Radiohead: Climbing Up Walls Meaning

Climbing Up Walls Lyrics

I am the key to the lock in your house
That keeps your toys in the basement
And if you get too far inside
You'll only see my reflection

It's always best when the covers up
I am the pick in the ice
Do not cry out or hit the alarm
You know...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   Silverweed

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   May 22nd 2006 !⃝

   This song was inspired by when the singer (Thom Yorke) worked or helped out in a mental ward and he had to see first hand what some of the patients were going through. Some of them could not sleep without the curtains drawn because they believed they could see people looking in at them when in fact, they were seeing thier own reflection. Sad, very sad.
2. anonymous

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   Apr 16th 2012 !⃝

   Thom Yorke is best known for having a more literal and political feature in his songs, so I think that he refers to a politic, or a VIP, from the point of view of someone that is guarding him, like the secret service or something, it makes more sense that way, because otherwise he wouldn't say "you know we're friends till we die" witch I think it means: we have a use for each other until one of us die.
3. anonymous

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   Jun 9th 2011 !⃝

   I get the feeling like this song is about a stalker. The first verse refers to the fact that he has broken into the house and is hiding in the basement. He tells his prey (I'm going to assume its a woman) not to scream or "hit the alarm." Around the second verse, he plots his plan "15 blows to the back of your head." He tells her to hide the kids (perhaps in the cupboard) so that they don't feel scared. The smell of a local man part might mean that he is someone they know.
   "Whose got the loneliest feeling" might be referring to the fact that he has finally snapped and has gone desperate. Thats the way I took the song.
4. anonymous

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   Feb 23rd 2011 !⃝

   "So lock the kids up safe tonight
   And shut the eyes in the cupboard.
   I've got the smell of a local man
   Who's got the loneliest feeling."
   
   This is where the song turns a little bit, as we (being addressed as society in general) see fear's process of stalking it's prey. "So lock the kids up safe tonight" because something's about to happen that you don't want them to see. The "eyes in the cupboard" refer to the kids' eyes, supposing that you've hid them away in a cupboard. He probably used this image because it's common in movies. While the bad guy's wandering around the house looking for them, the kids are shown hiding away quietly someplace like a cupboard. So fear is eyeing his next victim, a lonely local man. The song closes on the chorus that's already been analyzed previously.
5. urob

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   Nov 13th 2007 !⃝

   Believe it or not there is strong Salvia Divorium hints in this song (if you ever do that stuff its crazy) but its a known thing that Thom Yorke has salvia references in this song!

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
6. dorianflawz

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   Mar 14th 2007 !⃝

   No, man. This song is about John Constantine: Hellblazer.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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