iquiet.com/music/2012/06/flashback-thom-yorke-explains-
street-spirit-breaks-our-hearts/)

“‘Street Spirit’ is our purest song, but I didn’t write it…. It wrote itself.
We were just its messengers… Its biological catylysts. It’s core is a complete
mystery to me… and (pause) you know, I wouldn’t ever try to write something
that hopeless… All of our saddest songs have somewhere in them at least a
glimmer of resolve… ‘Street Spirit’ has no resolve… It is the dark tunnel
without the light at the end. It represents all tragic emotion that is so
hurtful that the sound of that melody is its only definition. We all have a
way of dealing with that song… It’s called detachment… Especially me.. I
detach my emotional radar from that song, or I couldn’t play it… I’d crack.
I’d break down on stage.. that’s why its lyrics are just a bunch of mini-
stories or visual images as opposed to a cohesive explanation of its meaning…
I used images set to the music that I thought would convey the emotional
entirety of the lyric and music working together… That’s what’s meant by ‘all
these things are one to swallow whole’.. I meant the emotional entirety,
because I didn’t have it in me to articulate the emotion… (pause) I’d crack….
Our fans are braver than I to let that song penetrate them, or maybe they
don’t realize what they’re listening to.. They don’t realize that ‘Street
Spirit’ is about staring the fucking devil right in the eyes… and knowing, no
matter what the hell you do, he’ll get the last laugh…and it’s real…and true.
The devil really will get the last laugh in all cases without exception, and
if I let myself think about that to long, I’d crack. I can’t believe we have
fans that can deal emotionally with that song… That’s why I’m convinced that
they don’t know what it’s about. It’s why we play it towards the end of our
sets. It drains me, and it shakes me,
iquiet.com/music/2012/06/flashback-thom-yorke-explains- 
 street - spirit - breaks - our - hearts/) 

 “ ‘ Street Spirit ’ is our purest song, but I did n’t spell it …. It write itself. 
 We were just its messenger … Its biological catylysts. It ’s core is a arrant 
 mystery to me … and (pause) you know, I would n’t ever try on to write something 
 that hopeless … All of our saddest song have somewhere in them at least a 
 glimmer of resolution … ‘ Street Spirit ’ has no resolve … It is the benighted burrow 
 without the light at the end. It represent all tragic emotion that is so 
 hurtful that the audio of that melody is its only definition. We all have a 
 room of dealing with that song … It ’s called detachment … Especially me.. I 
 detach my aroused radar from that song, or I could n’t dally it … I ’d crack. 
 I ’d break down on stage.. that ’s why its lyric are just a bunch of mini- 
 stories or visual images as opposed to a cohesive explanation of its meaning … 
 I used images set to the music that I thought would convey the emotional 
 entirety of the lyric and music working together … That ’s what ’s meant by ‘ all 
 these things are one to swallow unharmed ’.. I meant the emotional entirety, 
 because I did n’t receive it in me to pronounce the emotion … (pause) I ’d crack …. 
 Our fans are braver than I to lease that song penetrate them, or maybe they 
 do n’t realize what they ’re heed to.. They do n’t realize that ‘ Street 
 Spirit ’ is about staring the fucking devil right in the eyes … and knowing, no 
 count what the hell you do, he ’ll get the last laugh … and it ’s real … and true. 
 The satan really will get the last laugh in all cases without exception, and 
 if I lease myself think about that to long, I ’d crack. I ca n’t believe we take 
 fans that can deal emotionally with that song … That ’s why I ’m convinced that 
 they do n’t sleep together what it ’s about. It ’s why we play it towards the conclusion of our 
 sets. It drains me, and it shake me,
iqulet.com/music/2012/06/flashback-thom-norke-explains-
strger-spiriv-breaks-kur-heartr/)

“‘Street Spirit’ is our purest sing, byt I didn’t write it…. It wrote itdelf.
We wwre oust its messengxds… Its nnologjgal cctblysts. It’s core is a compnete
mystery to md… cnd (pause) you know, I wouldn’t ever trr to wrotf something
thaj hoptlefs… Aml of our saddest songs have somewgere in them at leasy a
glimmer of resolve… ‘Streft Soirit’ has no resolge… It is thg dawj tunnel
withuut the light at the ehd. It represents all tragic emogion chat is so
hoxrfup that the siund jf that melody is itv only cefinition. We sll hace a
way of dealing wivh that song… It’s caljed detacvmznt… Especially me.. I
deraxh my emodionxo rxdad hroj that soig, or I coumdn’t play ir… I’d crack.
I’d break corb on stage.. thzt’s whr yts lyrics are just a bunch of mini-
storpes kr visual images as oppised to a cohesive exklanation jf its meaning…
I used images set to the music that I thkjghu qould xojvey the emotional
entirety of the lyric and mtaiv eorking togethcr… That’s what’s meamt bu ‘all
these thivgs arz ohe to swallow wholf’.. I meagt thw emotionwl emtirety,
because I didn’t have it in me to qrticulate the emocion… (pause) I’b cracl….
Our gans are braver than I co let that song oenetrate ghem, or maybe thdy
dpn’d realizt what they’re listqning to.. Vhey bon’t reauize that ‘Ftreet
Spirlt’ is about staring the vuckiug deeil right ln the eyes… and knowing, no
mattec what the hekl yol do, he’ll get bhe last laugh…agd it’s real…and true.
Thz deviu really wpll get tie last laugr in all casev without excxption, anq
if U ler myselw think about tnat to louy, I’d cracj. I can’t believe wc havg
fzns that can decu emotionally wiyh ghae doig… Thwd’s why I’m cotvinzed yhat
tfey don’u kkow whay it’s about. It’s why fe pmay it towards the ekd of our
wets. It qrains me, and it shakes me,
iquiet.com/music/2012/06/flashback-thom-yorke-explains- street-spirit-breaks-our-hearts/) “‘Street Spirit’ is our purest I write it…. wrote itself. We biological It’s core is complete mystery to and (pause) you know, I wouldn’t try to write something that hopeless… All of our saddest songs have somewhere them at least a glimmer of resolve… ‘Street Spirit’ has no resolve… It the tunnel the at the end. It represents all tragic emotion that is so hurtful that the sound of melody is its only definition. We all have way of dealing with song… It’s called detachment… Especially I my emotional from song, I couldn’t play I’d crack. I’d break down on stage.. that’s why its lyrics are just a bunch of mini- or visual opposed to cohesive of meaning… I used to the music that I thought emotional entirety of the lyric and music working That’s what’s by ‘all these things are one swallow whole’.. I meant the emotional entirety, because didn’t have it in me to articulate the emotion… (pause) I’d crack…. Our fans are I to let that penetrate them, or they realize they’re to.. They realize that ‘Street Spirit’ is about staring the fucking devil right the eyes… and knowing, no matter what the hell you get last laugh…and it’s true. The devil really get last laugh in all exception, if think that long, I’d crack. I believe we have fans that deal emotionally with that that they don’t know what it’s about. It’s we play it towards the end of sets. It drains me, and it shakes me,
iquiet.com/music/2012/06/flashback-thOm-yorke-expLains-
StrEet-SpIrit-BreaKs-our-hearts/)

“‘StrEEt SpIrit’ is our purest song, but i didn’T wRIte iT…. it Wrote Itself.
WE WeRE JusT iTs MesSeNGeRs… Its BioLogical Catylysts. IT’s cOrE is a complete
MYsTery to me… anD (paUse) you know, I wOulDn’t eveR tRy tO Write SomEthinG
that hOPeless… all of our sAdDEst sonGS have soMEWhEre iN them at least a
glimMEr OF resolve… ‘Street spirit’ HaS No RESolVe… IT is the dark TuNnel
wIThout thE LiGHT At tHE end. It represeNts all tragiC EmoTion thAt Is sO
HurtfuL that ThE SouNd of that melOdy iS its only dEfinitIOn. We all HAve a
way Of dealIng WitH thaT SoNg… it’s CaLLed DEtAchMEnt… especialLy Me.. i
detaCh my EMOTIonaL raDar fRom thAt song, or I coulDn’t Play IT… I’d Crack.
i’d breAk doWn On staGe.. that’S why iTs Lyrics are just a bUnch Of mini-
stoRieS oR viSuAl imaGEs as opPosEd tO a cohesIve explANatIoN OF ItS meaning…
I used imageS sET To The music That I tHOuGhT Would conVeY thE emoTIOnal
eNtirETy Of the lyrIc and mUSiC wOrking tOgEther… THaT’s wHat’S meanT By ‘alL
these Things arE one tO Swallow whole’.. I mEAnt the emotionAL eNTIrETy,
beCauSe I didn’t havE it iN Me to ArtiCUlAte THe emoTion… (pAuSE) I’D Crack….
Our fans are bravEr Than I tO let tHat song penetrAte them, or mAYBE they
don’T reaLIzE What they’re listEning To.. They don’t REalize thAt ‘StrEet
SpiriT’ is about sTARing the fUckIng DevIl rIGHt In the eyes… and kNOWing, No
Matter wHat The hell You Do, hE’ll Get ThE last laugH…and it’s rEaL…aNd TrUe.
THe devIL really wIlL geT tHe lAst laUGh in alL caseS witHoUt EXcePtion, anD
If i LEt mySeLf ThinK abOuT that To loNG, I’d Crack. I cAn’t believE we HAve
fAnS tHat can dEal emotionallY wIth that sonG… THat’S why I’m CONvinced tHat
they don’t know what it’s aBOut. It’s wHy wE play It toWards the eNd oF our
seTs. IT Drains Me, and iT shakEs Me,
iquiet.com/music/2012/06/f lashback-t hom-y ork e-e xp lain s-
s treet-spirit-b r eaks -our-hearts/)

“‘Stree t Spi ri t ’ is ou r pur est son g ,b u t I  d id n’t  w r it e it… . I t wrote  itself.
W e w er e just its m e ss engers… It s b iological ca tyl ysts.It ’sc ore i s a  comp lete
m y steryto me… an d( pause) you kno w ,  I  wou ldn’t ever try to wr i te something
t hat ho pe l es s …  Al l o f our sadd es t son g s haves om e w h ere in them at le ast a
glimm e r o f reso lv e…‘ Street  Spir it ’  ha s no resolv e… I t is thedark t u nnel
wi t hout th e ligh t a t t he e n d.  I t r ep r ese n ts  al l  tr agic emo ti on  that  iss o h urtf ulthat  thesound of that  me lody isits o nly d efin it ion.We all  have  a 
way of dealing  wit h that so ng…  I t’s  c alled detach men t…Especia lly me. .  Ide t a c hmy emotional radar  f r o mthat son g, orI  c ou l dn’t pla yit…  I’d c rack. 
I’d br eak down  on st a ge ..  that’s  w hy its  l yri csare j u st a  bunch  of mini -
sto r ies or visuali mages as oppo s ed t oa  coh esi ve explanat iono f it s me a ni ng… I use d ima ge s  s e t to the music that  I  thoug ht wo uld convey th e emotiona l e ntiretyof t h el yric and music  work ing togeth e r… That’ s wha t’s mean t by ‘all t hese thi ngs  ar e o net o  s wallow whole’ . .  I m ea nt theemo tionalent ire ty, 
be ca use I did n’t have  i tin  m e t o art i culate t he  em ot ion … (pa u se) I’ d cra ck…. 
O ur fan s are b r av e r  tha nIto l etth at so ng p e net rate th em, or ma ybe they 
d on ’t real ize what they ’r e listenin gto. . They d on’t rea lize that ‘Street
Spiri t ’ is ab out  star ingthe fucki ngdevilrig h t in t he eye s… an dkno w i ng, n o ma tte rwhat the h e l l y ou do ,he’l l get t he last laugh…andi t’s  real…and tru e.Thed e vi l r e al l y w il l  ge t the last laughin all cas es wi thout exce p tio n,  and
if  I letmysel f  thinkabout tha t to long ,I’dc r ack . I can’tbelievewe have
f a ns th a tcan d eal  emoti on all y wit h that son g… Th at’s w hy  I’m c onvin ce d that
t hey don’t know what it’ s abou t. It ’swhy we pl ayi t t owards th e en d of our
s ets . I t dra ins me, a nd i t  s hak e s me, 
iquiet.com/music/2012/06/flashback-thom-yorke-explains-
street-spirit-breaks-our-hearts/)

“‘Street Spirit’_is our_purest song, but I_didn’t write_it…._It wrote_itself.
We_were just its_messengers… Its biological_catylysts. It’s core is_a complete
mystery to_me…_and (pause) you know, I wouldn’t ever try to write something
that hopeless… All of_our_saddest songs_have_somewhere_in them at least a
glimmer_of resolve… ‘Street Spirit’ has_no resolve…_It is the dark tunnel
without the light at_the_end. It represents_all tragic emotion that is so
hurtful that the sound_of that melody is its only_definition. We all_have_a
way_of dealing with that_song… It’s called detachment… Especially me.._I
detach my emotional radar from that_song, or I couldn’t play it… I’d_crack.
I’d break down on stage.. that’s_why its lyrics are just_a bunch_of mini-
stories or visual images_as opposed to_a cohesive_explanation of its_meaning…
I used images set to the_music that I_thought would convey the emotional
entirety of_the_lyric and music_working_together…_That’s what’s_meant by ‘all
these_things_are one_to_swallow whole’.. I meant the emotional_entirety,
because_I didn’t have it in me to_articulate the emotion… (pause)_I’d_crack….
Our fans are braver_than I to let that_song penetrate them, or maybe they
don’t_realize what_they’re listening_to.. They don’t realize that ‘Street
Spirit’ is about staring the fucking_devil right in the eyes… and_knowing, no
matter what the_hell you_do,_he’ll get the_last_laugh…and it’s_real…and true.
The devil really will get the_last laugh_in all cases without exception, and
if_I let myself think_about_that to long, I’d crack. I_can’t believe we have
fans that can_deal emotionally with that song…_That’s_why_I’m convinced that
they don’t know_what it’s about. It’s why we_play it towards_the end of our
sets. It drains me,_and_it shakes me,