Follow Me Around

Album: Kid A Mnesia (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Follow Me Around" dates back to the 1997 OK Computer era, when Radiohead often performed it at soundchecks on tour. The stripped-down song quickly became a fan favorite, but didn't make it onto disc until the band included it on their 2021 anniversary triple-album Kid A Mnesia.
  • The melancholy tune finds Thom Yorke singing of someone stalking him. The identity of the person following him around is unclear. There are two possibilities.

    1) Yorke is facing some form of inner conflict triggered by regret over a past choice.

    I see you in the dark
    Corner of the street
    Comin' after me, yeah
    Headlights on full-beam


    He cannot escape the consequences of this life-changing decision and wishes he could return to his former self. Instead, York feels he "ceases to exist."

    2 The New Labour government is surveilling the Radiohead singer

    Blowin' holes in everythin'
    Thatcher's children
    See you on the way back down


    Tony Blair's New Labour party was in power when Radiohead recorded the song. Yorke hated their departure from Labour's traditional socialist policies and felt they differed little from Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government (The booklet in Kid A's CD plastic casing contains a demonic caricature of Blair). Yorke may have felt they were watching him.
  • Radiohead attempted to record the song in both the 1997 OK Computer and early 2000s Kid A/Amnesiac sessions, but weren't happy with the results.

    A live version does feature on Radiohead's 1998 documentary film Meeting People Is Easy, when the band performed it at a soundcheck in Fukuoka, Japan. "Follow Me Around" made its first proper live debut at a Toronto concert in October 2000, when Thom Yorke performed the song acoustically, after fans campaigned for it to be played live.
  • Radiohead released the song as a single from Kid A Mnesia on November 1, 2021. Its accompanying video, directed by Us (The Rolling Stones, Harry Styles, Hozier) stars Australian actor Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential, Iron Man 3).

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Music Video Director David Hogan

Music Video Director David HoganSong Writing

David talks about videos he made for Prince, Alabama, Big & Rich, Sheryl Crow, DMB, Melissa Etheridge and Sisters of Mercy.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

Grammar In Lyrics

Grammar In LyricsMusic Quiz

Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?

Carl Sturken

Carl SturkenSongwriter Interviews

Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.