A Breakdown of the Song Paranoid Android by Radiohead
Paranoid Android is a 6 minute 23 second song by the British rock band Radiohead. It is made up of 4 distinctive sections, taking influences from songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and Happiness Is a Warm Gun by The Beatles.
The first section, which lasts from 0:00 to 2:03, is in a 4/4 time signature. The song starts with an acoustic guitar riff played in the key of G minor. Shaken percussion instruments are in the background. An electric guitar with a phaser effect comes in at the 5th bar. Vocals come in on the 8th bar, with the melody spanning an octave and a third in the opening lines. The bass guitar comes in about 50 seconds in, following the chord progression by playing root notes.
The second section, lasting from 2:04 to 3:37, is also in 4/4 timing, however there are several 3 bar segments played in 7/8 timing. This section is of similar tempo to the first section, about 84 BPM. This section again starts with an acoustic guitar riff, played in the key of A minor. The bass guitar also plays this riff simultaneously. Shaken percussion instruments can still be heard. Clean, palm muted electric guitar also plays the opening riff. At 2:46, the electric guitar becomes overdriven, and an A5 power chord is played, before playing the opening riff again. Kill switching techniques (muting and unmuting the guitar sound quickly) are used before an electric guitar solo, starting at 3:07 and lasting until
The first section, which lasts from 0:00 to 2:03, is in a 4/4 time signature. The song starts with an acoustic guitar riff played in the key of G minor. Shaken percussion instruments are in the background. An electric guitar with a phaser effect comes in at the 5th bar. Vocals come in on the 8th bar, with the melody spanning an octave and a third in the opening lines. The bass guitar comes in about 50 seconds in, following the chord progression by playing root notes.
The second section, lasting from 2:04 to 3:37, is also in 4/4 timing, however there are several 3 bar segments played in 7/8 timing. This section is of similar tempo to the first section, about 84 BPM. This section again starts with an acoustic guitar riff, played in the key of A minor. The bass guitar also plays this riff simultaneously. Shaken percussion instruments can still be heard. Clean, palm muted electric guitar also plays the opening riff. At 2:46, the electric guitar becomes overdriven, and an A5 power chord is played, before playing the opening riff again. Kill switching techniques (muting and unmuting the guitar sound quickly) are used before an electric guitar solo, starting at 3:07 and lasting until