self-pitying – and there is certainly an element of truth in that image – Yorke’s group are much more diverse in their offerings than many people give them credit for. While some of their most popular works might fit easily into your ‘to cry to’ playlist, that certainly does not mean that the songwriter is incapable of reflecting happier times. Everybody needs light in addition to shade, even Thom Yorke.
There was a lot riding on the band’s 2007 album In Rainbows. Following the mixed reception of their 2003 record Hail to the Thief, the band took their time to create a follow-up. Early recording sessions for In Rainbows took place as early as 2005, so it is fair to say that the final album took quite a while to come together. Thankfully, though, the final product was certainly worth the wait.
Beloved by Radiohead fans and novices alike, the album ushered in a new era for the band. In contrast to their melancholic image, a few of the tracks on In Rainbows could even be described as cheery, at least by the standards previously set out in compositions like Kid A.
A particular moment of sunshine and cheer comes on the song ‘House of Cards’, which Yorke himself once described as “mellow and summery”. While the song is hardly in the same postcode as ‘Walkin’ On Sunshine’, it is markedly happier than the majority of Yorke’s work. Seemingly, this switch-up in mood was entirely deliberate, with the band hoping to provide an antidote to the misery that permeated through ordinary society during the mid-2000s.
Explaining the inspiration behind ‘House of Cards’, Yorke told Pitchfork, “I’d guess one doesn’t really need reminding of the ice outside at the moment, do you?” What’s more, the Radiohead singer seemed even to enjoy the process of writing happier tracks. “It’s maybe a good thing to try to make music that feels reassuring in some ways – something that’s got a good feeling, a good vibe about it,” he shared.
Although writing ‘House of Cards’ provided Yorke with some much-needed sunshine, those joyful influences did not last throughout the In Rainbows tracklisting. Following on from the album, Radiohead reverted to their usual downbeat selves, arguably reaching the peak of their sonic misery on 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. Still, the bright sounds of ‘House of Cards’ make the song a firm fan favourite among the more optimistic sect of Radiohead’s cult following.
