Paranoid Android is a song by the alternative/art rock band Radiohead. The song was released as a leading single, which was followed by Karma Police, Lucky, No Surprises and Airbag for their third studio album OK Computer (1997).
Writting/Recording Process
The song is made up of several different unfinished songs put together. This writting style was inspired by the Beatles album Abbey Road (and by the song Happiness Is A Warm Gun also by the Beatles), which had the same composition style used on it, as the band was close to break up at that point. Singer and main songwritter Thom Yorke stated: "Basically an excuse to weld loads of half-finished songs together, Abbey Road-style. It's Radiohead, pissed and having a party. I wasn't there when it was all stuck together – I'd been sent to sleep it off. What's it all about? The fall of the Roman Empire." Bassist Colin Greenwood also recalled: "(it) felt like irresponsible schoolboys who were doing this ... naughty thing, 'cause nobody does a six-and-a-half-minute song with all these changes. It's ridiculous". The inspiration for a lengthy song came from the song Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and its sound was similar to the Pixies, whom used the quiet verse loud chorus formula extensively.
The song was recorded in a 15th-century mansion in the village of St Catherine, which belonged to actress Jane Seymour. As if the song wasn't already not radio friendly, the first edit of the song spanned 14 minutes, and it featured an interlude with guitarist Jonny Greenwood playing the organ. This version of the song was actually performed in 1996: "When we started playing it live, it was completely hilarious," said guitarist Ed O'Brien. "There was a rave down section and a Hammond organ outro, and we'd be pissing ourselves while we played. We'd bring out the glockenspiel and it would be really, really funny." It was later changed to six and a half minutes, as the organ section was replaced by a fade out with a guitar. This version took the band more than a year to learn how to play in a live setting.
The Lyrics
The album and song title came from the classic 1979 sci-fi novel A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which the band read during their tour for the album The Bends. The song itself was named after the character from the book Marvin the Paranoid Android.
The songs inspiration came from a night in Los Angeles where Thom Yorke visited a bar where he felt as he was sorrounded by » demons from another planet«. He elaborated: "Everyone was trying to get something out of me. I felt like my own self was collapsing in the presence of it, but I also felt completely, utterly part of it, like it was all going to come crashing down any minute." That night was also the inspiration for the whole OK Computer album, as it was filled with claustrophobia, paranoia and anxiety.
The lyrics where written fast compared to the complicated instrumental part of the song: "It's about being exposed to God, I dunno. It was that one night, really. We'd been rehearsing the song for months, but the lyrics came to me at five o'clock that morning. I was trying to sleep when I literally heard these voices that wouldn't leave me alone. They were the voices of the people I'd heard in the bar. It turned out to be a notorious, coke-fiend place, but I didn't know that. Basically it's just about chaos, chaos, utter f--king chaos.« The main reason for why Thom was terrified that night, was a woman who was taking cocaine and was angry at someone that spilled a drink on her: »There was a look in this woman's eyes that I'd never seen before anywhere. ... Couldn't sleep that night because of it." She was the inspiration for the line "kicking squealing Gucci little piggy".
The Music Video
The music video was meant to be dark and moody at first, but was later changed as the band had fun writting the song. Thom wanted the video to be something you can laugh at yet it would still be sick and twisted. The band recruited animator Magnus Carlsson to make the video. The video featured two friends going around the world where they meet prostitutes, drug addicts, businessmen, mermaids and more. The band also appears in the middle of the video.
