Thom Yorke asks why people have sex to Radiohead: “It’s always confused the living shit out of me”
Since Radiohead’s formation in 1985, they have become one of the most successful English bands of all time. With nine studio albums to their name and countless EPs, remix albums, and singles, Radiohead have spread their influence across generations.
Their experimental nature is inspired by a vast range of influences, from classic 1970s rock bands to jazz artists such as Miles Davis to Aphex Twin to krautrock; Radiohead pull sounds and techniques from almost any genre you can think of.
The release of the 1992 single ‘Creep’ gained the band lots of recognition from the British music press. However, Radio 1 blacklisted the song, citing it as “too depressing” – something that would have undoubtedly pleased the band. Nevertheless, the track became Radiohead’s biggest hit after it received attention from international radio stations, which led to its music video receiving constant airtime from MTV.
Fearing that they would become one-hit wonders after ‘Creep’, the band got to work on their second album, The Bends. Finally, Radiohead found success in England upon the album’s release, acting as an alternative to the lively Britpop scene that was dominating the country.
Radiohead’s trajectory was indeed on the rise during the 1990s, with support slots secured for some of the decade’s biggest bands, including R.E.M. Since then, Radiohead has released multiple albums that are widely regarded as some of the greatest of all time, including OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows.
However, in a past interview, which appears to be from the late 1990s, lead singer and guitarist Thom Yorke discusses the idea that people might be having sex to his music. He says, “It’s always confused the living shit out of me that anybody could shag to our music. But people do, apparently.”
He goes on to express his bewilderment, saying, “‘Paranoid Android’. This girl come up to me… she bangs to ‘Paranoid Android.’ How?”
Yorke’s befuddlement is quite amusing – after all, he’s right. ‘Paranoid Android’ – a song about alienation, fear, insanity, and capitalism – isn’t the sexiest of choices to play in the bedroom. Furthermore, the song flits between high-octane guitar riffs and melodic bridges; it’s an accomplished masterpiece of a song, but the word ‘sexy’ would be the wrong adjective for it.
While not particularly seductive, ‘Paranoid Android’ is an epic track and its multifaceted composition defies traditional song structures. It unfolds over nearly six minutes, comprised of several distinct sections that seamlessly blend together to create a dynamic and immersive listening experience – arguably one of the best examples of Radiohead’s superb approach.
The frontman also seems to be forgetting the existence of ‘Talk Show Host,’ a B-side from The Bends and one of the band’s sexiest songs to date. The track sees them experiment with trip-hop sounds, which were popular at the time due to the likes of Massive Attack and Portishead. However, it never sounds gimmicky or out of place for Radiohead to incorporate these sounds. In fact, it works really well for them, and its influence can be seen in later works by the band.
The song was eventually remixed and released on the soundtrack album for Baz Luhrmann’s 1997 film Romeo + Juliet, which gave the song a burst of popularity.
‘Talk Show Host’ begins with some mysterious and lingering guitar riffs that pair well with the trip-hop-infused drum beats. The song eventually culminates in a cacophony of instruments that play in the background as the dominant guitar riff continues haunting the track’s forefront.
Listen to Thom Yorke express his confusion in the resurfaced clip below.
