Reviews for Idioteque Lyrics

"Everyone talks about how this song dosn't mean anything, or how it's meaning is really open to interperation, but I don't see it. It's seems pretty clear to me that this song is about how the world is unraveling and nobody seems to care. The fact that it uses techno dance music is meant to be part of the irony. This would also explain why its called idioteque, which seems to be a mixutre of idiot and discoteque. The world is going to hell, and everybody's dancing."

~ Anonymous

^^ So true! I love the last part about your theory on the techno music. Its amazing.

Everyone talks about how this song dosn't mean anything, or how it's meaning is really open to interperation, but I don't see it. It's seems pretty clear to me that this song is about how the world is unraveling and nobody seems to care. The fact that it uses techno dance music is meant to be part of the irony. This would also explain why its called idioteque, which seems to be a mixutre of idiot and discoteque. The world is going to hell, and everybody's dancing.

this song is about 2012! ;D

well, it doesn't really matter, cuz for every person it's different on what it's about, everyone have their own theory... and that's good :)

but I have to say this song is one of the awesomest songs in the whole world!

I think Idioteque could be an illustration of a gaming experience. Thom Yorke says "here I am allowed everything all of the Time". Think about how open games are with cheat codes. "Who's In bunker" sounds exactly like something you'd shout over Xbox Live when playing Halo. "Women and Children first", "Throw them in the fire" sounds like some diabolical raid tactic. As the reviewer below me says, this song is open for interpretation. I just have a theory its just this simple.

Even if the lyrics mean nothing they are open to interpretation, there is no denying that there is a specific theme here, I think RH are no strangers to using sonic imagery, just listen to fitter,happier.
I imagine a lot of creative people enjoy listening to this type of music because it encourages people to visualize certain themes or imagery, RH, I think, encourage us to do this.... perhaps.

this song means nothing. it's plain it's simple... its a bunch of jumbled words in a random assortment with multiple synthesizers and absurd sounds in the background.... ill be honest. i really like this song... but it means nothing... dont think that listening to radiohead on loop will change the world. it wont

I believe it is about the end of the world. Everyone is living and taking advantage of everything when in the end, everyone is going to regret how they lived their life. But when it comes down to the end of the world, none of it is going to matter. I think it is just Thom's point of view on the apocalypse.

for me, this song is about loosing everything and having the freedom to do anything. "its only once we've lost everything that we're free to do anything"
in this case, its the end of the world (nuclear winter, perhaps?) "ice age comin ice age comin" "whose in bunker whose in bunker"
the freedom part is "here im allowed everything all of the time"
this song is beautiful because it means something different for everyone.. for me its about the end of the world..

I doubt this song is about Thom going to Colorado in the event of a atomic bomb drop. I find that a bit far fetched. I suppose people hear what they want to hear.

This song is about many things in my opinion. Society, environment and government. Basically I think this song, like many Radiohead songs is about the human condition. And how we have to live day to day, and how it is possible to still feel trapped on a planet this size.

within hearing this song and doing 10 mintues of research on his family history i figured the true meaning to the song...He and i share the familiar military family his father is retired military as is mine. Very long story short when i was young i was told that since my father is and airforce retiree that if an atomic bomb where to hit then my father my mother and I would be sent to norad in Colorado springs......very few family's have that privalage his family was one of him and i'm sure his father told him the same as his father worked in norad also for many years during the same time frame my father was....read the lyrics and think about it and look it all up.....its about surviving the end of the world.

i really really love this song. and i think that the meaning of this songs, and all songs are like art. the artist has a certain meaning for the song, but everyone can interpret it in their own ways, dig? but anyways there's something in this song that like everyone can relate to that i love. and i like the beat too.

When I first got Kid A (about 6 months ago I think) Idioteque was immediately the most annoying song on it. I hated everything about it. The repetitive beat, the vocals, that weird screeching noise at the end, and damnit the lyrics sucked ass. Now for some reason its become one of my favorites off of Kid A. Sort of like when I started listening to Radiohead. I hated them (no idea why I just did), now they're one of my biggest inspirations for living and everything in between. Its strange how that works.
I'm not even going to bother writing up an interpretation for the lyrics, 'cause Yorke gives out painfully vague answers during interviews. I think he likes to change his mind about song meanings to mindfuck people. I'm pretty sure I've heard him give 3 explanations to Fake Plastic Trees alone.

Lysadwas was almost correct in saying it was a mind-scape, but it's not Thom Yorke's; Thom said that Kid A was about the first human clone therefore, I think that this song (and the entire album)is based in the mind of Kid A, an angry, depressed, neurotic (So similar to Thom Yorke :D )

of course, the great thing about Radiohead is that their songs are as deep as you make them, and are interpreted differently by everyone, which is a sign of true art

This song is beautiful and possibly my favourite radiohead song out there. The song for me is about how with our current lifestyle we will be left with nothing except greed, which will overwhelm us. I came to this conclusion through the line "here im allowed everything all the time" which i feel is saying that in first world countries people have everythign they want whenever they want it at the cost of the environment and human kindness. Whos in bunker - women and children first is more of a question than a statement. Thom using irony to point out that when we reach a point where we have to chose who lives and dies it will not be the innocent at all (the women and children) it will actually be the greedy, regardless of whether they deserve it.

Keep in mind this is just my interpretation, you can believe whatever you want.

We take for granted really important things from life with the current lifestyle we have, especially if we are from America or any first world country. When the time comes for our lifestyle to end we'll be deaf and lost, but still greedy. Will women and children really go in the bunker? only those of a rich and powerful man, some of us will be thrown into the fire to keep others warm. Everyday will be a struggle to survive. If we get to the state of nature is all against all and anything is allowed anytime, all the time.
"Jus naturale, is the liberty each man hath to use his own power, as he will himself, for the preservation of his own nature, that is to say, of his own life, and consequently of doing anything which in his own judgment and reason, he shall conceive to be the aptest means thereunto." -Hobbes, Leviathan Ch.14
of course there are other interpretations, that is why this song and Radiohead are the best!! and why we have hears...for Radiohead and some other bands that really make good music(art).