The Radiohead Lyric That Explores Love Damaged by Depression

Radiohead gained acclaim for their willingness to explore societal malaise and modern dread. But they could also bring their unique sensibilities to matters of the heart when they set their collective minds to it. “Black Star”, found on their 1995 album The Bends, explores the last gasp of a dying love. Thom Yorke’s lyrics touch on the difficulties of maintaining a relationship when one of the parties involved isn’t at their best.

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“Star” Turn

For a lesser band, “Creep” could have sounded the death knell. As iconic as the 1993 single was, it also threatened to push Radiohead into the one-hit wonder bin. The band could either try to recreate the elusive magic of that song or they could forge new ground.

Of course, they chose the latter path. The Bends, their sophomore album, drummed up darkness and drama via its knotty yet propulsive textures and Thom Yorke’s piercing lyrics. No stale rock cliches from these Brits. The quintet was going to tread their preferred artistic path and trust that enough folks would follow.

The Bends was more of a critical breakthrough than a commercial smash. But it nonetheless went deep with thrilling songs. “Black Star”, which combined crunching guitars with a tender story, stands out as one of the finest deep cuts on the record. Yorke has never come clean about its meaning. But it’s clear from the lyrics that a love affair under duress is its focus.

The song holds a special place in band history because of how it established a crucial relationship. John Leckie, who produced the majority of the album, was absent the day it was recorded, possibly because it was originally intended to be a B-side. Nigel Godrich, an assistant engineer on the record, produced “Black Star”. He’d go on to produce every Radiohead album from that point forward.

A Deep Dive into the Lyrics of “Black Star”

“Blame it on the black star,” Thom Yorke sings in the chorus to the track. “Blame it on the falling sky/Blame it on the satellite that beams me home.” The narrator doesn’t want to confront the reality of what’s actually killing his relationship. Better to put the onus on unseen forces out of their control. The truth is too painful.

In actuality, his partner’s mental state is causing the issues. Although the word “depression” is never mentioned, you can infer from the verses that it looms large here. He comes home at the opening song to find her wearing her “dressing gown” while in an agitated state. “I know all the things around your head/And what they do to you,” he admits.

The second verse brings more tumult. “The troubled words of a troubled mind” is the phrase used to describe her conversation. No longer can they count on physical intimacy to pull them out of their doldrums. “I try to stay awake, but it’s fifty-eight hours/Since that I last slept with you,” he complains.

The final verse seems to move us forward in time, as the narrator speaks of the relationship in the past tense. He finds himself adrift on the subway without her love to orient him. Yorke uses hyperbole to describe the narrator’s sad state. “I keep falling over, I keep passing out,” he says. “When I see a face like you.”

“I’m gonna melt down,” he admits before surging into the final chorus. “Black Stars” looks heavenward for answers. But it doesn’t offer this couple any way out of their own private hell.

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