Subterranean Homesick Alien

Subterranean Homesick Alien lyrical review

"Subterranean Homesick Alien"

By: Radiohead

The breath of the morning
I keep forgetting
The smell of the warm summer air

I live in a town
Where you can't smell a thing
You watch your feet
For cracks in the pavement

Up above
Aliens hover
Making home movies
For the folks back home

Of all these weird creatures
Who lock up their spirits
Drill holes in themselves
And live for their secrets

They're all uptight
Uptight.. [x7]

I wish that they'd swoop down in a country lane
Late at night when I'm driving
Take me on board their beautiful ship
Show me the world as I'd love to see it

I'd tell all my friends
But they'd never believe
They'd think that I'd finally lost it completely

I'd show them the stars
And the meaning of life
They'd shut me away
But I'd be all right
All right..

I'm just uptight
Uptight.. [x7]

This song, like the whole Radiohead album (OK Computer), it is about being isolated or alienated from the rest of the population. This song shows how someone is troubled since they are not related to the population and due to this, the person talks about how he wishes to be captured by aliens. These constant reflections on aliens, and the title of the song, refer to how an alien, or alienated person, is homesick to a place that he does not identify. Apparently, this person is disheartened and feels the need to find its inner him. When looking for his real identity he stumbles in to his friends who laugh at his problems and are not supportive. This song resembles the thought that there is always one that never belongs or fits. A fun fact is that this goes back to a young Thom Yorke who was often excluded from others and wrote his first essay about how everyone was an alien from another planet.

The aspect that I most admire from this song is that is written by Thom Yorke, who is a lyrical genius. These lyrics, when listened with the actual music, are soothing and include poetic words that are very thoughtful and deep. Although most of these words don’t rhyme, there is this aspect that make them fit. I believe that this aspect is that Thom Yorke is actually telling a tale/story instead of singing about it. The lyrics are rich and strong, which provides the audience with a clear view on what Yorke is actually singing instead of “following along” with the music.