Airbag (song)
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| "Airbag" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Radiohead | ||
| from the album OK Computer | ||
| Released | 16 June 1997 | |
| Recorded | 1996, 1997 | |
| Genre | Alternative Rock | |
| Length | 4:44 | |
| Label | Parlophone | |
| Producer(s) | Nigel Godrich with Radiohead | |
| OK Computer track listing | ||
| "Airbag" (1) |
"Paranoid Android" (2) |
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"Airbag" is the opening track of Radiohead's popular 1997 album OK Computer.
Originally entitled "An Airbag Saved My Life," a headline which Thom Yorke read in an AA manual that came in the mail. The title is also a play on the 1983 Indeep song "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life".
The song reflects the influence DJ Shadow has had on Radiohead, as the band made the track with a drum loop based on a three-second sample of Phil Selway's drumming. Jonny Greenwood comments on this, saying "Thom and Phil worked a whole day with the computer to cut up the drums and try to make it sound like DJ Shadow.". Phil Selway also comments on this, saying "It was actually DJ Shadow who inspired it, the way he cuts up beats is amazing. The end result doesn't really sound like what we were aiming for, but that's probably a good thing.".
Thom has also commented on the song, saying "Has an airbag saved my life? Nah... But I tell you something, every time you have a near accident, instead of just sighing and carrying on, you should pull over, get out of the car and run down the street screaming, 'I'm BACK! I'm ALIVE! My life has started again today!'. In fact, you should do that every time you get out of a car. We're just riding on those things - we're not really in control of them."
Colin Greenwood has also commented on the song, saying "We wanted it to be like Planet Telex off The Bends, a start that's not really anything like the rest of the album. It's quite dancey."
Ed O'Brien commented on the song's meaning, saying "It's about the wonderful, positive emotion you feel when you've just failed to have an accident; when you just miss someone and realise how close it was and stop the car and just feel this incredible elation. There's something joyous about it- life suddenly seems more precious."
Thom suggested that Airbag should begin with sleigh bells. The band thought it was a horrible idea, but Thom insisted and eventually got his way. He comments on this by saying "I can't believe I got away with that, even I didn't think it was a good idea."
After nearly dying when a dust storm hit his plane, while on a trip to Africa, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said ""There is a Radiohead song called 'Airbag' which says that every time you get out of a car you should celebrate that you are alive. I felt that getting off the plane. But it fired me up for the trip. I thought, 'I'm going to learn as much as I can and meet as many people as possible."
The song was also the title track to the 1998 EP Airbag/How Am I Driving?.
[edit] See also
| Radiohead |
|---|
| Thom Yorke • Jonny Greenwood • Ed O'Brien • Colin Greenwood • Phil Selway |
| Discography |
| Albums: Pablo Honey • The Bends • OK Computer • Kid A • Amnesiac • Hail to the Thief • TBA |
| EPs: Manic Hedgehog • Drill • Itch • My Iron Lung • No Surprises/Running from Demons • Airbag/How Am I Driving? • I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings • COM LAG |
| Singles: "Creep" • "Anyone Can Play Guitar" • "Pop Is Dead" • "Stop Whispering" • "My Iron Lung" • "High and Dry"/"Planet Telex" • "Fake Plastic Trees" • "Just" • "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" • "Lucky" • "Paranoid Android" • "Karma Police" • "No Surprises" • "Pyramid Song" • "Knives Out" • "There There" • "Go to Sleep" • "2 + 2 = 5" |
| DVDs: Live at the Astoria • 7 Television Commercials • Meeting People Is Easy • The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time |
| Related articles |
| Nigel Godrich • Stanley Donwood • Dead Air Space • Covers of Radiohead songs • Rare songs • Trivia |
| Other projects |
| Bodysong • The Eraser • Spitting Feathers |
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