Lucky

Forgive me gatecrashing the challenge. I've never consciously heard "OK Computer" or this track. I just read through the lyrics and this one resonated for some reason - serendipitously enough given it's Friday 13th! Hope no-one is offended by this effort bearing absolutely no relation to the original other than the lyric. Feels a bit like I've drunkenly decided to juggle with some Meissen china or something...

I'm on a roll, I'm on a roll
This time, I feel my luck could change
Kill me Sarah, kill me again with love
It's gonna be a glorious day

Pull me out of the aircrash
Pull me out of the lake
I'm your superhero
We are standing on the edge

The Head of State has called for me by name
But I don't have time for him
It's gonna be a glorious day
I feel my luck could change

Pull me out of the aircrash
Pull me out of the wake
I'm your superhero
We are standing on the edge

• play
• pause
• stop
• min volume
• max volume

posted by MajorDundee (13 comments total)

I'm a big Radiohad fan, and this one of my favourite tracks of theirs. I came along to this expecting to be disappointed.

But it's actually really good, it's a lovely interpretation, brings something really new to the track. Your voice is great with the guitar. Thanks for sharing :)
posted by ElliotH at 6:07 PM on July 13, 2012

D, as you well know (or probably have reckoned, at least), I'm also a big Radiohead fan, but I know you better than to expect disappointment. I really like the fresh take on the lyrics--it really shows how completely differently the same words can strike someone, especially without any reference of the original tune, style, chord progression, or arrangement. Well done, sir.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 10:34 PM on July 13, 2012

Wow, that was gorgeous!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:33 PM on July 13, 2012

It's quite different and quite good, truly and for sure.

It's worth noting that you ended up emphasizing mostly the same lines as are emphasized in the original, which is both a testament to your feel for a song as well as a testament to Thom Yorke's ability to write lyrics that effectively dictate the form of a song in an extremely compelling (in my view) way.
posted by TheRedArmy at 12:50 AM on July 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Well.....thank you very much everyone! I'm so glad and relieved that some people like this. I thought it might either be attacked as sacrilege or studiously ignored.

I've still not listened to the original......not entirely sure why I'm resisting doing that....well, actually, it's probably because it'll make me feel that my effort is crap and I'd rather not confront grim reality...

Can I just say too that the first time I saw the It's Raining Florence Henderson tag I guffawed - who is the estimable Florence??

We could probably debate for hours TheRedArmy's useful perspective on Yorke's lyrics dictating the form of the song. In this case, I had been messing about with those guitar chords in a fairly desultory way for a few days and hadn't intended to take part in the challenge (because Radiohead don't float my boat I'm afraid - but I know they're cherished by many, and that's cool). But I sort of half-heartedly leafed through the lyrics and, with my chords and the rhythm of them in mind, looked for something that in terms of metre/scansion seemed to have some kind of possibility. In a sense the actual subject matter of Yorke's lyric was secondary to the rhythmic "fit" I was looking for. Again it was perhaps a happy accident that the slightly elegaic mood set up by the chords fitted with the mood of the lyric. I am primarily a guitarist with strong jazz leanings, and improvising melody lines is something I can do all day long (note that I didn't say all my melody lines are good - most are shit but I get lucky sometimes). So coming up with a vocal melody was the least of my worries. The whole thing came together very quickly.

Now......that's my take on it. It might be however that there were more subconscious things going on which led me to the choice of lyric. Discuss. Actually, don't bother! Life's too short!!
posted by MajorDundee at 10:14 AM on July 14, 2012

Hey, happy accidents are how we roll--just wait 'till you hear our version of Lucky. It's NOTHING but happy accident.

Now: Pick your poison and listen. Take your medicine like a man.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 10:52 AM on July 14, 2012

Ok Loom - you've shamed me into listening to the original. It's not bad I suppose....(that said with a generous leavening of British understatement). Seriously - listening to it I'm even more amazed that you guys have responded so well to what I've done. I mean - it's chalk and cheese. So thanks again to all!
posted by MajorDundee at 2:40 PM on July 14, 2012

Nice one MD, great riff/sound and vocal lines, loved the matchup between the Radiohead lyrics and your ideas.

Florence Henderson.
posted by marienbad at 3:40 PM on July 15, 2012

Thanks marienbad....but still none the wiser re Flo - why would it be raining....uh......her??
posted by MajorDundee at 12:32 PM on July 16, 2012

My nic was born in this thread. I think it was my first sockpuppet, or certainly one of the first. But it really seemed to resonate with people, so I switched to that name and closed my original account, which I'd only been using for a few months.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:59 PM on July 16, 2012

MajorDundee, this is absolutely brilliant. I'm so glad you did the track, and that you did it without listening to the original. Your guitar playing is, as usual, perfect, and the arrangement and melody are inspired. Thank you!
posted by The World Famous at 9:49 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

Steady on old chap! I listened to this in the car today and (a) the bass is so hot it nearly dislodged my fillings (b) the guitar is slightly out of tune (more obvious in the intro arpeggios - I was using a capo and tuning is always a bit rough and ready there) and (c) the vocal misses a note or two. So.........not that great really. But, hey, many thanks!!

And thanks too It's Raining FH for the link. If I'd known about this I'm pretty sure that somewhere in this track I'd have slipped in a reference to Freebird.....
posted by MajorDundee at 12:03 PM on July 17, 2012

So, so lovely. A new favorite from this challenge. I think I'm in love with your voice.
posted by iamkimiam at 11:07 PM on July 25, 2012