Glass Eyes

Album: A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song finds an anxious Thom Yorke recounting an alarming and lonely journey in which he is frightened by the coldness of the society he encounters. After stepping off the train, the singer is close to a panic attack. Glass-eyed (close to tears), Yorke escapes to nature not caring where he ends up.

    The themes of paranoia, alienation and feeling like an outsider is a frequent theme on Radiohead tunes; other examples include "Climbing Up The Walls," "Subterranean Homesick Alien" and "Paranoid Android."
  • Thom Yorke croons his lyrics backed by a lush orchestra. The strings were arranged by Jonny Greenwood and performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, who had previously worked with the Radiohead guitarist on the original score for The Master.

Comments: 1

  • Pregethwr from CaliforniaThis is my favorite song on the album. It deals with an anxiety attack. In his panic to escape the social pressure of facing people, he literally walks off the platform and into the wilderness next to the train station to escape people. If you've ever suffered depression, this song nails it perfectly.
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