Decks Dark Lyrics
There's a spacecraft blocking out the sky
And there's nowhere to hide
You run to the back and you cover your ears
But it's the loudest sound you've ever heard
And all we trapped ragdoll cloth people
We are helpless to resist
Into our darkest hour
Just a laugh, just a laugh
Even at this angle
And so we crumble
A ten ton head, made of wet sand
This dread circumference
You've gotta be kidding me
The grass grows over me
Your face in the glass, in the glass
It was just a laugh, just a laugh
It's whatever you say it is
In split infinities
And a spacecraft blocking out the sky
And there's nowhere to hide
You run to the back and you cover your ears
But it's the loudest sound you've ever heard
Into your darkest hour
When you've had enough of me
Sweet times
When you've had enough of me
When you've had enough of me
Sweet times
Sweet times
Sweet times
Sweet times
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So the beauty of a great song is that it can mean different things to different people depending on their life experiences. To me this song is about a person,for me a guy, who comes upon a situation that suddenly explodes his life. I envision him at a party or social event where he looks through a glass window and sees his girl laughing as she converses with some other guy. She is very engaged with this person and my interpretation is that he understands it's over for them. Every thing is going dark for him. A panic is overtaking him and a noise is growing inside his head. He can hear nothing else in the room. With the panic he quickly moves to the back of the room but the sound in his head is exploding. Things are now totally black thus the metaphor of a spaceship completely blocking out the whole sky. I also feel like this has happened before and he has confronted her but she always downplays it--"it was just a laugh". Like , what are you making such a big deal about it. But in this situation, it's just too obvious to him that it's over---"when you had enough of me"----sweet dark. I'm sure there are hundreds of interpretations but for me this works.
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I think the spaceship is a vinyl record… why else would it be called ‘Decks Dark’? Turntables! Reread the lyrics in this context and it has yet another meaning; as music fans, we all worship great music and kneel before its power. This is just as much about one’s intimate experience with music as it is imagining others experiencing their music, alternatively. He is both the alien ‘spacecraft’ and the ‘helpless to resist’. From this pov, it’s an ode to those who bury themselves in music, and allow it to take them away. You ‘cover your ears’ with headphones.. a face in the glass could easily be a bandmate in the studio, haha. I think the ‘alien’ thread running through the album is Thom consciously trying to flip around the ‘alienating’ label that is constantly pasted on him in a sardonic, satirical way; ‘Desert Island Disk’ does it even more literally—another reference to vinyl. The album is just a broad, beautifully maximalist stroke, which starkly contrasts the pure musicianship of say, ‘In Rainbows’. I hope it's not their farewell.
@maniacafrodisiac really intriguing interpretation. and merely regarding word choice, we get darkness here and light on Desert Island Disk. the album is growing on me. initially wasn't impressed but im coming around.
@maniacafrodisiac really intriguing interpretation. and merely regarding word choice, we get darkness here and light on Desert Island Disk. the album is growing on me. initially wasn't impressed but im coming around.
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It is clearly a song about depression. If you have been there you will recognise a lot of the feelings you have had in the 'darkest hour'
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I can't stop wondering why Decks Dark and Subterranean Homesick Alien are both the third track on their albums and have references to aliens/spaceships.
@DarkrootOwl well, I think you are not far from truth. Both songs have clear reference to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Subterranean Homesick Alien can quite easely be about Ford Prefect and Decks Dark - about the destruction of the Earth by Vogon Constructor Fleet. If you have read that book you can see that Thom sings about what happens in first chapters. It makes even more sense when you find out that Paranoid Android is the song about Marvin the Paranoid Android - character from the book.
@DarkrootOwl well, I think you are not far from truth. Both songs have clear reference to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Subterranean Homesick Alien can quite easely be about Ford Prefect and Decks Dark - about the destruction of the Earth by Vogon Constructor Fleet. If you have read that book you can see that Thom sings about what happens in first chapters. It makes even more sense when you find out that Paranoid Android is the song about Marvin the Paranoid Android - character from the book.
@DarkrootOwl After hearing this song a lot, that was EXACTLY the same song that I thought this sounded like... Same textures as 'Subterranean'
@DarkrootOwl After hearing this song a lot, that was EXACTLY the same song that I thought this sounded like... Same textures as 'Subterranean'
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I think it mentions the planet earth as the only landscape we'll ever know, humans are as dolls knowing that they'll never know what's the "meaning" of this life or what else to do... And believes "The Creator" makes this human existence a joke, till he has nothing else for us so "when you've had enough of me" he'd kill us ...?
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After the news of the death of Rachel Owen, long time partner of Thom Yorke, the song reads like a very personal farewell after the news of her inevitable death. On the printed "lyrics" in the album box set, some alternative additional lyrics are included that are even more explicit. E.g. "You are terminal, and you are within me // You will get your reward in heaven" (see https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/centaur-wp/creativereview/prod/content/uploads/2017/01/decks-dark.jpg)
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i've always thought this song was about being taken to the other side after (dying and awaiting judgment) one has died. and this person who might've had a relationship with this person is reminiscing on their moments leading up to them passing away
"Then into your life, there comes a darkness" the darkness would be the time of death
'There's a spacecraft blocking out the sky' The spacecraft would simulate god or angels taking you away from your physical body
'And there's nowhere to hide' You cannot hide from death
'But it was just a laugh, just a laugh Just a laugh, just a laugh' This part of the song would be the person reminiscing about a trying time between them. 'Even at this angle And so we crumble' Even at this time in our lives(being that death is coming) We still continue to fall apart
'A ten ton head, made of wet sand This dread circumference You've gotta be kidding me The grass grows over me' The person is describing being in a grave and the absurdity of it
'Your face in the glass, in the glass It was just a laugh, just a laugh It's whatever you say it is In split infinities' since that person isn't here anymore (face in the glass/ a photograph of them) there words are magnified (in split infinities)
'You run to the back and you cover your ears But it's the loudest sound you've ever heard' The realization that death is coming is alarming but you don't want to accept it
hopefully, this interpretation was accurate enough! i really enjoy this song and it's one of Radiohead's finest work
@samara1013 I love the interpretation of "face in the glass" I had never thought of it like that and it really makes a lot of sense in that context!
@samara1013 I love the interpretation of "face in the glass" I had never thought of it like that and it really makes a lot of sense in that context!
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Personally, it takes me to when I deployed to Afghanistan, early into the war - Mid 2002. I am not Rambo, or anything close to a badass; I was an IT guy. But we had to still out on convoys to connect and help setup FOB (forward operating bases). 4 of us would rotate on convoys, sometimes 3 at a time. This was before IED, so instead, what the Muj did ess strap explosives to a kid or a woman; someone that would force a soldier to stop long enough to detonate. Forgot to mention, convoys drive fast! Months into the deployment, on another soul crushing boring day as any, a convoy was hit. Injured many soldiers, and 3 burned alive. After that, I assured myself that getting my friends and myself home safely, and not only do I understand that may include hurting or killing a human, I would guilt free. Men, women, children - I don't give a fuck! I want to get home"! It was not long until I will get my first test. I was driving lead convoy, which was terrifying in itself. I saw a kid, no older than 13, and running towards the side of our vehicles. I cannot say for 100% certainty his intention was to detonate, but I didnt give him a chance. I swerved, and ran him over - no more threat. It was no long until the another incident occured, but the outcome was the same: I took out the threat by running over the kid. I never felt guilty, not becsuse I was some harden combat vet, in fact, I was a terrified 20 year old kid. I wouldn't go far and say that was the darkness that came into my life, or I "embraced" the darkness. It was justifiable according to ROE, and it was a war. If anything, it was colder that it was very easy to dissociate myself from seeing anyone who wasn't US ally, as an insignificant but a threat to me getting home alive in one peace. I'm sorry if this was morbid, but Decks Dark just takes me there instantly, but now only for a brief moment.
[Edit: Stuff]
@Memster I'm sorry you went thru once, and still live with these occurrences triggering unexpectedly. that, I imagine for a duration, almost as being teleported, away from all the progress you've made coping since then, right to the freshly icy feels as they first were felt. Sounds horrible. :( your being able to share this is telling to your resilience. However your being willing share this, you should know, is much appreciated. Thank you! My childhood friend went probably in 2006 I still hang out with him all the time and I don't believe he's had quite as difficult...
@Memster I'm sorry you went thru once, and still live with these occurrences triggering unexpectedly. that, I imagine for a duration, almost as being teleported, away from all the progress you've made coping since then, right to the freshly icy feels as they first were felt. Sounds horrible. :( your being able to share this is telling to your resilience. However your being willing share this, you should know, is much appreciated. Thank you! My childhood friend went probably in 2006 I still hang out with him all the time and I don't believe he's had quite as difficult an experience as this, but you never know what people allow themselves to mention so who knows unfortunately. I've only recently gotten him pretty sold on Radiohead he was a tough nut to crack tho lol. strictly metal sort of vibe which I love the same things he loves also he just never seem to branch into other genres as easily as I seem to. But anyhow I I would like him to also read your story but doubly because it was written in response to Dex dark which he would also find fascinating No Doubt
@Memster This is wild how things work I have never really been on this site before I literally created an account 10 minutes not even before happening upon this and the feed but I only came here specifically for a song by Home Video that I'm transcribing. So I can upload a vocal-free karaoke version of it with correct lyrics. And I'm not even sure what I need is even here yet haha.so. but yeah it's just all so Randomly meant to be some fkn how haha. Kk. 🙏☮️
@Memster This is wild how things work I have never really been on this site before I literally created an account 10 minutes not even before happening upon this and the feed but I only came here specifically for a song by Home Video that I'm transcribing. So I can upload a vocal-free karaoke version of it with correct lyrics. And I'm not even sure what I need is even here yet haha.so. but yeah it's just all so Randomly meant to be some fkn how haha. Kk. 🙏☮️
@Maxxabstract I really appreciate it, thank you. I admit I was only able to share the story because of the anonymity. It wasn't until I finished rehab (hard opioid addiction, especially fentanyl. Almost 5 years clean today), that I learned its ok to be vulnerable. There is nothing weak about seeking help. PTSD is a spectrum (like every mental disorder/disease. I'm sure you all know, I'm not trying to be condescending). Some have nightmares, some have enormous guilt. I myself had bad anxiety (still do, but much better handle on it. But it's the main reason I was easily hooked...
@Maxxabstract I really appreciate it, thank you. I admit I was only able to share the story because of the anonymity. It wasn't until I finished rehab (hard opioid addiction, especially fentanyl. Almost 5 years clean today), that I learned its ok to be vulnerable. There is nothing weak about seeking help. PTSD is a spectrum (like every mental disorder/disease. I'm sure you all know, I'm not trying to be condescending). Some have nightmares, some have enormous guilt. I myself had bad anxiety (still do, but much better handle on it. But it's the main reason I was easily hooked on H/Fentanyl along with over prescribed opioids). It's weird because It was that long ago that I started listening to music and appreciate it. Slowly feeling genuine positive emotions, and ok with it, as opposed calling myself a "pussy" for being a lil happy. Hell, this Friday (3/8) will be my 43 bday. Last 3 bdays, I did fuck all because of depression, selfpity and misguided codependency. First time in a long time I am genuinely excited. Started hanging out with friends, and as previously stated loving music again. Going to see a bunch of bands at, I guess its a festival (in Pasadena, SoCal) Interpol, (favorite band), Ministry and bunch of solid acts; I pasted the link incase anyone is interested in the lineup. I genuinely Hope you and your friend are doing well. As for Radiohead, one negative thing I could say about them is they don't play their hits live, or not all of them. Granted I've seen them once, but I heard that from a bunch of their fans (if your favorite song is Creep, then don't expect them to play it). Do you know why that is?
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This song is absolutely lovely. Radiohead are one of the very greatest bands of all time. Thom Yorke is freakishly brilliant. The lyrics of this song are typically magnificent. It can be interpreted in several different ways, like so many of Thom's songs. The spacecraft blocking up the sky could be a metaphor for losing a loved one, suffering depression, or a massive, insurmountable problem in life. Amazing song with beautiful words and beautiful music.
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How horrible it is when one realizes this is all we've got forever and ever without at least knowing why? Life...