--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac,' Mr. Yorke's…" description: "\"In 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac,' Mr. Yorke's lyrics were often unfathomable, moaned and mumbled and forced beneath the surface of the music. In 'Hail to the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/david-means-12399_amnesiac_in-kid-a-and-amnesiac-mr-yorke-s-lyrics_328170.jpg" --- # In 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac,' Mr. Yorke's lyrics were often… ![“In 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac,' Mr. Yorke's lyrics were often unfathomable, moaned and mumbled and forced beneath the surface of the music. In 'Hail to the Thief,' most but not all of the words can be decoded after a few listens.” quote by David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/david-means-12399_amnesiac_in-kid-a-and-amnesiac-mr-yorke-s-lyrics_328170.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/david-means-12399_amnesiac_in-kid-a-and-amnesiac-mr-yorke-s-lyrics_328170.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/david-means-12399_amnesiac_in-kid-a-and-amnesiac-mr-yorke-s-lyrics_328170.jpg) > “In 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac,' Mr. Yorke's lyrics were often unfathomable, moaned and mumbled and forced beneath the surface of the music. In 'Hail to the Thief,' most but not all of the words can be decoded after a few listens.” [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Radiohead's early albums feature obscure, hard‑to‑understand lyrics, while later work becomes more decipherable after repeated listening. **In simple terms:** Early lyrics are cryptic; later ones clearer with effort. Key Takeaway Listen multiple times to uncover deeper meaning. Themes music interpretation artistic evolution complexity listener engagement Mood analytical thoughtful Type critical interpretive When to use this quote - album reviews - music analysis - songwriting workshops - audio perception studies - fan discussions Key Concepts Semiotics cryptic expression progressive clarity Questions to Reflect On - What does lyrical opacity add to music? - How does clarity affect emotional impact? A Different Perspective Not all listeners may appreciate repeated listening to decode lyrics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amnesiac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesiac/) [Beneath the surface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beneath-the-surface/) [Forced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forced/) [Kid Amnesiac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid-amnesiac-3077955/) [Lyrics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics/) [Lyrics Unfathomable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyrics-unfathomable-3077954/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thief/) [Thief Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thief-words-1016823/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Yorke Lyrics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yorke-lyrics-2146177/) ## Related quotes > [In Kid A and Amnesiac, the guitar becomes one more texture, difficult to separate from other textures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/in-kid-a-and-amnesiac-the-guitar-becomes-one-more-texture-difficult/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [Yorke's lyrics make me want to give up. I could never in my wildest dreams find something as beautiful as they find for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews/yorke-s-lyrics-make-me-want-to-give-up-i-could-never-in-my-wildest/) [Dave Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews/) > [Out of the closets and into the museums, libraries, architectural monuments, concert halls, bookstores, recording studios and film studios of the world. Everything belongs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/out-of-the-closets-and-into-the-museums-libraries-architectural/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When I found it amongst the book thief's words, I realised that we passed each other once in a while during that period, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/when-i-found-it-amongst-the-book-thief-s-words-i-realised-that-we/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“He was the crazy one who had painted himself black and defeated the world. She was the book thief without the words. Trust me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/he-was-the-crazy-one-who-had-painted-himself-black-and-defeated-the/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“For now, Rudy and Liesel made their way onto Himmel Street in the rain. He was the crazy one who had painted himself black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/for-now-rudy-and-liesel-made-their-way-onto-himmel-street-in-the-rain/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“She was the book thief without the words. Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/she-was-the-book-thief-without-the-words-trust-me-though-the-words/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“He found her utterly fascinating, a nameless, homeless, naked vampire, sleeping away the day in his bed, wanted by state and federal police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-luedke/he-found-her-utterly-fascinating-a-nameless-homeless-naked-vampire/) [Travis Luedke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-luedke/) > [“You think you want to know something, and then once you do, all you can think about is erasing it from your mind. From…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/you-think-you-want-to-know-something-and-then-once-you-do-all-you-can-2/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [“People change, he thought -it's truism- but how? Our life is confined to days, after all: Sunday to Monday, dusk to dawn. What great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-taylor/people-change-he-thought-it-s-truism-but-how-our-life-is-confined-to/) [Sam Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-taylor/) > [“I was turning into a zombie as I was aging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-was-turning-into-a-zombie-as-i-was-aging/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“This appears to be a mechanism of dissociation, and in this instance, it rendered my client amnesiac of my high regard for our work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-walker/this-appears-to-be-a-mechanism-of-dissociation-and-in-this-instance/) [Pete Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-walker/) > [“sombre, anxious, melancholic, atmospheric, surreal, cold, lonely, cryptic, abstract, apathetic, male vocals, mysterious, dark, nocturnal, complex, mechanical, progressive, lush, disturbing 'Descriptors' - Radiohead -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rateyourmusic/sombre-anxious-melancholic-atmospheric-surreal-cold-lonely-cryptic/) [RateYourMusic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rateyourmusic/) > [I’m a psychic amnesiac. I know in advance what I’ll forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-m-a-psychic-amnesiac-i-know-in-advance-what-i-ll-forget/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“To the poor memories of drunks,' she said. 'To all the lovely nights forever lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-fitts/to-the-poor-memories-of-drunks-she-said-to-all-the-lovely-nights/) [S. Fitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-fitts/) ## More by David Means > [In the days following 9/11, when we were reeling and disoriented, there was a kind of solace to be found in old recordings, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/in-the-days-following-9-11-when-we-were-reeling-and-disoriented-there/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [Wars never simply end, not for those in combat and not for the culture, and one way or another, they shape-shift from generation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/wars-never-simply-end-not-for-those-in-combat-and-not-for-the-culture/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [Every interaction with another person involves a dance of expectation, even when you're just passing someone in the street. Inside those moments - however…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/every-interaction-with-another-person-involves-a-dance-of-expectation/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [I love the nooks and crannies of the American landscape; the back roads and back alleys, the places that are still untouched by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/i-love-the-nooks-and-crannies-of-the-american-landscape-the-back/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [I love novels, and I read them more than anything, but stories cut in sharp and hard and are able to reveal things in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/i-love-novels-and-i-read-them-more-than-anything-but-stories-cut-in/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [The more you know about Bob Dylan, the less you know. A truly enigmatic artist, Mr. Dylan's work and life offer vaporous handholds, explanations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/the-more-you-know-about-bob-dylan-the-less-you-know-a-truly-enigmatic/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [As a story writer, you have work with sharp but relatively small tools, the picks of metaphor, the shovel blade of images, the trowel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/as-a-story-writer-you-have-work-with-sharp-but-relatively-small-tools/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [Alice Munro is an atomic writer blasting doors into narrative time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/alice-munro-is-an-atomic-writer-blasting-doors-into-narrative-time/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [Iggy Pop is a pure Michigan product - gritty, smart, but not afraid of looking stupid or foolish. His father was once a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/iggy-pop-is-a-pure-michigan-product-gritty-smart-but-not-afraid-of/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [I like landscape, I guess. It's kind of a game to see how you can describe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/i-like-landscape-i-guess-it-s-kind-of-a-game-to-see-how-you-can/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [You don't know what you need when you're a young writer. You can get small slivers of critical input, advice, comments, but if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/you-don-t-know-what-you-need-when-you-re-a-young-writer-you-can-get/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [I'm not sure if a writer should talk about themes. Themes arrive out of the deeper structure and concerns, but to me, the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/i-m-not-sure-if-a-writer-should-talk-about-themes-themes-arrive-out/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [I was an at-home father, taking care of them for seven years when they were babies. I was one of those new-age, at-home dads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/i-was-an-at-home-father-taking-care-of-them-for-seven-years-when-they/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [I'm a relatively optimistic kind of guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/i-m-a-relatively-optimistic-kind-of-guy/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) > [Folk songs, whatever else they might be, are mainly craft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-means/folk-songs-whatever-else-they-might-be-are-mainly-craft/) [David Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) [Explore all 55 David Means quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-means/) ## More Amnesiac quotes > [“To the poor memories of drunks,' she said. 'To all the lovely nights forever lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-fitts/to-the-poor-memories-of-drunks-she-said-to-all-the-lovely-nights/) [S. Fitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-fitts/) > [“He found her utterly fascinating, a nameless, homeless, naked vampire, sleeping away the day in his bed, wanted by state and federal police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-luedke/he-found-her-utterly-fascinating-a-nameless-homeless-naked-vampire/) [Travis Luedke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-luedke/) > [I’m a psychic amnesiac. I know in advance what I’ll forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/i-m-a-psychic-amnesiac-i-know-in-advance-what-i-ll-forget/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“sombre, anxious, melancholic, atmospheric, surreal, cold, lonely, cryptic, abstract, apathetic, male vocals, mysterious, dark, nocturnal, complex, mechanical, progressive, lush, disturbing 'Descriptors' - Radiohead -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rateyourmusic/sombre-anxious-melancholic-atmospheric-surreal-cold-lonely-cryptic/) [RateYourMusic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rateyourmusic/) > [“This appears to be a mechanism of dissociation, and in this instance, it rendered my client amnesiac of my high regard for our work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-walker/this-appears-to-be-a-mechanism-of-dissociation-and-in-this-instance/) [Pete Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-walker/) > [“I was turning into a zombie as I was aging.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-was-turning-into-a-zombie-as-i-was-aging/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“People change, he thought -it's truism- but how? Our life is confined to days, after all: Sunday to Monday, dusk to dawn. What great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-taylor/people-change-he-thought-it-s-truism-but-how-our-life-is-confined-to/) [Sam Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-taylor/) > [“You think you want to know something, and then once you do, all you can think about is erasing it from your mind. From…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/you-think-you-want-to-know-something-and-then-once-you-do-all-you-can-2/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Amnesiac was written to make fun of senior citizens with alzheimers. I hate them and I wish they'd die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/amnesiac-was-written-to-make-fun-of-senior-citizens-with-alzheimers-i/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [“But hope, I can tell you, is an exhausting emotion; perhaps, along with fear, the most exhausting of all. It is like juggling eggs:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-taylor/but-hope-i-can-tell-you-is-an-exhausting-emotion-perhaps-along-with/) [Sam Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-taylor/) > [“I was increasingly both horrified and sceptical about these memories - I had no recall of these things at all, though I couldn't imagine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-bramhall/i-was-increasingly-both-horrified-and-sceptical-about-these-memories/) [Carolyn Bramhall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-bramhall/) > [“. . . he was about as forthcoming as an amnesiac with lockjaw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/he-was-about-as-forthcoming-as-an-amnesiac-with-lockjaw/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [After my grunge phase, I started opening my horizons and listening to more electronic stuff. I got into Radiohead, specifically 'Amnesiac' - my brother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/after-my-grunge-phase-i-started-opening-my-horizons-and-listening-to/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [Every day grows more amnesiac about its recent past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-kramer/every-day-grows-more-amnesiac-about-its-recent-past/) [Hilton Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-kramer/) > [From now on when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I planned to say, Amnesiac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/from-now-on-when-people-asked-me-what-i-wanted-to-be-when-i-grew-up-i/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) [Browse all 19 Amnesiac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesiac/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac,' Mr. Yorke's lyrics were often unfathomable, moaned and mumbled and forced beneath the surface of the music. 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