The Numbers

Album: A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Thom Yorke first played this protest song about global warming during the December 4, 2015 Pathway to Paris climate change concert at Le Trianon in the French capital. Yorke performed two Moon Shaped Pool tracks, "The Numbers" (then known as "Silent Spring") and "Desert Island Disk," during his solo gig. As he played "Silent Spring," Yorke could be heard saying, "This is Jonny (Greenwood, guitar)'s bit, which I can't play."
  • The tracklisting for A Moon Shaped Pool is entirely in alphabetical order, showing Radiohead indeed like Everything in its Right Place. There has been speculation the song's name was changed from "Silent Spring" to help fit in with the album's structure.
  • The video was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and shot in a park in Tarzana, California. Anderson adopts a stripped-back approach for the clip, which features just Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood, two guitars and a CR78 synthesizer. The Boogie Night and Punch Drunk Love director previously teamed up with the band to create the visuals for "Daydreaming," "Burn The Witch" and "Present Tense."

Comments: 1

  • Gray Billings from The Desertpeople need to start listening to this message. pure genius
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

Classic Metal

Classic MetalFact or Fiction

Ozzy, Guns N' Roses, Judas Priest and even Michael Bolton show up in this Classic Metal quiz.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."