Analysis: "Nude" by Radiohead

The song “Nude,” by Radiohead, released in 2007, is an alternative art rock song that I fell in love with in eighth grade. The first time I heard the song, I immediately found myself sitting on the floor, reflecting on my entire life. It made me feel introspective about who I am, in a way that few other songs could accomplish.The song starts with a reversed and looped track, topped with an orchestra and chopped vocals, which altogether sound robotic, yet sweet and full. 

The chopped vocals and the looped track convey a more static and tense ambience, whereas the harmony of strings in the orchestra convey a contrasting sense of smoothness and elegance. The song continues with nothing but a loud bass and clear vocals, followed by soft arpeggios with a cool tone on the electric guitar. Lead singer Thom Yorke laments “don’t get any big ideas, they’re not gonna happen,” pursuing a sense of shame for human thoughts and decisions. Personally, this emptier part of the song makes me feel like I am alone in a room, yet I feel like all eyes are on me. I feel cautious and unsure of my decisions, shy of any raw thoughts that appear in my head. The deep, open sound of the bass along with the lyrics brings about an air of solitude. Despite the simplicity and vagueness of the lyrics, Yorke uses sound to further express the awkwardness and shame many teenagers and young adults feel as they grow up. The song makes abrupt changes in complexity and simplicity of the song, which causes confusion and makes it almost purposefully awkward.

Although “awkwardness” and “shame” are not necessarily positive emotions, the song’s transparency and vulnerability makes me melt into these feelings. In this sense, the song is remarkable because it makes one explore feelings and parts of oneself that they usually do not feel comfortable thinking about. The juxtaposition of awkward tension and deep emotion reflects unhappiness for how limited and static a young adult’s life can feel. Young people’s lives can feel very chaotic for a number of reasons: experiencing new things all at once, having to meet impossible societal expectations, and uncertainty about one’s identity and sense of self. To me, the song represents the feeling of loneliness as one goes through this chaos, as well as societal pressure to always do the right thing. This is represented through lyrics, the solo bass, the static loops, and Yorke’s sorrow-filled voice.

I think that the way it is conveyed by the artists is really beautiful, and it almost romanticizes the sad concept mentioned earlier. The sorrow and confusion turns into beauty and art, as the instruments synchronize into musical poetry. Music does not necessarily have to be happy to be beautiful, and I think that sometimes people forget that as they choose to avoid the value of their more vulnerable and private emotions. Overall, this song means a lot to me as it reflects what many other teenagers and young adults go through, and the variation of sounds and instruments it incorporates make it a real work of art.