There there
Encyclopedia
"There there." is a song by the English rock band Radiohead
, featured on their album Hail to the Thief
(2003) and released prior to the album as its first single
. "There There" reached number four in the UK Singles Chart
and number one in Canada
. It also received moderate airplay from US modern rock
stations peaking at number fourteen on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award
for Best Rock Performance, making it the band's most successful single on the radio since "Optimistic
" in 2000. On Hail to the Thief the song, like others, is given a subtitle: "The Boney King of Nowhere".
, whose songs Radiohead have also covered. Co-produced by Radiohead and Nigel Godrich, the track apparently made lead singer Thom Yorke
burst into tears when he heard it in its completed, mixed and mastered state. Live performances of "There There" usually begin with Phil Selway
, Jonny Greenwood
and Ed O'Brien
on drums (the part they play is put together on a synthesizer on the studio version). The song has frequently been a concert opener since 2002, when it made its official debut as part of a tour of Portugal and Spain. A rough version of the song was premiered live during an Internet webcast
by Radiohead in early February 2000; a demo of a more complete, but still early arrangement of the song appeared as a b-side in 2003 on the single "2 + 2 = 5
". The song has also been performed solo on acoustic guitar by Thom Yorke on several occasions, beginning at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit
in October 2002. This single has been released with the Copy Control
protection system in some regions.
, of which Yorke and his young son are professed fans. A Bagpuss-inspired music video was filmed for "There There". Directed by Chris Hopewell, the music video shows singer Thom Yorke enter a forest and find many creatures involved in human-like activities, like a pair of cats getting married, two squirrels sitting by a fireplace and smoking pipes, etc. He goes from one scene to another, each one increasing in luminosity. Finally, he arrives at a clearing where a golden jacket hangs from a tree. He puts the jacket on and also a pair of golden shoes hidden inside the tree. Doing so, he awakens the crows, who chase and attack him. The shoes appear to give him extra speed, but become tangled on the ground. When the shoes fall off his feet, his feet turn to tree roots upon touching the ground, followed by the rest of his body which turns into wood. Yorke becomes a tree in which the crows rest on the branches.
The video was filmed at one-quarter regular speed; it looks jumpy, as if some of the frames are missing. The video received an award for art direction at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
.
" released in 2003. It was the only Hail to the Thief
b-side not to appear on the COM LAG (2plus2isfive)
EP
. The beginning and end are considerably longer than the version which made it onto the album, resulting in a track length of 7.45 making it one of the band's longest tracks.
adding a bassline. "Where Bluebirds Fly", an electronic piece with wordless vocals, was originally heard as the band's entrance music for their 2002 tour. It has received one live performance: in March 2005, Yorke performed it in London at the UK Ether Festival with the Arab Orchestra of Nazareth
, soloist Lubna Salame, the London Sinfonietta
, and band member Jonny Greenwood
playing the ondes Martenot
.
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, featured on their album Hail to the Thief
Hail to the Thief
Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in June 2003 through Parlophone Records. After two Radiohead albums that featured heavily processed vocals, less guitar, and strong influence from experimental electronica and jazz, Hail to the Thief was seen...
(2003) and released prior to the album as its first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. "There There" reached number four in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number one in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It also received moderate airplay from US modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
stations peaking at number fourteen on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Rock Performance, making it the band's most successful single on the radio since "Optimistic
Optimistic (song)
"Optimistic" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, the sixth track on their 2000 album Kid A.-Release:No singles were released from Kid A, but promos of several songs from the album, including "Optimistic", were sent to radio stations...
" in 2000. On Hail to the Thief the song, like others, is given a subtitle: "The Boney King of Nowhere".
Musical style
Like many Radiohead songs of the 2000s, "There there." is described by the band as heavily indebted to the band CanCan (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
, whose songs Radiohead have also covered. Co-produced by Radiohead and Nigel Godrich, the track apparently made lead singer Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
burst into tears when he heard it in its completed, mixed and mastered state. Live performances of "There There" usually begin with Phil Selway
Phil Selway
Philip James "Phil" "The Graf" Selway is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of English rock group Radiohead. He also drums and provides backing vocals, along with occasional guitar and lead vocals, for 7 Worlds Collide...
, Jonny Greenwood
Jonny Greenwood
Jonathan Richard Guy "Jonny" Greenwood is an English musician and composer, best known as a member of the English rock band Radiohead. Greenwood is a multi-instrumentalist, but serves mainly as lead guitarist and keyboard player. In addition to guitar and keyboard, he plays viola, harmonica,...
and Ed O'Brien
Ed O'Brien
Edward John O'Brien is an English musician, songwriter and guitarist for the rock band Radiohead. He is also responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...
on drums (the part they play is put together on a synthesizer on the studio version). The song has frequently been a concert opener since 2002, when it made its official debut as part of a tour of Portugal and Spain. A rough version of the song was premiered live during an Internet webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
by Radiohead in early February 2000; a demo of a more complete, but still early arrangement of the song appeared as a b-side in 2003 on the single "2 + 2 = 5
2 + 2 = 5 (song)
"2 + 2 = 5" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the third and final single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song reached number 15 on the United Kingdom singles chart.-Lyrics and background:...
". The song has also been performed solo on acoustic guitar by Thom Yorke on several occasions, beginning at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit
Bridge School Benefit
The Bridge School Benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. The concerts are all organized by musician Neil Young and his wife, Pegi....
in October 2002. This single has been released with the Copy Control
Copy Control
Copy Control was the generic name of a copy prevention system, used from 2001 until 2006 on several digital audio disc releases by EMI Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment in several regions...
protection system in some regions.
Themes and video
The alternate title for the song as listed on the track listing for the album is "The Boney King of Nowhere". This is apparently in reference to an episode of the British children's television show BagpussBagpuss
Bagpuss is a 1974 UK children's television series, made by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate through their company Smallfilms. The title character is "an old, saggy cloth cat, baggy, and a bit loose at the seams"...
, of which Yorke and his young son are professed fans. A Bagpuss-inspired music video was filmed for "There There". Directed by Chris Hopewell, the music video shows singer Thom Yorke enter a forest and find many creatures involved in human-like activities, like a pair of cats getting married, two squirrels sitting by a fireplace and smoking pipes, etc. He goes from one scene to another, each one increasing in luminosity. Finally, he arrives at a clearing where a golden jacket hangs from a tree. He puts the jacket on and also a pair of golden shoes hidden inside the tree. Doing so, he awakens the crows, who chase and attack him. The shoes appear to give him extra speed, but become tangled on the ground. When the shoes fall off his feet, his feet turn to tree roots upon touching the ground, followed by the rest of his body which turns into wood. Yorke becomes a tree in which the crows rest on the branches.
The video was filmed at one-quarter regular speed; it looks jumpy, as if some of the frames are missing. The video received an award for art direction at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
.
Demo Version
A demo version appears on the single "2 + 2 = 52 + 2 = 5 (song)
"2 + 2 = 5" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the third and final single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song reached number 15 on the United Kingdom singles chart.-Lyrics and background:...
" released in 2003. It was the only Hail to the Thief
Hail to the Thief
Hail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in June 2003 through Parlophone Records. After two Radiohead albums that featured heavily processed vocals, less guitar, and strong influence from experimental electronica and jazz, Hail to the Thief was seen...
b-side not to appear on the COM LAG (2plus2isfive)
COM LAG (2plus2isfive)
Omitted is the seven-minute demo version of "There There", which appears on the first "2+2=5" single.- "I Will" :"I Will " is an alternative version of the album track "I Will" and was released on the second "2+2=5" CD single...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. The beginning and end are considerably longer than the version which made it onto the album, resulting in a track length of 7.45 making it one of the band's longest tracks.
Track listing
CD & 12":- "There There" - 5:23
- "Paperbag Writer" - 3:58
- "Where Bluebirds Fly" - 4:32
B-sides
The single for "There There" featured two B-sides: "Paperbag Writer" and "Where Bluebirds Fly". "Paperbag Writer" was created mostly by Yorke, with band member Colin GreenwoodColin Greenwood
Colin Charles Greenwood , is an English musician and composer, best known as the bassist of the rock band Radiohead. Apart from bass, Colin plays keyboards, synthesizers and works on sampling on the electronic side of Radiohead...
adding a bassline. "Where Bluebirds Fly", an electronic piece with wordless vocals, was originally heard as the band's entrance music for their 2002 tour. It has received one live performance: in March 2005, Yorke performed it in London at the UK Ether Festival with the Arab Orchestra of Nazareth
Arab Orchestra of Nazareth
The Arab Orchestra of Nazareth is an Israeli orchestra that plays Arab and Mediterranean music. It was founded in 1991 by conductor and musicologist Suhil Radwan....
, soloist Lubna Salame, the London Sinfonietta
London Sinfonietta
The London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
, and band member Jonny Greenwood
Jonny Greenwood
Jonathan Richard Guy "Jonny" Greenwood is an English musician and composer, best known as a member of the English rock band Radiohead. Greenwood is a multi-instrumentalist, but serves mainly as lead guitarist and keyboard player. In addition to guitar and keyboard, he plays viola, harmonica,...
playing the ondes Martenot
Ondes Martenot
The ondes Martenot , also known as the ondium Martenot, Martenot and ondes musicales, is an early electronic musical instrument invented in 1928 by Maurice Martenot. The original design was similar in sound to the theremin...
.
Release
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
21 May 2003 | Toshiba-EMI Toshiba-EMI (formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was... |
CD CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
TOCP 40161 |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
26 May 2003 | Parlophone Parlophone Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which... |
12" 12-inch single The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality... |
12R6608 |
| CD | CDR6608 | |||
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
1 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
4 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Finland Singlies Chart | 5 |
| Ireland Singles Chart | 7 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 28 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Mega Single Top 100 The Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales and legal downloads and composed by MegaCharts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutch Top 40 and the Mega Top 50. The difference is that these charts also include airplay data.The list is... |
48 |
| French Singles Chart | 54 |
| German Singles Chart | 67 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 76 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot Modern Rock Tracks |
14 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 7 |