Song Profile: Paranoid Android

Song Profile: Paranoid Android by Radiohead

Radiohead is a five piece alternative rock band formed in 1985 in Oxfordshire, England. The group is comprised of lead vocalist, guitarist and band figurehead Thom Yorke, guitarist and keyboard player Jonny Greenwood, guitarist and vocalist Ed O’Brien, bass player Colin Greenwood, and drummer/percussionist Phil Selway. Radiohead rose to fame with the release of their second album The Bends in 1995 and secured their stardom in 1997 with their legendary album O.K. Computer. Its song “Paranoid Android” was listed as one of the 500 Best Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone and has been covered by numerous artists. This paper will explore the musical elements of “Paranoid Android” that serve to both stratify and unite the three distinct sections of the composition. Each section comprises a part of a unified work while expressing a unique character.
“Paranoid Android” is O.K.
Computer‘s longest song, running about six minutes and twenty seconds and is comprised of three different sections. It sounds through-composed until the return of the B section in the coda. In addition to its uncharacteristic form, it also features dense rhythmic and harmonic textures, atypical meter changes, and modulations. The song embodies the genre of Progressive Rock, which was pioneered in the 1970’s by bands such as Pink Floyd, Yes and Queen. Thom Yorke cited the Beatles’s song “Happiness is a Warm Gun” as the inspiration for the form of “Paranoid Android.” Both songs are comprised of three distinct sections melded into a single piece. Earlier artists such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys used the heavily textured multi-tracked vocal harmonies like those featured in “Paranoid
Android.”

The three sections of “Paranoid Android” create the form: {ABCB’}. Each section develops by gradually building dynamics. Section A is the only section with a verse-chorus structure. It begins with an instrumental run of the verse section, then there are two verses separated by a chorus (“Whats that”) and bridge that transitions the song to section B. Section B is primarily comprised of a high register guitar solo with distortion. Section C is a radical change from the previous sections, with a slower tempo and choir-like vocals accompanied by a soft acoustic guitar harmony. The song closes with a repeat of section B, a heavily distorted guitar solo that helps to unify the piece as a whole.

Section A is an important part of the piece, despite the fact that it is not repeated after the transition to B. It starts off the song in the key of G minor. For the opening two measures, we hear a mid-range solo acoustic guitar backed by percussive shakers. In m.3 a high register electric guitar is introduced at an offbeat. The rhythm in both staves is a unique combination of subdivisions in 4/4 meter at a moderate tempo. Section A remains primarily diatonic, however it is unusual that the piece begins on the iv (Cmin), rather than the tonic, creating a sense of a tonal disillusionment. The majority of the section maintains a static gm harmony, while the melody revolves around the G dorian scale. In m.7 the acoustic guitar harmony fades into the background to pave way for Thom Yorke’s vocals to take the forefront. The tinkling sound electric guitar gently accompanies. The vocals suddenly recede when the transition section to B begins. This brief section (mm.24-27) indicates a transition in the song in several ways: the removal of a key signature, a solo melody in a drastically lower register than previous, and a change in pitch collection revolving around A5, suggesting modulation.

Section B spans mm.28-57. G minor disappears from the harmony, and only major chords are now used. The sequence begins with a C major chord, but the cascading harmony suggests a modulation to C minor, with an unusual progression of {I-VI-VII). However, after the first repeat of this progression the inclusion of a Cb major chord at the end indicates the possibility of a brief modulation to Dm, which will be revealed in the next section. The empty key signature allows for free modulations and justifies the fairly chromatic melody. This section also introduces a mixed meter by switching between an asymetric meter of 7/8 and 4/4. In m.47 an F major chord is added to the mix, functioning as a substitute for C and confusing our perception of the tonic. M.40 brings a foray of distorted electric guitar that leads to face-melting guitar solo. A loudly distorted sustained F chord leads to section C.

Section C (mm.57-80) brings the song in a strikingly different direction to the remainder of the song. This section returns to common time and the original key signature. However, the pitch collection indicates that this section contains alternating lines of C minor and D minor tonalities, and the most chromatic notes thus far. The characteristic feature of this section is the ethereal sounding vocals of the multi tracked choral harmony along with the use of counterpoint. The tempo lowers to adagio and Yorke sings slow half notes. It begins with a series of soft, mellismatic “Ahs” that are double-tracked to sound choral. Each introduction of a new vocal line is layered on top of the previous, creating a rich texture, while the rhythmic and melodic independence of each line yields a strong contrapuntal effect.

The transition to the closing section, (B’), begins with the same rhythm and almost the same tonality of the transition to the original section B. The key signature is erased again and the mixed meter and quicker tempo restored. Section C ended with 2 measures of E major, leading to the A tonality of the beginning of B’ with a perfect cadence. This transition section, in contrast with the previous, is played at a high register with distortion. B’ uses the chord progression from mm.52-57, which was used to transition to section C. It repeats C-Ab-Bb-F until concluding on C. Previously, in m.57, this sequence ended on F, which had the feel of a strong landing. The C here sounds like a half cadence, ending the song indecisively