The lyricist Thom Yorke considers a genius: “Lyrics are like a car ride”
“It may surprise one or the other reader, but I am not the most confident musician when it comes to my own lyrics,” Thom Yorke once admitted. It does somewhat come as a surprise. Yorke has always come across as a musician who is sturdy in his own skill, self-assured in his greatness, a fact perhaps boosted by his willingness to piss fans off in order to stick true to his own artistic whims. But in reality, he has some doubts about his songwriting, especially as he looks up to others he sees as far superior.
Yorke would absolutely hate the main example of his songwriting that comes to mind. Given how much he despises ‘Creep’, he’d be furious to read the point I’m about to make, but still, when someone thinks about his abilities as a lyricist, there is no escaping his biggest anthem. And it’s a good one. ‘Creep’ is a perfect example of good songwriting, with poetic moments and depth to it, expertly paired with the sort of rousing instrumental that was always going to create a hit – it feels inevitable that it would.
But across Radiohead’s nine albums, his scattering of solo efforts and his other projects like The Smile, Yorke’s songwriting skills have always been on display. Fans would certainly argue against his belief that maybe it’s not his strongest suit as tracks like ‘True Love Waits’ or ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ make a solid point for his talent. But still, Yorke is not what he would consider to be a true great in that field, telling Vinyl Writers, “I don’t consider myself a genius there.”
However, there is one songwriter he considers to be in those ranks. “Michael Stipe from REM is a genius,” he declared, honouring a man who he’s not only great friends with but has always deeply admired. Throughout his career, Yorke has paid homage to the impact Stipe has had on him, with the R.E.M singer often taking on the role of a musical and mental health mentor, inspiring tracks like ‘How To Disappear Completely’.
REM started a good few years before Radiohead, meaning that as a young musician, Yorke looked up to Stipe. “As a teenager, the band that really changed my life was REM,” he once said, crediting the American unit as a huge inspiration. But really, the two bands were hitting new heights of their success around the same time, as ‘Losing My Religion’ became a global hit around the same time that Radiohead were releasing OK Computer and Kid A, levelling up their artistry. That made them peers and led to Stipe coming to know and respect Yorke just as deeply, launching a friendship built from rich mutual admiration.
Out of every songwriter he loves, Stipe is the one that Yorke would bestow genius status on. “A master when it comes to conveying impressions,” he said, explaining that poetic as he added, “His lyrics are like a car ride along a street full of traffic signs and billboards. A neon-coloured trip, total cinema in your head, and endlessly inspiring. I assume that there is wisdom in all of his lines.”
Not only did REM inspire Yorke’s musical career, but he’d likely say that meeting Stipe and becoming friends is one of the biggest privileges it’s given him, stating, “Michael Stipe, the singer of R.E.M., was my hero, and now I’m friends with him, you know?”
