"All the time..." means that he wants to live and love as one single being eternally. Music Video. He thinks it's how things are meant to be and he's happier this way, living a lie and so he continues. They're all the same souls, just different people. He appreciates there's a world behind every persona round him and that, many of those worlds, are falling apart. I keep asking the landlord to put a shower in. That's weird, when I looked at the lyrics to this song I realised I had got nearly every lyric wrong, "The words are mouthed, the words are mouthed". Although this lyric might not have any direct reference, it adds to the "fakeness" theme that's running through these lyrics. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. Step Here from United States I think it’s about how people try to get rid of themselves through plastic surgery. It wears her out, it wears her out. And if you had the answer in Life, you could gather and stop causing so much destruction and hatred for everyone, since you're all the same Soul trapped in your own living Hell. Billboard Hot 100. I do think that this version is better than the studio one though (Thom even said that the studio version was "ruined") I know it's supposed to be a lyrical discussion but man musically the way it's all delivered makes it so fucking perfect. Where everyone is finding fake things in place of what they actually want such as the fake Chinese trees, fake plastic earth, rubber plans, polystyrene men and plastic surgery. And I've looked into it more, and I've had a thought that the song itself can be interpreted as painting a negative light on reincarnation - as if we're playing dolls in God's doll-house. But instead, he has to keep strolling forward with his shopping cart full of fake plastic people, to die and live as somebody else who loves another person, and so on ad infinitum. He's either speaking to some spiritual entity, like God or Angels (the security in the music video), or he's speaking to the lady he once loved as a "crackpot polystyrene man." And I feel this song is beautiful because it's talking about all of us. Recently Added. Being able to recognize other worlds, and how fucked up they can be, allows him to look inside him, into his own world, and realise he's just as fucked up as everybody else around him, and realising exactly why. The songs I’ll be selecting will have lyrics that are perhaps a little harder to interpret on the surface, or in other words, songs that are more likely to mean different things to different people (sorry Creep). I've been thinking about that song. This song is about somebody, looking at the world around him, realizing that each person that walks past him has its own story, its own world, that comes with its own problems, worries, and sadness. https://goo.gl/L9eY76Take Lessons With Me! "Fake Plastic Trees" lyrics. A cracked polystyrene man. A lot of Shakespearean works might not be what he originally wanted to express - but they're still there, with many translations. He doesn't want death to just be an entrance to the same old supermarket where he shops for another Life on "fake plastic Earth." Man this song is pretty straight forward but so godamn powerful. Both the lady and the man are dead, since they're described as being in plastic neighbourhoods with "plastic Earth". Album: The Bends. Posted by. He's trying to plead to whoever is listening that he would do anything to be "who you wanted", rather than be something that has a Life expectancy - rather than something that's just flesh and bones, or "plastic". Today the chosen song is: Fake Plastic Trees. Song: Fake Plastic Trees. Many versions of “Fake Plastic Trees” are available, including the single from The Bends and an acoustic version on the CD single part 2, which also appears on the Clueless soundtrack. It could mean that he's been picked out and bought by himself, ready to be born on Earth - but in that supermarket (or "waiting room"), he sees all of these past lives he's lived - the man he lived, the lady he loved. Because it's routine, they've deluded themselves that these fake, easily broken things are what they want. He is able to discover the only way in which his world could be fixed: If he could have been, who she wanted, if he could be, who she wanted... all the time. And his love with this girl was all in vain. It's for all of us; this song adresses the feeling of emptiness in our daily life that it's so difficult to recognize, but that the sensitivity of some Oxford quintet enabled them to write a song about it, joining all of our lost souls in the process. They're forcing themselves and lying to themselves that 'this is what I want' but in actuality, it isn't. Close. Upcoming Lyrics. Well, my point still stands. About Fake Plastic Trees "Fake Plastic Trees" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead from their second studio album The Bends (1995). It implies the same Soul is living each body that has ever lived on this Earth - and it's cycling through bodies and bodies, constantly striving to be perfect; but in the end meeting death every single time, and have nothing to show to it but meaningless plastic. 16. I don't know man. Spotify. But this lyric connects them - as if they're reincarnations of the same soul. Why else would it wear everybody else out? If I could be who you wanted all the time. cause he loves shopping, "He used to do the surgery, On Girls in the eighties, But gravity always wins". He wants it to be real, unending, like whoever his creator is - the man stocking the shelves between his own visits. It wears her out, it wears her out. Not saying its wrong to do that. Radiohead Fake Plastic Trees Live @ Glastonbury 2003if you want the MP3 of this live performance, go to http://fabiocchi.altervista.org Her green plastic watering can For her fake Chinese rubber plant In the fake plastic earth That she bought from a rubber man In a town full . I really enjoyed reading your interpretation though :), New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. How you might have misheard lyrics from the chosen song in the past. I don't look up the meaning to radiohead lyrics because they could mean something completely different to me then they do to someone else. It really shows some desperation in the way he says it. Top Lyrics of 2011. stop remembering. Lyrics. The lyrics are here! He could just blow the ceiling and run off, in this case break off is relationship. Lori McKenna Lyrics "Fake Plastic Trees" Her green plastic watering can She bought for her rubber plant In the fake plastic earth She bought from a rubber man In a town full of rubber plans To get rid of itself It wears her out, it wears her out Deep Thought. And his world can be just as fucked up as anybody else's; because his world revolves around a she. It is that our heart has turned into rubber and feelings are as fake as plastic. Really always a step away from being an average Britpop band in the mid-90s with slightly 'purer' rock tendencies, The Bends-era Radiohead represents the sort of educated young man's feeling bad on behalf of people's sad lives who he happens to pity.And "Fake Plastic Trees" is the most concrete example of that. You can see people leaving through the "Exit", which suggests that the people might be "buying" their produce (other bodies, vessels), and leaving to join Earth as a person again. As always though I think Radiohead's music is intended to be ambiguous, and rather abstract. And the lyrics run as if the three people are connected in some way, and it has that sense of order to it (her, he, me). This is where it introduces the second character - somebody, just another part of her memory, who "turned to plastic" and "crumbles and burns" after the lady he lives with dies. I look at this as the sort-of "waiting room" for when each body dies, only to be restored into another person. Could the surgery he's referring to be a boob job? Throughout "Fake Plastic Trees," Thom Yorke argues that our world is one that's slowly becoming phony and manufactured. So, what made "Fake Plastic Trees" an instant and immortal hit? It plays over three peoples' lives - a she, a he, and Thom himself. He's tired of acting and being what she wants and he wishes she would love him from who he is instead of what he's pretending to be. I remember reading on Wikipedia about how the film was about reincarnation; At first I thought the song itself was about the disposable nature of the Modern world (kind of like that Dystopian Computer world in OK COMPUTER), but I always thought that message has been overplayed. She lives with a broken man. It really embodies the whole desire to escape and find something real. It's not over yet, but the past lives from which he lived have died. That she bought from a rubber man. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees (acoustic) Lyrics. Worn out from constantly going through these bodies, shifting and shifting, where even death isn't an escape. What is Fake Plastic Trees to you? His fake plastic love. This video is about Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees [Acoustic] - Lyrics High and Dry Lyrics: Two jumps in a week, I bet you / Think that's pretty clever, don't you, boy / Flying on your motorcycle / Watching all the ground beneath you drop / You'd kill yourself for That tastes like the real thing. I've only recently been seriously introduced to Radiohead. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. You kill yourself - or perhaps somebody killed you - and you end up in the spiritual shopping Mall for Life, only to buy the person you loved, or the person who killed you. This part explains who he was - the man lived through the eighties. Because he's stuck in a limbo just like everyone else. In a town full of rubber plans. Lyrics to 'Fake Plastic Trees' by Radiohead: Her green plastic watering can For her fake Chinese rubber plant In the fake plastic earth That she bought from a rubber man In a town full of rubber plans It starts off with her; It's as if "she" has been set in stone (or Plastic) after dying - and the events that took place throughout her entire life have just about as much worth as inanimate objects that disappeared with her memory, and Life. That's a very interesting and well thought out explanation of the song. This is also where it speaks from first-hand perspective; this is Thom's life. In the fake plastic earth. I remember reading on Wikipedia about how the film was about reincarnation; "The film is … 6 comments. If so, what does it mean to you? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, my thoughts are misguided and a little naive. He realises that, if this world is made up of lots of personal worlds, then his world exists too, and maybe, sometimes, your own world is all that matters. General CommentMost of the song seems to be describing the dog eat dog world we were born into -- not just the Capitalist economic system we live in, but the whole shebang: evolution, the very process which allows us to exist, even, is dog eat dog.We wouldn't be able to exist if the weak were weeded out and the strong allowed to survive. 2 years ago. I always felt these lines refer to a past love of his that never worked out, but the fact that he says "looks" and "tastes" instead of "looked" and "tasted" is because he is still reliving that moment, he can still watch his past self, being with this girl, remembering how real she looked, how real she tasted, but how it didn't matter, because it never worked out in the end. A world where the people, the ground, and even the plants are all rubber and plastic. In short, I think it's about the story of three lives, and one soul, and it's tiring. Popular Song Lyrics. It doesn't seem as passionate. Fake Plastic Trees is now one of my all-time favourite songs. 12 comments. I think this is the most important part of the lyrics. With reincarnation, there's a serious problem that's kind of a frightening thought. We see War all around us; death and burning beds. And he was once a person, but after his death he turned to plastic, like the lady he lives with. It talks about me, when I plug in my headphones and walk down the street listening to this song and realise that somebody understands me, that there are other people in my position and that it's ok to feel tired of life sometime. "Fake Plastic Trees" lyrics. There it is - that same recurring lyric, only it's describing "him" - the second protagonist. Well, I'm a teen, so that explains a lot; but I truly feel something special in that song. This song was the band’s proudest moment, and it remains a live favorite for obvious reasons. Wow, that ended up longer than I thought it would. Today the chosen song is: Fake Plastic Trees. The world in which we live in is a huge combination of all of these worlds, and knowing that lets him understand people and recognize the desperation in people. Wow...great analysis! And yet, this is a morally unsatisfying reality. Radiohead lyrics - 158 song lyrics sorted by album, including "Creep", "High & Dry", "Fake Plastic Trees". Because he realises he is also part of the landscape he's describing, and that when he watches the people around him he sees himself, he realises that he is also kn that situation, and that we're all alike in that sense. This basically further validates what I'm trying to say. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I always thought this is about a guy who is in love with a superficial materialistic girl who is partnered with or married to a rich guy. The songs I’ll be selecting will have lyrics that are perhaps a little harder to interpret on the surface, or in other words, songs that are more likely to mean different things to different people (sorry Creep). You can have your interpretation, Thom Yorke is brilliant when it’s come to penning down lyrics and song writing, coming to meaning here are few interpretations - Interpretation 1 - The fist interpretation is about the love, the fake love. But yet it's so easy. Who just crumbles and burns. Those are recurring lyrics throughout the song, and I'll explain what I think it means later. Subscribe for new songs every week! The author comments on how his love life feels the same, how he has to act to be what she wants and he's tired. To end tied to a noose, and start in a Hospital; it's a harrowing thought that there would be absolutely no escape from the World. 1) The song says that with all of our futile efforts to be perfect(references to plastic surgery and having a fake, pretty life with fake plans) and be "who you wanted", it will"wear us out". Thanks a lot for sharing, you've made me want to go back and listen to FPT now :). Which doesn't mean trying to interpret the lyrics in that much detail can't be fun or anything, and I suppose one could suggest this is actually one of the less abstract songs of theirs. I get a similar kind of vibe as you described, but you've certainly thought about it much more! Holly Humberstone Lyrics "Fake Plastic Trees" (originally by Radiohead) A green plastic watering can For a fake Chinese rubber plant In the fake plastic earth That she bought from a rubber man In a town full of rubber plans To get rid of itself It wears her out These threads are a chance for anyone to discuss lyrics from the chosen Radiohead song as per the points below: Your interpretation of the lyrics/what they mean to you personally (that might be a few lines or the song as a whole), How you feel certain lyrics are delivered in the vocal, If you happen to know about Thom’s source or inspiration to a particular lyric, If you are aware of any variations of the lyrics from older versions of the chosen song, How you might have misheard lyrics from the chosen song in the past. I interpret it as if the narrator was just watching the world around him, watching the people surrounding him, walking, living their lives, and being able to see in everybody (the chinese plant girl, the cracked polistyrene man) their backstories, their troubles, worries and nightmares, the things that "wear them out". He sounds very soft about the way he says it, as if he really is worn out. I think this is one of the rare few songs that actually is easy to understand on the first listen. Listen: Apple Music. When Jonny's guitar comes in, apart from being just a perfectly beautiful musical moment, you can see the narrator stops talking about what surrounds him, to talk about himself. So I might copy paste it here: I just feel soo connected to Fake Plastic Trees. Leave it to Radiohead to craft something of a 'concept single'. Archived. Eventually all boobs will get saggy, hence gravity always wins. The music video shows them in a shopping aisle with other characters. Fake Plastic Trees Lyrics: I never had a car to drive, but I got shit to do today / Can someone please give me a ride? About Fake Plastic Trees "Fake Plastic Trees" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead from their second studio album The Bends (1995). But he won't. It talks about you, when you feel depressed and just don't wanna do anything. To get rid of itself. My fake plastic love But I can't help the feeling I could blow through the ceiling If I just turn and run And it wears me out, it wears me out It wears me out, it wears me out If I could be who you wanted If I could be who you wanted all the time All the time All the time save. What is Fake Plastic Trees to you? I wrote a veeeery long analysis in a post a while ago. report. And "Fake Plastic Trees" has always stuck with me, mostly because of its lyrics. But who else feels this way. it's about shopping. https://goo.gl/L7cTLqCheck out my theory and technique channel! I think this is where Thom, from his perspective, says that if he could just "turn and run" to his past Life, and live and loved people who weren't just incarnations of himself - people who were human, not just disposable plastic waste to look and see the world for a brief moment - then he could finally have meaning, real validation, of his actual existence. Towards the end of the video you see the Exit signs, and Thom has been in the shopping cart the whole video. share. He is able to see beneath the "everything's ok" mask people put on during their everyday lives, to realise everything's not ok, to the desperation, the depression, the exhaustion that people carry beneath that fake smile. The thing is, that stuff is so outworn - how Materialism is shallow. His love looks like the real thing - but it's just another disposable body, like a paper plater ready to be bought and sold and worn out. It's about finding your way out of a fake world you were built in to. This superficial life wears her out sometimes. He never let go of that moment, and that's why he still relives it. Fake Plastic Trees was released as the third single for The Bends, along with Fake Plastic Trees were the B-sides: India Rubber, and How Can You Be Sure?. Does the song have a special place in your heart? And "Fake Plastic Trees" has always stuck with me, mostly because of its lyrics. A she, that looks like the real thing. The protagonist is in love with her but cannot have her because he does not possess the things she values (money, fame, looks whatever), and this wears him out hence " If I could be who you wanted..". And he can see his own fate in these plastic people that have been left behind. The video suggests a lot, and there's a lot going on beyond what the lyrics are implying. 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