Thom Yorke: Doing

“Sometimes the nicest thing to do with a guitar is just look at it.”

Thom Yorke

source http://www.greenplastic.com/coldstorage/articles/guitarworld0498.html

“Q: Radiohead fans tend to be extremely devoted to the band - they seem to connect with your music and ideals. What do you see as the major aspects of your music which people connect with so well?
A: To be really truthful I don't see it myself. When we play something new, we don't know how people will react. If I show an idea to the rest of the band I'm terrified if they will respond or not. They are the same. It always amazes me how complex this remains. There was a time when we could make the correct moves and the required response. And that was the time when the shine started to fade. Do people connect with our ideals? I dont know, surely encouraging people to make informed decisions is more useful? ignorance is the biggest problem isnt it? we are no purer than anyone else, no smarter. Equally we are not little rag dolls you play with but say nothing and go back in the box when you're finished with us.”

Thom Yorke

source http://www.spinwithagrin.com/answer.asp?show=all

People , Truth , Music , Idea

“We're at a time when we are being presented with undeniable changes in the global climate and fundamental issues that affect every single one of us, and it's the time we're listening to the most hokey shite on the radio and watching vacuous bullshit celebrities being vacuous bullshit celebrities and desperately trying to forget about everything. Which is fine, you know, but personally speaking, I can't do that.”

Thom Yorke

source http://web.archive.org/web/20031208173545/http://www.icyeyes.com.br/interp.htm

Change , Time , Personality , Forgetting

“Avoid all eye contact
Do not react
Shoot the messengers
This is a low-flying panic attack”

Thom Yorke

Burn the Witch
Lyrics, A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)

Flying

“The difference between me and Bono is that he's quite happy to go and flatter people to get what he wants and he's very good at it, but I just can't do it. I'd probably end up punching them in the face rather than shaking their hand, so it's best that I stay out of their way. I can't engage with that level of bullshit. Which is a shame, really, and in a way it would help if I could, but I just can't. I admire the fact that Bono can, and can walk away from it smelling of roses.”

Thom Yorke

source http://www.licc.org.uk/culture/thom-yorke-interview

People , Way , Help , Happiness

“wish us all a safe journey if you still like us and you're not one of those people i have managed to offend by doing nothing”

Thom Yorke

http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/index.php?a=461 source

People

“(on his inability to read music) "If someone lays the notes on a page in front of me, it's meaningless…because to me you can't express the rhythms properly like that. It's a very ineffective way of doing it, so I've never really bothered picking it up."”

Thom Yorke

source http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Stage/9346/RAAmain.html

Music , Way , Reading

“You do it to yourself, you do,
And that's why it really hurts,
Is you do it to yourself, just you,
You and no-one else,
You do it to yourself.”

Thom Yorke

Just
Lyrics, The Bends (1995)

Hurt

“He used to do surgery
On girls in the eighties,
But gravity always wins.”

Thom Yorke

Fake Plastic Trees
Lyrics, The Bends (1995)

Girl

“But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here
I don't belong here”

Thom Yorke

Creep
Lyrics, Pablo Honey (1993)

Hell

“(about people's image of him) "I think that has a lot to do with the expression that's on my face. People are born with certain faces, like my father was born with a face that people want to hit.”

Thom Yorke

laughs
http://www.followmearound.com/presscuttings.php?year=1995&cutting=19 source

People , Thinking

“It's like a supply and demand thing. It's like 'Well, this is what they want me to do, this is what they want to hear. So I'll do more of this, cuz this is great… and they love me.' Suddenly people start giving you money as well. So then you've got money and you get used to this lifestyle. And you don't wanna take any risks 'cause they've got you by the balls, and you've got all these little things that you've bought, or you're attached to. And you start spending all this money… And that's how they get ya!”

Thom Yorke

source http://radiohead1.tripod.com/band/thomquotes.htm

Love , Money , People

“It's basically [about] having to make a decision whether to do nothing or try to engage with it in some way, knowing that it's flawed. It's convenient to project that back on to someone personally and say they're a hypocrite. It's a lot easier to do that than actually do anything else. And yeah, that stresses me out, because I am a hypocrite. As we all are.”

Thom Yorke

On celebrities supporting efforts to curtail climate change. source http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,1795948,00.html

Way , Decision , Personality

“We are of the earth,
To her we do return”

Thom Yorke

The Numbers
Lyrics, A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)

“When you were here before,
Couldn't look you in the eye.
You're just like an angel,
Your skin makes me cry.
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world.
I wish I was special;
You're so fuckin' specialBut I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here
I don't belong here”

Thom Yorke

Creep
Lyrics, Pablo Honey (1993)

Hell , Beauty , Angels , Cry