I have been refraining from including love songs in this Rock Lyrics series, and I will continue to do so. This song comes close to that definition, however I am going to include it in the Rock Life category, simply because it’s life in a band.
Creep, by Radiohead, was written in the 1980s by Thom Yorke while he was studying at university. The story goes; he was smitten by a girl, whom he started following around (stalking), and who later unexpectedly showed up at one of the band’s concerts. Hence, he refers to himself as a “creep”.
The song was never intended to be recorded, no matter released, but during a recording session in the early ’90s some tension arose in the studio because things weren’t going well while recording other songs. Someone suggested they play Creep for fun, just to release some tension. The engineers turned on the tapes, and the tune you hear when listening to the Radiohead song is indeed that first take!
Just to make things more interesting, the video I am including in this post isn’t Radiohead. Nope. You are going to hear a young woman by the name of Haley Reinhart, then a member of the touring production Vintage Postmodern Jukebox. If you haven’t heard her before, hang on to your bootstraps, because she’s going to knock your socks off! Oh yes, in a coincidence beyond coincidences, this video performance was also the first take. Remarkable.
CREEP
RADIOHEAD (Haley Reinhart)
When you were here before
Couldn’t look you in the eye
You’re just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
And I wish I was special
You’re so fuckin’ special
But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
I don’t care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice
When I’m not around
You’re so fuckin’ special
I wish I was special
But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo.
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
She’s running out again,
She’s running out
She’s run run run run
Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You’re so fuckin’ special
I wish I was special
But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo,
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
I don’t belong here
Songwriters
HAMMOND, ALBERT / HAZLEWOOD, MIKE / YORKE, THOMAS EDWARD
Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Live Long & Prosper
