
I feel like a shadow of myself, as if my soul is barely clinging to my body. I have an intense desire that feels like it's tearing me apart from the inside. I feel like I've been stripped of my identity and taken over by something else. I feel lost and disconnected from reality, like a spirit without a physical form.

Overall, the lyrics to Spectre offer a poignant meditation on the human experience of loss, longing, and mortality. He seems to have accepted that the spectre of his mortality has finally come for him, but is left questioning whether he has made the most of his time on earth and whether he will be remembered after he is gone. The narrator ends the song by acknowledging the inevitability of fear and the way it can cast a spell over us, causing us to doubt and second-guess even the strongest emotions. Despite this, he recognizes that our past experiences can shape our expectations of the future, tricking us into making assumptions that may ultimately lead to disappointment.

The only truth he has ever known is the physical sensation of being kissed, suggesting that he finds comfort and reassurance in physical intimacy, even if it is fleeting. He suggests that rumors and suspicion can be like a poison, clouding our judgment and preventing us from seeing things clearly. The spectre of his mortal soul - a ghostly presence that represents his own mortality - haunts him and seems to be a reminder of his own impermanence.Īs the song progresses, the narrator muses on the nature of truth and the role that emotions play in distorting our perception of reality. This feeling of powerlessness is further emphasized by his hunger which burns a bullet hole, implying a deep sense of dissatisfaction and longing. He feels dispossessed and taken host, as if he is no longer in control of his own life. The narrator begins by describing himself as lost and a ghost, suggesting a sense of displacement and detachment.

Pitchfork writer Marc Hogan suggested that the use of the Trumpton Trilogy style, which portrays an idyllic, crime-free rural Britain, reflects the rhetoric of family values used by right-wing politicians such as Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and members of the UK Independence Party. Animator Virpi Kettu said the video was deliberately lighter in tone than the music, as Radiohead "wanted the video to contrast with what they're playing and to wake people up a bit".Īccording to the son-in-law of Trumpton creator Gordon Murray, the family had not been asked permission to use the style for the video, and saw it as a "tarnishing of the brand." He stated that the family would not have allowed the video, considered it a breach of copyright, and were "deciding what to do next".The lyrics of Radiohead’s song Spectre are rich in symbolism and meaning. After the song ends, the inspector escapes among the trees. As the flames gather, the townspeople turn their backs and wave goodbye to the camera. The mayor urges the inspector to climb into the wicker man, whereupon he is locked inside and the wicker man is set on fire.
Radiohead spectre lyrics series#
The plot homages the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man. An inspector is greeted by a town mayor and invited to see a series of unsettling sights, culminating in the unveiling of a wicker man. It was conceived and finished in 14 days, one week before its release. The video uses stop-motion animation in the style of the Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley series of 1960s English children's television programmes (also known as the Trumpton Trilogy). The video was released on YouTube on. The Burn the Witch music video was directed by Chris Hopewell, who previously directed the animated video for Radiohead's 2003 single There, There. A 7-inch release, with Radiohead's 2015 song Spectre as the B-side, was released on exclusively to Bull Moose stores in the New England area. " Sing a song of sixpence that goes / burn the witch / we know where you live."īurn the Witchwas released as a downloadable single on on the band's site and on streaming and digital media services. In April 2016, fans who had previously made orders from Radiohead received embossed cards in the post with lyrics from the song: He cited the song Nude, released on Radiohead's 2007 album In Rainbows but written 12 years prior, as an example of a song that took several years to complete. and so will eventually get there, I'm sure." It was briefly teased in performances in 20, but never played in full.Īsked in 2013 about the status of Radiohead's unreleased songs, including Burn the Witch, Godrich responded: Singer Thom Yorke mentioned the song in a 2005 blog entry on Radiohead's website and posted lyrics in 2007. The phrase "burn the witch" appears in the Hail To the Thiefalbum artwork. According to long-time Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, the band worked on Burn the Witch during the sessions for their albums Kid A (2000), Hail To the Thief (2003), and In Rainbows (2007).
