Nothing that will turn our world into an Eden, but “A Punchup at a Wedding” rails against someone for thoughtless, antisocial behavior.
Because this disc is essentially a poetic stream of consciousness, several lines could be interpreted in a negative way. Angry about a relationship gone sour, lead singer Thomas Yorke says, “I will eat you all alive” (“Where I End and You Begin”). He says “With my X-ray eyes I strip you naked” (“A Wolf at the Door”) and warns somberly, “It is now the witching hour/Murderers, you’re murderers … They will suck you down” (“The Gloaming”). You might expect a vicious thunderclap to interrupt the eerie “We Suck Young Blood” which asks, “Are you hungry?/Are you sick? … Are you strung up by your wrists? … We want sweet meats/We want young blood/We suck young blood.” More blatantly problematic are uses of the f-word on “A Wolf at the Door” and “Myxomatosis.”
Radiohead’s creepy, discordant style provides a dreary context to fans trying to decode the band’s obscure lyrics. Hail to the Thief has a measured, sleepy sound that might narcotize teens, but sure won’t do anything to inspire them.
Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family, that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!
