I close read the lyrics to Radiohead's song, "Morning Bloom"
Morning bell
Morning bell
Light another candle
Release me
Release me
You can keep the furniture
A bump on the head
Coming down the chimney
Release me
Release me
Please........
Release me
Release me
Where'd you park the car?
Where'd you park the car?
Clothes are all over the furniture
Now I might as well
I might as well
Sleepy jack the fire drill
Run around around around around around....
Cut the kids in half [x3]
The lights are on but nobody's home
Everybody wants to be a
The lights are on but nobody's home
Nobody wants to be a slave
Walking walking walking walking...
The lights are on but nobody's home
Everybody wants to be a
Everyone wants to be a friend
Nobody wants to be a slave
Walking walking walking walking...
On a first listen this song in five is impenetrable lyrically. It's impossible to understand Thom Yorke, which is funny because his lyrics are always haunting. from a first run through the only thing that's apparent is that it's about a divorce. With lines like, "cut the kids in half", and ,"you can keep the furniture", "nobody wants to be a slave", and especially with the simple line, "release me". But when you take divorce as a subject other meanings pop out. When he sings, "Clothes are all over the furniture", I imagine that he means that he got home to clothes everywhere, and maybe his/her spouse is having an affair. With the line, "The lights are on but nobody's home", I think this means that the couple implied is unhappy but are attempted to portray normalcy to the outside world. I think it also could mean that both parents don't want to be near each other/had a fight and simply left. "Morning Bell", could mean one parent waking up from the stupor of unhappiness and realizing that they should leave.
The coolest thing about this song though, is the possibility for widely varying interpretations of the lyrics. For example, this could be about a parent who just died. Simple change, "Morning Bell", to "Mourning Bell" and we have a song about a parents soul who isn't able to leave without the other letting him/her go. With this interpretation lyrics like, "Release me" take on a different meaning. Also, the ending, "Walking, walking, walking..." take on new significance with a soul searching for the next world. The ghostly feel of, "coming down the chimney", makes more sense as well. "The lights are on but nobody's home", could now mean that the deceased inhabits the building even though no physical being is there.
But, through all my analyzing, I still cannot figure out what, "sleepy jack the fire-drill" means....your turn!
