The sad thing is, if an issue is laughed at and patronised by mainstream media, then it's up against it big-time. I read some journalist recently lecturing the anti-globalization lobby, saying, 'This is the way capitalism works, all capitalism is exploitation and to make it try and do something else, it's never gonna happen.' And it's like, yeah, but where does that leave us? This is somehow God's will? All this? It's God's will that we sit in traffic? It's God's will that millions of people are gonna die this year because of some outmoded economic policies? No, it's not! It's like some deranged sacrificial altar, the high priests of the global economy holding up these millions of children each year, like (Arms aloft) 'We wish to please you! Oh Gods of free trade!' It's like... give us all a fucking break! If there is a Devil at work, then he rests in institutions and not in individuals. Because the beauty of institutions is that any individual can abdicate responsibility. The assumption that we're all utterly powerless, that's the Devil at work.
-- Thom Yorke
I think we're entering a very dangerous time. The West has set itself up, decided it's in charge, not for good intentions, not for the benefit of mankind. The people in charge, globally, are maniacs. They are maniacs, and unless we do something about it these people are going to deprive us of a future. And I know I'm paranoid and neurotic, I've made a career out of it. Hoorah. Most people don't even have time to think about it. People who watch MTV don't think about it, I don't have time to think about it. Luckily, I'm paranoid and neurotic, so I make the time.
-- Thom Yorke
The thing that worries me about the computer age is the fact that people know so much about you. It's an incredible invasion of privacy. And no matter where you are in the world people can monitor you if you're using your credit card. I heard this weird rumor on the Internet about how the military are funding this great big research project, and basically they believe that in the future, the balance of power won't be determined by who has the most nuclear weapons, but by who has all the information. I'm not afraid of being taken over by computers though, because the thing is, computers cannot resist. You can always smash 'em up, and they're totally defenseless. All we need are more people with hammers.
-- Thom Yorke
Is dinner ready?
-- Thom Yorke
If the media spotlight affects my work or represses what i want to say in the future, then it is bad.
-- Thom Yorke
People sometimes say we take things too seriously, but it's the only way you'll get anywhere.
-- Thom Yorke
It's easy to be miserable. Being happy is tougher - and cooler.
-- Thom Yorke
The Radiohead website, radiohead.com, features an address page of politicised "links", from Drop The Debt, to Indymedia to CorpWatch. "A quarter of a million people come through the site every month, and maybe one or two will be curious and go and have a look. They don't have to believe it - who's saying we always believe it? - the point is just having access to other sources of information. You're not gonna get the other side of the story most of the time.
-- Thom Yorke
The video of 'Paranoid Android' has been censored by MTV. They took all nipples out of the cartoon, but they had no problem with the scene in which a man cuts off his own arms and legs.
-- Thom Yorke
The others were all brought up to be polite. I wasn't.
-- Thom Yorke
It's a fine line between writing something with genuine emotional impact and turning into little idiots feeling sorry for ourselves and playing stadium rock.
-- Thom Yorke
I got into the music business thinking it was really radical, that it wasn't really a business at all, that it was a lot of people being artistic and creative. Not true, and it made me very depressed.
-- Thom Yorke
The thing I remember most about America is that it's silly. That can be quite a relief at times.
-- Thom Yorke
I'm not afraid of computers taking over the world. They're just sitting there. I can hit them with a two by four.
-- Thom Yorke
I think we're entering a very dangerous time. The West has set itself up, decided it's in charge, not for good intentions, not for the benefit of mankind. The people in charge, globally, are maniacs. They are maniacs, and unless we do something about it these people are going to deprive us of a future. And I know I'm paranoid and neurotic, I've made a career out of it. Hoorah. Most people don't even have time to think about it. People who watch MTV don't think about it, I don't have time to think about it. Luckily, I'm paranoid and neurotic, so I make the time.
-- Thom Yorke
It's like a supply and demand thing. It's like 'Well, this is what they want me to do, this is what they want to hear. So I'll do more of this, cuz this is great... and they love me.' Suddenly people start giving you money as well. So then you've got money and you get used to this lifestyle. And you don't wanna take any risks cuz they've got you by the balls, and you've got all these little things that you've bought, or you're attached to. And you start spending all this money... And that's how they get ya!
-- Thom Yorke
We're at a time when we are being presented with undeniable changes in the global climate and fundamental issues that affect every single one of us, and it's the time we're listening to the most hokey shite on the radio and watching vacuous bullshit celebrities being vacuous bullshit celebrities and desperately trying to forget about everything. Which is fine, you know, but personally speaking, I can't do that.
-- Thom Yorke
The reason you create music or art or write is in order to put things in a way you can possibly deal with it, and death is one of those areas. (Becoming annoyed) But we don't seem to spend much time with it, do we? If you're accused of being morbid or bleak, then you're onto a good thing, I'd say. Cos our culture is the most fucking desperate culture, desperately trying to avoid anything vaguely depressing, which is alarming because what's the result? Well, we all know what that is, don't we? We're at a time when we are being presented with undeniable changes in the global climate and fundamental issues that affect every single one of us, and it's the time we're listening to the most hokey shite on the radio and watching vacuous bullshit celebrities being vacuous bullshit celebrities and desperately trying to forget about everything. Which is fine, you know, but personally speaking, I can't do that.
-- Thom Yorke
Technorati Tags: Quotations
Post new comment