Radiohead, Creep - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction

That sort of creepiness you describe is how the song captures what it’s like to be a sort of outcast. For a teen in the 90’s, it nailed the way a lot of us that weren’t part of the in crowd felt.

Creep is the internal monologue of most boys from early to late teens, especially if they aren't the pinnacle of the social pyramid. You get shot down 99 our of 100 times. Your "dream girl" is forever out of your league. She is special and you are just a worm, a creep. Despondence sets in. I would assume that girls go through something similar at that age. It is a simple song but it is emotionally open and honest which makes it so relatable.

This is very much early Radiohead and probably at their most conventional rock wise. They went on to make some incredible multi-layered intelligent music that you would probably find perhaps more interesting.

Radiohead is one of those acts that could easily be a huge "rabbit hole" for you to dive into, Amy. "Creep" is far more pop-oriented than pretty much all of their later work, and their turn towards more experimental work started almost right away after this. ("No Surprises" is a personal favourite of mine.) I could easily see you getting lost in pretty much their entire catalogue and breaking down how they do what they do. I don't know how deeply you want to dive into the field of cover songs, but there's a Belgian women's choir called Scala and Kolacny Brothers that does a wonderful rendition of "Creep" that really draws out a lot of the qualities of the song that you found in your initial analysis. They've also covered songs by other artists whose work you've explored here, including Metallica and Rammstein, and I think you might be able to pull a lot from their interpretations of the songs after your initial analysis of them.

I can't help thinking that Amy's childhood plays a part in her reactions to teen angst music like this. She is possibly too well-adjusted to feel the impact this had and has on a segment of the population. Just like sad love songs really hit different to people who have just gone through a breakup, sometimes songs just resonate with your personal experiences and that makes them special.

Here's hoping for a lot more Radiohead in the future of this channel! Would be great to get Amy's reaction to their musical (r)evolution.

That you played the uncensored version speaks volumes. Thank you. It's harsh but matter of fact and sets up for the abrupt emotional confession along with that epic heavy guitar angst.

The reason why this song is so popular (probably with men most) is because it is so relatable. I relate to this song myself. Reminds me of my very awkward teens where I was socially inept. And even a few times in my mid-life crisis and such, it had creeped back into my psyche. I do return to this song time and again. One of the handful of Radiohead songs I love.

2 things: First I this was one of the most interesting reactions Ive heard of any music - thank you Second Im warning you that you are in danger - this is Radiohead at their simplest, the journey they took over the next 30 years has kept me enthralled, never static always interesting. You should do more but you might end up doing a lot of them... Thanks again - brilliant

I'm always astonished at your acute emotional sensibilities and sensitivities to music which you articulate so wonderfully with exact vocabulary. Not to mention your erudite musical analysis. Big fan.

You may want to give OK Computer the same treatment you’re giving The Wall. OK Computer is one of the best albums ever recorded, and it shows them in the midst of their transition from a full rock band to a compositional multi-faceted band.

I think Amy is correct that the main value in songs that express such emotional states is not in "condoning" the attitude of the character going through them, but in externalizing the internal thoughts and feelings some people go through, and so both exposing them for more explicit reflection, and clearly demonstrating to the audience that may resonate with them, that they are not alone. Being an outsider, loneliness, feeling misunderstood, unseen, less than- those are rather common to young people, and realizing it's not just you, it's millions of others going through the same thing, I think that can help alleviate as well as add perspective to one's perception of oneself as being uniquely "unspecial." Very delicately and astutely handled by Amy, as always.

I think it's not that the person is actually a creep or a bad person even if the lyrics are self-centered. This song perfectly conveys the frustrated outsider feeling inside of a teenager who's less fortunate in the popularity contest and social pecking order. That's at least how I've always interpreted it. In the end the frustration passes and it's kind of like giving up.

This is an effective but rather simple song. I think you'd enjoy the twists and turns of Paranoid Android, a much more musically complex piece from them.

Radiohead have a lot of such a great songs Street spirit, Karma police, how to Deasepear completely, Nude. Ok computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows deserve full reaction

I recommend a full album listen of "OK Computer" sometime. An incredible album

I would love to see Amy do "Fake Plastic Trees" by Radiohead

I love this song. There is something deeply affecting about it. The sadness of that state of mind, of feeling inadequate, invisible and utterly out of place is palpable. I can’t listen to it without tearing up a bit. It’s disquieting and so, so sad. Anyone who ever wished that that special girl or boy noticed them and knew they never will recognises themselves in this song. Radiohead went on to make so many beautiful records and some of the most interesting music of the last few decades. One of the very, very few bands that I love that didn’t start out in the 60s and 70s.

If you want to continue the Radiohead path: "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", "Paranoid Android", "Pyramid Song", "Nude" ... or if you like albums, you honestly can't go wrong with any of them.

You should really listen to any other Radiohead... they evolved into masters of creative composition and performance. I'd recommend Paranoid Android, There There, Pyramid Song, Fake Plastic Trees, Everything In Its Right Place, The Daily Mail, Nude, Daydreaming, etc... really almost anything but their earliest stuff. Maybe even a full album listen of OK Computer, In Rainbows or Kid A. It's really worth giving them a thorough listen.