by Dan Roehl

please write me with your thoughts at nadlor99@netscape.net

What is the meaning of "Paranoid Android," Radiohead's first single released from OK Computer? Is there any meaning to be found in its disjointed and bizarre lyrics? While the listener may not have a clue what lead singer Thom Yorke is singing about, the song remains engrossing and ultimately rewarding. From the peculiar pleas of the opening stanzas, through the angry cries and distorted guitar riffs of the midsection, and breaking into the hymn-like pleadings which preface the jarring finale, "Paranoid Android" is a brilliant and exciting song. But what does it mean? An analysis of how Thom has used lyrics in the past provides useful guidance. Radiohead lyrics are often disjointed. While they don't often provide a clear story, they usually evoke a mood, or a theme. Consider some of the lyrics to "Let Down," also from OK Computer,

These two stanzas convey, with a minimum of words, the hectic oscillatory motion of the modern rat race, and the image of a spirit crushed by that race. While not very meaningful in isolation, within the context of the song, these lyrics help evoke the feelings of aimlessness and impotence which are at its core.

In "Fake Plastic Trees," a single from The Bends, Thom sings a simple story about an old, weary couple,

Thom has explained that this song is about the human consequences of our ‘throw away’ materialistic society. By investing a short descriptive story with a moral, Thom can compress a complex theme like this into the small span of a song.

Radiohead have previously used musical phrases and passages to represent specific events, characters, and ideas in a song. The musical climax of "Nice Dream" is the nightmare that the song tries to deny. The ethereal guitar flourishes in "Subterranean Homesick Alien" are the alien vessels of which Thom sings. The caustic and metallic chorus of "Bones" represents the song’s theme of bodily decay.

Keeping in mind the way that lyrics like those in "Paranoid Android" have been used to convey meaning in other Radiohead songs, and liberally interpreting the symbolic significance of certain musical passages, I have constructed a narrative to accompany the song. I wish to stress that this is not necessarily what the song is meant to be about. The group has explained that "Paranoid Android" began as three separate songs which sounded cool when stuck together. Evidently, the song was not conceived with a unifying story in mind. But I believe that the reason the mini-songs sounded so good together was that their contrasting moods and themes, when considered in the light of a particular narrative structure, fit together in a logical and satisfying way. In this essay, I present this narrative interpretation, an argument to support interpreting the song in this way, and the moral of the narrative.

An old man lies dying in his bed. Except for his presence, the room is empty. We find him at the end of a long and materially successful life. In his younger days he had played the part of a machiavellian businessman, and he played it very well. Moral and ethical questions never much troubled him. In the business world he inhabited this was a decided advantage, one that enabled him to edge ahead of the competition. But once he had crawled his way to the top, he found that life there provided no real satisfaction. Ruthless cunning, and an easy willingness to trample whomever stood in his way were the tools he used to overthrow his superiors. Others were eager to use those same tools on him once he was the man on top. Consequently, all his time and energy were spent confounding the machinations of others like him. If there had been some other passion in his life, some other ambition, any source of purpose or pride which did not tap his lust for power, he could have found happiness. As it was, he had no other option but to continue his struggle as long as he was physically able.

His strength and his mind now slipping away, he can only wait quietly for death. He wishes he could wait quietly. For his mind, which was once filled with his never ceasing schemes to build one more empire, or to crush one more foe, is now overcome by a voice he has never noticed before: the voice of his conscience. After all those years shuttered away in the dark recesses of his mind, his conscience finally has an opportunity to wreck its vengeance on the man. Mercilessly it haunts him with memories of the countless atrocities he committed in the name of his own vanity and greed. The man is unable to understand what is happening to him, and powerless to stop it. Actions which seemed so reasonable and justified in his youth, now seem repulsive. The power and success which he struggled so long and so hard to achieve, now seem empty and pathetic.

"What is happening to me?!" he cries vainly. He does not hear any response.

Unable to bear the anguish that these altered memories bring, the man slips back into the past, trying to recall the fondness which he once felt for his way of life. An ancient confrontation with one of his first superiors drifts into his consciousness.

His boss shouting, ". . . I demand an apology. The way you handled this take-over was completely unethical and opposed to everything my company stands for. I simply won't allow it!"

"An apology?! I deserve your thanks, not some inane lecture. Listen, before I took over this project, it was heading straight into the ground. But I came in and got the job done. If you don't like the way I do business, that’s just too bad."

"If that’s the way you feel . . . you're fired. Pack your things and get out."

"Fired? You’ll regret this, believe you me. When I become king of this industry by kicking the likes of you into the gutter, you’ll see how foolish you were to cling to your principles. Success is all that matters, and when I have it, I won't give a good god-damn what you think. . . ."

Finding his thoughts back in the present, "And I was right; it didn't matter at all."

"So why do those words, those same words upon which I based my entire career, and which brought me all my success, why do those words now pain me so? Why does their remembrance bring forth such an agonising wailing in my mind?"

Just as the man begins to feel that he can no longer tolerate the damning chorus of voices in his head, they cease. An uneasy peace fills the room. Knowing somehow that something dramatic has happened, the man opens his eyes to discover a new presence. It is Death. The man struggles violently as he feels his soul tearing away from his body. He had never imagined a world beyond his little empire and is now unwilling to abandon it.

Surprised, Death addresses the man, "Your desire to remain in this pathetic world you have created for yourself is perverse! Are you so enamoured of your mortal life that you would prefer it to the bliss of heaven? This struggle proves the extent of your soul’s distortion."

Still unwilling to accept the fact of his own death, the man lashes out, "Do you know who I am?! Do you have any comprehension of the power and clout that I hold? I’ll destroy you! You hear me, destroy you! Why don’t you remember my name?!"

With a final effort, Death wrests his soul away and for the first time, the man understands what is happening to him.

"I guess he does," he mutters as an enormous, gaping funnel of light opens before him.

"I guess he does."

And he is gone.

He awakes to discover himself, lying naked and alone, before a brilliant white wall. It extends indefinitely, as far as the man’s eye can see, in all directions. Before the wall, all is utter darkness.

The man is at the gates of heaven.

Here, he is confronted with the grim reality of his lifetime of sin. Only now, in this place, can he see his life for what it truly was: a grim and bloody exercise in vanity. The voices which haunted him at the end spoke the truth. His time spent on earth, to which he clung so passionately, had been wasted. Worse than wasted, he misspent his life, using it to bring an empty, fragile joy to himself, and misery to others. Recognising the gravity of his situation, and the terrible consequences which await him, he pleads, "Let your sweet mercy rain down upon me, I beg you. You who reign on high, let absolution descend on my wickedness. Oh, wash my sins away."

An angelic choir hear his pleadings, but do not grant them.

"I’m sorry; your time here is up. All that remains for you is to spend an eternity living a life not unlike that you lived on earth. A life of fire, hatred, vomit, despair, panic, screaming . . . A life in hell. God loves his children. Goodbye."

And he is gone.

In the next section, many references will be made to specific passages from the song. For this reason, I have divided the song into acts and scenes that broadly correspond to events in the narrative. The time codes that appear on the right give the position of each scene as it appears in the album version of the song.

Scene i - Introduction 0:00 - 0:16

Scene ii - "Stop the noise" 0:17 - 0:46

Scene iii - "What’s there" 0:47 - 1:06

Scene iv - "When I am king" 1:07 - 1:36

Scene v - "What’s there (reprise)" 1:37 - 1:56

Scene i - The Angel 1:57 - 2:19

Scene ii - "Ambition" 2:20 - 2:30

Scene iii - Struggle 2:31 - 2:41

Scene iv - "You don’t remember" 2:42 - 2:53

Scene v - Realisation 2:54 - 3:02

Scene vi - Death 3:03 - 3:32

Scene i - Chorus of Angels 3:33 - 4:03

Scene ii - "Rain down" 4:04 - 5:04

Scene iii - "That’s it sir" 5:05 - 5:27

Scene iv - "God loves his children" 5:28 - 5:35

Scene i - Finale 5:36 - 6:23

I will adopt the notation commonly used for discussing plays. For example, II.iv refers to Act Two, Scene Four: the portion of the song from 2:42 to 2:53. Scene names without quotation marks are instrumentals, while scene names within quotation marks contain both music and lyrics.

Although I will argue that the song presents the linear story described above, my argument will be decidedly non-linear. I will begin by analysing the very end of the song (III.iii - IV.i). From an assumption about the meaning of this passage, I will infer the meaning of the scenes preceding it, working back to II.vi. Thus armed with an interpretation of the last half of the song, I will then proceed to infer the meaning of I.i - II.vi.

I interpret this passage as a description of hell. While it could certainly be interpreted otherwise, there are several good reasons to think of it in this way.

The tone of the passage is unpleasant. The sights, smells, and sounds which it evokes are all very disagreeable, especially the repeated phrase "the panic the vomit." The overall impression is of a hellish environment. Dust, screaming, panic, vomit, and even networking yuppies could be imagined as torments of eternal damnation. But why interpret the passage as referring to hell specifically? Consider the lyrics from III.iv, "God loves his children, God loves his children yeah!" This religious reference makes it reasonable to infer that III.iii describes not just any hellish environment, but hell itself.

Musical effects in IV.i provide further support for this interpretation. The distorted guitars suggest anger and oppression. Incoherent grinding noises can be heard in the background, as can a roaring chain saw and mechanical screams. These elements, while not related to hell directly, add to the feelings of torture and suffering and could be interpreted as symbols of divine vengeance.

The lines which open III.iii, "that’s it sir, you’re leaving" suggest that the speaker is banishing a second individual. Because I am interpreting III.iii as a description of hell, it is reasonable to infer that this second individual is being banished there.

Who is this second individual? The lyrics "that’s it sir . . . ." are sung over the lines of another voice. The first voice sings the lyrics from III.ii ("Rain Down") and is joined at the beginning of III.iii. I take this overlap as further support for my assumption that there are two characters: one being banished to hell (the one singing "rain down"), and the other doing the banishing (the one singing "that's it sir").

Turning our attention to the damned man’s words in III.ii,

The cleansing properties of rain make it a commonly used symbol for redemption and renewal (see the film The Shawshank Redemption for a contemporary cinematic example). Historically, rain has been used to refer specifically to spiritual redemption. Consider Hamlet III.iii.43-46 "What if this cursed hand / Were thicker than itself with brother's blood, / Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens / To wash it white as snow?" or The Merchant of Venice IV.i.184-6 "The quality of mercy is not strain’d / It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven / Upon the place beneath"

Organised Religions, like Christianity, use water as a symbol of divine mercy. Blessings are often manifested in holy water, as is the forgiveness and acceptance of the sacrament of baptism.

Based on this evidence, I interpret the man’s words in III.ii as a plea for divine mercy. This interpretation fits with the previous assumption that III.iii - IV.i describes the man’s damnation. Begging for mercy would be a very reasonable thing to do for a man who faces such a fate.

Continuing to move backward through the song, consider that the musical theme of II.vi, an instrumental passage, is the same as that of IV.i, the finale. Noting that its occurrence in II.iv directly prefaces the man’s pleas for mercy, and that its appearance in IV.i is associated with a journey into hell, I infer that II.vi represents the man’s death.

Having so far established an interpretation for the second half of the song in which a man dies, pleads for mercy, but is sent to hell anyway, I now turn to the beginning of the song and work the analysis forward.

It is reasonable to assume that the damned man is the protagonist of the story. He is the one experiencing a crisis. So it is consistent with my interpretation to assume that his is the voice which opens the song. What does he say?

Knowing that the man dies about halfway into the song, and noting the weariness present in this sentiment, I infer that he is near death. Further, we have some clues regarding the nature of the noise that distresses him. We know that he has lived a wicked life (his damnation is evidence enough of that), and that in the next life he seeks absolution for his crimes. So perhaps, as he lies dying, it is memories of his past misdeeds which torment him. In I.ii, these memories are described as "voices" in his head. If we assume that memories torment the man, then describing them as "voices" suggests that there is a separate entity within the man's head which speaks. I suggest that this entity could be his conscience.

Consider the next lines, which constitute I.iii

It is the man who sings "what’s there" presumably referring to the voices he hears. The line "I may be paranoid . . ." seems to come in response to that question. Assuming that the voices which trouble the man are those of his conscience, I infer that "I may be paranoid . . ." is spoken by this conscience.

In I.iv, the man sings,

Who is the man addressing? The most obvious candidate would be the voices in his head, which are the only other characters present. However, I do not believe that the man is consciously addressing those voices. The following scene is essentially a repetition of I.iii,

Apparently, the man has either not heard, or not understood the reply of his conscience. If he had recognised the identity of the voices, he would no longer call out "what’s there." So when he sings "when I am king . . ." we can at least be sure that he is not knowingly addressing his conscience. My interpretation of this scene requires a digression.

What kind of life did the man lead to earn his damnation? There is little evidence in the song to provide an answer to that question, but I do not believe that the exact details are essential to an understanding of the story. I do believe that a partial reconstruction of the man's life is a useful exercise, particularly because it can help make some sense out of I.iv. In II.ii the man is told, "ambition makes you look pretty ugly." True, he possesses great ambition; he aspires to be king. Radiohead have dealt almost exclusively with contemporary issues in the past, so it is reasonable to assume that "king" refers to a position of great power, not an actual kingdom. In what field does he seek power? Refer back to the end of III.iii, "the dust and the screaming / the yuppies networking." I believe that the man was a power hungry yuppie, just like those described as denizens of hell. Considered from this point of view, "when I am king . . ." sounds like a threat from one yuppie businessman to another. Assume that the man is remembering an argument from his past. Apparently, the two individuals have different ideas about how to run a business: "when I am king" versus "with your opinion." Because of our protagonist’s eventual fate, I’ll assume that he would be a more ruthless leader, while his fellow yuppie would prefer a more civilised approach. It makes sense that the man would retreat into his past to escape the unfamiliar voices which torment him. If it’s true that they are reminding him of his crimes against morality, then he might go back in his mind to the point when he first started out along the wicked path. Thus the idea that this is a confrontation with one of his first bosses who disapproves of his devious ways.

This brings us to the end of Act I. Act II opens with an instrumental passage similar to both II.vi and IV.i. II.i is based on the musical theme which dominates those passages. Melodically, the theme is the same, but the tone is radically different. In II.vi and IV.i, it is played loud on distorted guitars but in II.i, it has a calmer, more eerie feel and is accompanied by Thom’s strange vocalisations. The overall effect is a mood of tension and unease. Based on the interpretation so far, the musical theme is associated with death, but the man hasn’t died yet. I infer that the passage signifies the appearance of the Angel of Death, come to take the man away. This interpretation fits the mood of the scene. It is not as dramatic as death itself, but it is an ominous harbinger of death.

Assuming that the Angel of Death has just appeared, it is reasonable to attribute the lyrics of II.ii to him,

The first line suggests that Death is addressing the man; ambition has indeed made him ugly. I base my interpretation that the man struggles with Death on the second line, "kicking squealing gucci little piggy." Death is comparing him to a pig engaged in a futile struggle with its slaughterer. "Gucci" could conceivably be a reference to the man’s trendy, expensive wardrobe.

II.iii suggests continuing tension and struggle, but serves primarily to indicate a change in speaker, for II.iv is best attributed to the man,

If we assume that the man is arrogant and proud, and that he has resisted his passage into the next world, the lyrics of II.iv sound like a threat. "Don't you know who you’re dealing with?" the man seems to be asking. The fact that he is threatening Death suggests that he does not yet comprehend what is happening to him. At the end, we hear "I guess he does." Apparently he figures out that Death does know who he is, and has come to take him away.

This brings us to back to the man's death in II.vi.

One final point. Since the second half of the song deals with his damnation, and the first half with his death, I assume that the action of the second half occurs in an intermediate judgement area. The most popular conception of this place is the "Pearly Gates" with St. Peter, his book, etc. Because there is no evidence in the song to support a particular description of this setting, I have given the popular conception a more abstract form in my version of the story.

It is now necessary to determine whether the narrative interpretation of the song and the evidence presented to support this interpretation bring us any closer to understanding the song’s message. One thing is certain; it is much easier to look for a moral in the narrative than in the song’s convoluted lyrics. The question of whether a message could be found in lyrics like "Paranoid Android’s" was discussed in the introduction. The evidence presented in the explanation should convince the reader that any message found in the narrative could also be considered part of the song. The moral of the narrative can be found in the answer to the following question: Why is a man who begs for forgiveness, damned?

I propose that the man was damned not because he led a wicked life (as might be thought), but because he did not truly repent of that life. Consider the actual wording of the man’s pleas from III.ii

The man does not confess any feelings of guilt about the way he lived his life. He does not say "Lord forgive me my wicked ways," only "show me mercy." His situation is similar to that which faces King Claudius in Hamlet. Claudius wants to ask God’s pardon on the murder he committed, but he is unwilling to part with the possessions he acquired because of that murder. "Can one be pardoned and retain the offence?" he asks. No, for if one is unwilling to part with the offence, then full repentance is not possible. Claudius ends his prayer saying, "My words fly up my thoughts remain below / words without thoughts never to heaven go." Such, I argue, is the situation of the man. The material world was so integral to his being that even in death he cannot give it up. His pleas fly up; his thoughts remain with the earth. Despite his strong desire to be with God in heaven, it is defeated by his stronger desire to continue living the life of the flesh.

Before the man dies, his conscience addressees him with the following words,

The man and his conscience have both been paranoid during their lives: the man about the schemes of his competitors, and his conscience about the man’s eternal fate. But his conscience is anxious to point out a distinction. The man is an android, the conscience is not. What does this distinction mean?

It means that the man has lost his humanity. All human beings are motivated by basic survival drives such as sleep, sustenance, and reproduction. These instinctual forces which aided our more primitive ancestors are still necessary for our continued survival. For all our intellectual and technical achievements, we are all still organisms which must satisfy basic needs in order to live. Many assert that what sets humans apart from our animal ancestors is the ability to choose whether or not to act in accordance with our animal drives. A finer moral sense allows us to act on our ‘will’, even if that will is opposed to our instinctual preferences. An excellent example of an entity which is incapable of such choice is a machine. When a human confronts a situation, she can consider all available evidence and make a deeply personal choice about what action to take. But a machine is compelled to act by the force of its programming; it has no personal choice. An android can be defined as a machine which mimics a human in appearance and behaviour, but whose action is dictated by programming code just like any other machine. It is not human because it has no will of its own. So when the man’s conscience calls him a "paranoid android" it is asserting that over the course of his life, he allowed his free will to be subjugated by his base desires for power and success. By doing this, he lost his humanity, descending to the cold and logical world of machines where no spark of human compassion could interfere with programs of destruction and domination. This is why he could not truly repent. When he lost his free will, he lost the ability to take any action not demanded by his lust for power. And because that lust became the defining characteristic of his life, he was unable to forsake it, even in the next world. So despite his ability to see the evil of his life, having lost his humanity, he could not atone for it.

According to my interpretation then, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of becoming caught up in the superficialities of life. Especially today, when the world is filled with distractions like massive, global corporations, the internet, instant 24-hour news coverage, and personal entertainment devices of every description, it is easy to lose track of what is truly important in life. When our own self serving desires become stronger than our compassion for other people, we risk becoming androids too, slaves to passions that we cannot control. If this happens to us, we will be frightened of death no longer, for our living world will be a far more terrifying place than hell could ever be.