Radiohead: Let Down Meaning

Song Released: 1997

Let Down Lyrics

Transport, motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings
Disappointed people clinging on to bottles
And when it comes it's so so disappointing

Let down and hanging around
Crushed like...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jun 8th 2006 !⃝

   As far as I can see, this song is basically about being failed. When something doesn't turn out how you wanted it to be, giving examples of animals etc. being let down by their own bodies.
   
   "Shells smashed, juices flowing,
   Wings twitch, legs are going"
   
   When something turns out badly, when life proves to be a dissapointment. When somebody let's you down. Although the repeated idea that "One day I am gonna grow wings" could be interpreted as a sort of glimmer of hope, that one day things will be so much better, I think this is meant to be denial.
2. anonymous

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   Jun 16th 2023 !⃝

   I feel this song is all about us going through life and trying to reach our dreams. Then one day you realize that life didn’t turn out the way you wanted, or you failed to reach your dreams this time, but either way you feel crushed like a bug. And it doesn’t have to be a major dream like being a rock star. It could just be simple dreams like just being happy in life with a family or just a relationship with someone. Or maybe you dream of a promotion or maybe winning some game. The disappointment is crushing. Holding on to the bottle may be literally drinking away the disappointment with others in the bar who are doing the same. Drinking to commiserate your individual crushed dreams together. Or it can be metaphorical for any of those methods people use to cope with disappointment such as eating your feelings or listening to that sad song a thousand times in a row.
   
   When they sing "Don't get sentimental It all ends up drivel." they are saying don't harp on it and drown yourself in pity because it is all just drivel. The feelings, the sadness, the hysterical and useless feelings are just nonsense. Despite the fact that you are crushed and disappointed, they are telling you to listen to that little bit that is still deep down inside you that someday something big will happen and your dream will come true and that’s when you’ll grow wings fly away.
   
3. anonymous

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   Nov 6th 2011 !⃝

   This song is about Bipolar disorder. The first verse is about being in a bipolar depression, the listless empty feeling, the second verse is about mania 'juices flowing, wing's twitch, leg's are going', mania makes people creative, go go go and feel very free etc and the last verse is about the confusion of both extreme emotions. The chorus is about the ultimate bad feeling of Bipolar and how it seems utterly overwhelming.
4. anonymous

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   Jan 31st 2008 !⃝

   Throughout history, people have always had these unreachable expectations and ambitions. Most are completely deluded to the fact that we can never be perfect beings. It's people finally coming to the realization that life is full of disappointments and "let downs". It seems depressing enough, but vulnerability is beautiful.

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