i was all set to write about politics today, specifically the debate last night and how presidential debates don't really do all that we would like them to do. then i started thinking about a song i listened to a few nights ago by radiohead. videotape.
i blog about politics occasionally because i want others to come to a certain light i have been lucky enough to discover in my days. contrariwise, i blog about radiohead or any work of art primarily just to stroke my own sensibility. it is merely the selfish act of putting into words how i appreciate or why i love.
with radiohead it can be difficult to know what a song is about but this one follows a familiar theme for thom yorke. the lyrics are below and i think the gist of it is, "the proof is in the pudding." to expand only slightly i think the idea is if he were to stand at some pearly gates and if he had to make a case for himself to st. peter, his response would be to simply say, "roll back the videotape and let's watch. i'm cool with it."
When I’m at the pearly gates
This’ll be on my videotape
My videotape
My videotape
When Mephistopheles is just beneath
And he’s reaching up to grab me
This is one for the good days
And I have it all here in
Red, blue, green
Red, blue, green
You are my centre when I spin away
Out of control on videotape
On videotape
On videotape
On videotape
This is my way of saying goodbye
Because I can’t do it face to face
So I’m talking to you before
No matter what happens now
I won’t be afraid
Because I know
Today has been the most perfect day I have ever seen
it is not hyperbole to say yorke is a musical genius. i am very comfortable with that idea. but this is an especially beautiful rendering of a sickly sweet song.
what do you think?
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