Daydreaming (Radiohead song)

Last updated

"Daydreaming"
Daydreaming (Radiohead) (Front Cover).jpg
Single by Radiohead
from the album A Moon Shaped Pool
Released6 May 2016
Genre
Length6:24
Label XL
Songwriter(s) Radiohead
Producer(s)
Radiohead singles chronology
"Burn the Witch"
(2016)		"Daydreaming"
(2016)		"I Promise"
(2017)
Music video
"Daydreaming" on YouTube

"Daydreaming" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, produced by Nigel Godrich. The song is a piano ballad with strings arranged by the Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. It was released as a download on 6 May 2016 as the second and final single from Radiohead's ninth studio album, A Moon Shaped Pool , accompanied by a music video directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Contents

Recording

"Daydreaming" was written around Jonny Greenwood playing piano in a jam without the singer, Thom Yorke, who added the vocals and the lyrics in another session. [1] The song was finished early in Radiohead's sessions at the La Fabrique studio in France. Yorke described it as a "breakthrough" for the album. [2]

For the introduction, the band slowed the tape, creating a pitch-warping effect. [1] The strings, recorded at RAK Studios in London, [3] were arranged by Greenwood and performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, conducted by Hugh Brunt. The orchestra had previously worked with Greenwood on his score for the 2012 film The Master . [4] [5] Greenwood had the cellists detune their cellos, creating a "growling" sound. [6] The cellist Oliver Coates said: "Nigel, Jonny and Thom all have this awesome relationship, and were so animated during the recording. I remember we were laying down the cello part at the end of 'Daydreaming' and Thom said, 'That's it – that is the sound of the record.'" [7]

Music and lyrics

"Daydreaming" is a ballad [8] [9] with a "simple, sad" piano motif and ambient, [10] [11] electronic and orchestral elements. [12] It ends with reversed, manipulated vocals; when reversed, Yorke seems to be singing "Half of my life", "I've found my love", or "Every minute, half of my love". [13] [14] Several critics felt the lyrics were coloured by Yorke's separation from his partner of 23 years, Rachel Owen. [5] [15] [16] [17] Pitchfork noted that 23 years was also approximately the same length of time that Radiohead had been releasing music, and saw the song as a "reckoning with those years, and, in one way or another, an elegy to them". [18]

Music video

The "Daydreaming" music video was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, for whom Greenwood has composed several film scores. [19] In the video, Yorke walks through a series of doors and passageways leading to various disconnected locations, including a hotel, a hospital, a laundry, and a convenience store. He eventually climbs a snowy hill, enters a cave, and mouths the song's closing words as he lies down next to a fire. [19] [20] [21]

Promotion and release

"Daydreaming" was released as a download on 6 May 2016 on Radiohead's site and on streaming and digital media services. [22] [23] Anderson and the band sent 35 mm prints of the music video to select theatres, inviting them to screen it. [24] On 16 July 2016, Radiohead announced a fan competition to create a music video vignette for an alternative version of "Daydreaming" with additional strings. [25]

Reception

Pitchfork ranked "Daydreaming" the 24th-best song of 2016, behind another Moon Shaped Pool track, "True Love Waits", at ninth. [18] In 2020, the Guardian named "Daydreaming" the 12th-greatest Radiohead song, writing: "Beneath the tiptoeing pianos, 'Daydreaming' is a gut-wrencher." [26]

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [27] 73
France (SNEP) [28] 28
Ireland (IRMA) [29] 84
Italy (FIMI) [30] 88
Portugal (AFP) [31] 77
UK Singles (OCC) [32] 74
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [33] 12

Related Research Articles

Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.

<i>Hail to the Thief</i> 2003 studio album by Radiohead

Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released on 9 June 2003 through Parlophone internationally and a day later through Capitol Records in the United States. It was the last album released under Radiohead's record contract with EMI, the parent company of Parlophone and Capitol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonny Greenwood</span> English musician (born 1971)

Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thom Yorke</span> English musician (born 1968)

Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. Rolling Stone described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paranoid Android</span> 1997 single by Radiohead

"Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997), on 26 May 1997. The lyrics were written by singer Thom Yorke following an unpleasant experience in a Los Angeles bar. The song is over six minutes long and contains four sections. The name is taken from Marvin the Paranoid Android from the science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karma Police</span> 1997 single by Radiohead

"Karma Police" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 25 August 1997 as the second single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997). It reached number one in Iceland and number eight on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, it reached number 14 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was included on Radiohead: The Best Of (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid Song</span> 2001 song by Radiohead

"Pyramid Song" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Amnesiac (2001), in May 2001. It features piano, strings, an unusual "shuffling" rhythm and lyrics inspired by the Egyptian underworld.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pop Is Dead</span> 1993 single by Radiohead

"Pop Is Dead" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after their debut album, Pablo Honey. It reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart, below expectations. Members of Radiohead later said they regretted releasing it.

<i>The Eraser</i> 2006 studio album by Thom Yorke

The Eraser is the debut solo album by the English musician Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, the longtime producer for Yorke's band Radiohead.

"I Promise" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released in 2017. Radiohead performed it on their 1996 tour, and recorded it during the sessions for their third album, OK Computer (1997), but felt it was not strong enough to release. In June 2017, "I Promise" was included on the OK Computer reissue OKNOTOK 1997 2017 and released as a download with a music video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reckoner</span> 2007 song by Radiohead

"Reckoner" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007). It was produced by Nigel Godrich and developed while Radiohead were working on another song, "Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses".

"True Love Waits" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. Radiohead worked on it for over two decades before releasing it on their ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectre (song)</span> 2015 song by Radiohead

"Spectre" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 25 December 2015. It was produced by Nigel Godrich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn the Witch (Radiohead song)</span> 2016 single by Radiohead

"Burn the Witch" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their ninth studio album, A Moon Shaped Pool (2016). It features a string section playing with guitar plectrums, producing a percussive sound, with lyrics warning against groupthink and authoritarianism. Radiohead first worked on the song during the sessions for their fourth album, Kid A (2000).

<i>A Moon Shaped Pool</i> 2016 studio album by Radiohead

A Moon Shaped Pool is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, with a retail release on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smile (band)</span> English rock band

The Smile are an English rock band comprising the Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Tom Skinner (drums). Critics likened them to Radiohead, with more jazz, krautrock and progressive rock influences and a looser, wilder sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pana-vision</span> 2022 single by the Smile

"Pana-vision" is the fourth single by the English rock band the Smile, released on 3 April 2022. It is included on their debut album, A Light for Attracting Attention.

<i>A Light for Attracting Attention</i> 2022 studio album by the Smile

A Light for Attracting Attention is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Smile. It was released digitally through XL Recordings on 13 May 2022, with a physical release on 17 June.

<i>Wall of Eyes</i> 2024 studio album by the Smile

Wall of Eyes is the second studio album by the English rock band the Smile, released on 26 January 2024 through XL Recordings. It was recorded in Oxford and Abbey Road Studios, London, with the producer Sam Petts-Davies.

References

  1. 1 2 "All Songs +1: A Conversation With Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood". NPR.org. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Doherty, Niall (August 2016). "Up and away in Paris and London". Q .
  3. ↑ "Hear Radiohead's New Album "A Moon Shaped Pool" at 11pm tonight on the FTW New Music Show". 91X FM. 8 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  4. ↑ Gibsone, Harriet (7 May 2016). "Radiohead's new album to be released on Sunday". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  5. 1 2 Larson, Jeremy D. (9 May 2016). "Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool: The 5 Most Important Things To Know". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  6. ↑ "Radiohead interview: 'It's a very happy time' – BBC News". BBC News. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "Radiohead's secret weapon Oliver Coates brings the spirit of Arthur Russell back to the dancefloor". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Radiohead – Daydreaming (Singles Going Steady)". PopMatters. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "Radiohead Search For Respite From Life's Harsh Realities On Fragile, Beautiful New Track 'Daydreaming'". NME. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "Radiohead release new song. Album to drop tomorrow". Triple J. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  11. ↑ Day, Laurence (6 May 2016). "Radiohead announce new album, drop new single "Daydreaming"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  12. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (6 May 2015). "Radiohead: "Daydreaming"". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Blake, Emily (6 May 2016). "What's Thom Yorke mumbling about at the end of 'Daydreaming'?". Mashable . Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  14. ↑ Phillips, Amy; Monroe, Jazz (6 May 2016). "Radiohead Announce New Album Release Date, Share "Daydreaming" Video". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  15. ↑ Pareles, Jon (8 May 2016). "In Radiohead's 'A Moon Shaped Pool', Patient Perfectionism". The New York Times . Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  16. ↑ Joffe, Justin (9 May 2016). "Radiohead Swims in Gorgeous Despondency on 'A Moon Shaped Pool'". The New York Observer . Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  17. ↑ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (10 May 2016). "Dancing in the Moonlight with Radiohead". MTV. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  18. 1 2 "The 100 Best Songs of 2016". Pitchfork . Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  19. 1 2 Bradley, Laura (6 May 2016). "Radiohead Drops Video from Paul Thomas Anderson, Announces Release Date for New Album". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  20. ↑ Young, Alex / Geslani, Michelle (6 May 2016). "Radiohead to release new album on Sunday, premiere "Daydreaming" video". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 7 May 2016.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ↑ Kreps, Daniel / Reed, Ryan (6 May 2016). "Radiohead Release Stunning 'Daydreaming' Video Ahead of New Album". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 7 May 2016.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ "Daydreaming – Single by Radiohead". iTunes US. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  23. ↑ "Radiohead – Daydreaming – XL". Bleep . Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  24. ↑ Yoo, Noah (7 May 2016). "Radiohead's "Daydreaming" Video is Being Played in Select Movie Theaters". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  25. ↑ "Radiohead reveal alternate version of "Daydreaming" for vignette contest". 15 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  26. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (23 January 2020). "Radiohead's 40 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  27. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (14 May 2016). "ARIA Singles: Drake 'One Dance' Still No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "France Top Singles Charts(Week 19,2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  29. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 19, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  30. ↑ "Top Digital – Classifica settimanale WK 19 (dal 2016-05-06 al 2016-05-12)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  31. ↑ "Radiohead – Daydreaming". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  32. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  33. ↑ "Radiohead Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 May 2016.