I was in my car the other day humming Paranoid Android and i was thinking what does the song mean and this is what i think. It is about many things first of all but heres one it is about two countrys fighting (cold wAr) and they are all paranoid. There is a nuclear missle base and on this radar screen it shows a missle coming straight at their country and they dont know if it is malfuction or what and they dont know if they want to fire back or not and through all of this PANIC a man who works there starts thinking about his family and all of the bad things he has done in his life, and how he was a robot (android). He didnt think for himself. He starts to feel sick cause every one is screaming and all of thease things are running around in his head. And it happens to be just a big mistake and when he goes home he well probably go home like nothing happened because he cant say nothing because thats the way it is, the whole world in a panic.  And god is just watching us fight cause we are all children.

i have a theory regarding paranoid android, that it was inspired by douglas adams' "hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" serial.  first of all, the title references the character marvin, who is often referred to as a paranoid android.  secondly, there are the lines, "when i am king you will be first against the wall," which is very similar to a passage in, i believe, the book "the restaurant at the end of the universe" where some company or other is said to have been "the first ones against the wall when the revolution came".  more obscure, and probably more false is the "unborn chicken voices in my head" line, which i think refers to the one remaining survivor of a famine-ravaged planet who had tons of fried eggs dropped on him by the infinite improbability drive...that one's probably wrong, but the others seem pretty clear cut.

In my opinion, Paranoid Android is the perfect story of a drunk man.  He starts quite, then he had an euphoric moment, then a depressive moment, and then he throw meal up (the panic the vomit).  Everything surrounded by noises.

Isntit?

By Jed Sundwall

I wouldn't know how to explain this as it is extremely difficult to explain anything from OK Computer.  It's such an emotional song.  Paranoid Android conveys a real sense of disgust and bewilderment with 1st world economics.  
The entire album does.  What happens to humans when they sell themselves (their souls) to money?  Bitterness, backstabbing, ladder climbing, intolerance, panic and general distrust of your associate employee contemporaries (paranoia).  The last lines stike me quite a bit:

  That's it sir
  You're leaving
  The crackle of pigskin
  The dust and the screaming
  The yuppies networking
  The panic, the vomit
  The panic, the vomit

  God loves his children,
  God loves his children, yeah...

Just listen to his voice when he sings "The yuppies networking."  There's some kind of drama, anguish or pity oozing out of it.  Beautiful.  And the song closes with a bit of cynisism.  It seems more like a question to me: can God love these people who "lock up their spirits and live for their secrets?"  OK Computer is the BEST

By Hampo

Paranoid android is about someone who wants everything, gets it by ditching his/her freinds. They then get what they want and can't cope and wished they'ed stayed with their freinds.

Picture the scene, a Univesity students flat. His mates pissing about and whilst he's trying to study and formulate his ideas. "Please could you stop the noise I'm tryna get some rest, from all these unborn chicken voices (unhatched plans ideas) in my head" Mate comes over and says what you doin' "Whats thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat" Can't you see i'm busy, I'm studying and you'll wish you did as well when I'm really successful. "whne I am king you will be first against the wall "

and so on I'm bored now I might send the rest one day Bye

By Evan Roskos

Paranoid Android is a patchwork song, according to Radiohead, so i think it's safe to say that it isn't unified by one concept. the beginning is broad. it has this feeling of selfishness (the first line) and guilt (the second line infers that the voice feels bad for all of the chickens that die for people's breakfast). The 'when i am king' line returns to the self-centered BS that comes from the enlightenment. The whole idea that the individual is an important and superior thing. This idea has been perverted (or IS perverted) in modern times because people convince themselves that they are more important than other people, no matter what. and of course, everyone wants to be king or queen. the 'why don't you remember my name' part could continue this idea, but it also seems to be referring to consumerism. it could be the voice of a corporation or a product that believes it is superior ot everything else. so, a cosumer that forgets a products name is worthless in capitalist society. from then on it just bleeds generalities referencing gucci and yuppies and pouring out into vomit.

By Tobias Krause

I always felt, that it is about how modern life and society can influence a person up to the point where he or she becomes paranoid. There are, in my opinion, some parallels to "The Wall". It begins with a begging by the singer to leave him alone or at least to let him live a more "relaxed" life ("please could you stop the noise, I'm trying to get some rest.."). It then becomes clear, that he already is on the edge of cracking up ("voices in my head"). He doesn't understand what's happening around him ("what's that..."). The next lines show, how he imagines being in charge of society (like in "The Wall"), and how he would react ("When I am king..."). There's also a hint at the non-interest of many people ("your opinion, which is of no consequence at all"). What follows is an angry description of specific members of society, that drive him mad ("pretty ugly...-...gucci little piggy"). He can't help but express his deep anger towards this ("off with his head"). This could, however, also be a sign, that he, by going insane, begins act in a strange way - much like 'Pink' in 'The Wall' ends up as a terrible politic terror after cracking up. Suddenly, however, there's a sharp break, perfectly illustrated by the change in the musical landscape. He suddenly realizes, what has happened to him. He's almost too miserable for words, and can only whimmer (is there a word like that in English?) about the situation ("rain down..."). This is underlined by short phrases about the things that are going on ("the crackle of pigskin"..."the yuppies networking"). Out of this deep grief emerges another attack of musical anger, that serves as a coda of this fascinating song...

By Aaron Giuoco

The Paranoid Android perfectly captures the feeling of paranoia. Just listen to the changes in the song. It starts with a confused pleading to stop the voices or guilt over the consumption of an animal, an innocent one at that (unborn chickens). It then moves into the paranoid delusion of grandeur and power to be able to kill all of his "enemies" and silence their opinions. The character then begins his rage with a denunciation of his "betters" who walk around in name brand clothes and feign that they do not know him. But then he comes back down to earth and begs again for salvation from his debilitating paranoia, "Rain down, rain down on me / From a great height, from a great height". He searches for relief from a higher power, either God or those he considers his superiors (maybe he wants acceptance?). Finally, he finds solace in the fact that God loves his children before once again flying off into a fit of rage, this time it is of the silent type, as he speaks no more words. But the manner in which he sings that verse might indicate that God is really those who ignore him, for they only love their children or those who are like them.

But why the android? It is a reference to the robotic mold that all of us are pressed into daily. An android is not completely robotic. It is half man, half machine. So are we in many respects. All of us struggle to maintain our humanity, our individualism in this cardboard cut-out world we live in. Conformity is acceptance. But to blindly conform is to relinquish our free will. Thus we are no more than robots that need to be told what to wear, who to be friends with, and so on. This internal fight between conformity and individualism is exemplified by the paranoid android. For to be truly individualistic is to isolate one's self from mainstream society. This isolation thus brings on the paranoia that is fed by the "i don't know you" attitude of society at large. Could the Paranoid Android thus be the most human amongst us? Willing to sacrifice his sanity for his humanity, for his individualism?

By Lars Walken

I'd say in light of all the recent office shootings in the states that the song could very well be about corporate office angst. Your normal guy goes to work everyday at the same job, at the same cubical having to listen to the constant noises, whether it be the broken and whining fluorescent light buzzing, or the water cooler bubbling up every fifteen seconds or even the constant ringing of phones and the chatter of fools in the surrounding cubicles. He constantly dreams about a better life and more power over his existence, and plots what he would do with this power. He has five or six bosses who constantly micromanage, turning the employees into nothing more than mindless and senseless robots. Finally he gets sick of it all; the commercialism, the office, everything the 90's hold dear from $4.50 coffees, to 20 dollar undies from Gucci. He snaps and begins screaming and ranting at his bosses. They now see him as a person and stick a name with a face, instead of a cubical number. After calming down and getting the attention of his coworkers eh babbles out his cryptic theories on life, and they too soon start to revolt and rise up against the forces that kept the People in "Anthem" mindless and with a view of themselves as individuals and against the commercialism, materialism, the sterility and the sameness in "brave new world."

It seems almost pointless to put an interpretation on a song like this, or almost any other song by radiohead. Their music is like abstract art, or poetry in the sense that evokes an emotional response every time you hear it. Each person adds something to the song from a past experience, creating completely different meanings for anyone who listens.

By Ruari Kerr

Taken as a complete song, PA could be seen to describe the life and death of a person. As the song begins, he is a young child "trying to get some rest" whilst the people around him argue and squawk like chickens. He is curious about the world around him ("what's that?"). In the next verse, he is at school, vowing to the other children who mock him that "when I am king, you will be first against the wall" and that their opinions are "of no consequence at all". Then he says "what's that?" again, but this time he does not understand the work he is set at school.

He continues growing up, and we join him next as a penniless twentysomething, whilst all his schoolmates are rich & successful. He meets one of these people and tells him "ambition makes you look pretty ugly-kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy". The man doesn't recognise him and our "hero" asks him "why don't you remember my name?". He becomes angry and asks for justice from above: "off with his head man!".

The narrator begins to think "why don't he remember my name-i guess he does"-he believes his old "friend" knows who he is but wants to anmnoy him. In anger, the narrator attacks the man, and this is symbolised by the first guitar solo. The narrator is now in prison, and has become stoical, content to let the "rain down on me". He believes that he has ascended to a higher level-a "great height"from which he watches the world go by-"the yuppies networking". He sees "the dust and the screaming, the panic, the vomit" and becomes incensed again at the unfairness of the world. As the guitar solo returns in a slightly different form, he lashes out in pure rage, and we leave him here, alone in prison, angered at a situation he cannot possibly affect.

By Nacho

i think paranoid android is a song representing a life style. i believe that radiohead (or the one who wrote it, maybe thom) is sick of these bullshit life of little human robots (refering to people) and expresses all these feelings towards these persons. the people that are mensioned in this song are the ones that think they have the control of life, death and even love. the yoopies are mensioned in the ¨soft¨ part of the song, and i believe that they are the ones he is talking about.

when i am king you will be first against the wall.

By Jacob Bonk

The Panic The Vomit

Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" shows the different emotions a middle-class citizen could generate towards the upper-class. Songwriter Thom Yorke is able to describe the feelings of an oppressed man who is the "paranoid android" of the song. This android goes through a series of emotions including fear, submission, disgust, rebellion, and anger. "Please could you stop the noise I'm trying to get some rest, from all the unborn chicken voices in my head" is the opening line and it indicates that the android is afraid. This fear is possibly of himself, but most likely it sounds as if he is scared of everyone telling him what to do. His voice is timid, and he is pleading the line to the outside voices. He is trying to rest and become himself, but the voices keep interrupting him. The noise might be the rules and regulations that are being sent down by the upper-class. There are two visualizations that I imagine when I hear the pleading in his voice. I can almost picture someone cowering in a dark corner trying to get away from the world which shows the fear of the android. However, I also can imagine a man standing tall and alone, posing his question to the darkness. He is already showing signs of rebellion as he stands up for himself and his right to think. This idea comes from the next group of lines, which show a drastic change in the android's thinking. "When I am king you will be first against the wall, with your opinions which are of no consequence at all" shows the dream of the android is to take over the upper-class and make them pay for the wrongs they have done to him. This is a fairly common theme among oppressed people: They want to turn the tables. Unfortunately, what would probably occur is much like what was already happening, and another class struggle will ensue. The android seemingly wants to punish more than one person, because he uses the phrase "You will be first against the wall". This implies that there will be more people following the prime target. If he had instead said "You will be against the wall" then it would mean he just wants to punish one person. Instead though, he has a general contempt for those that are above him, either because they have power or they have money. Before addressing the problems of the rich, the Yorke slips in the line "Ambition makes you look very ugly". This quote can easily be singled out because it doesn't feel like the other lines. But it should not be put to the side nor should it be forgotten. On the contrary, it is one of the most important lines of the song. It is a proclamation by the android/Yorke that if you try too hard at something, you lose yourself. You can not be original by trying to be just that, nor can you be original by following someone else who is. The only way to truly be yourself is by not trying to be anything. The android sees the upper-class trying to be like each other and he sees the middle-class, including himself, trying to be like the upper-class. That is what makes them androids. They have all lost their imaginations and are basically one and the same. They can still be separated by class though, because of the ideals they hold. The android capitalizes on this, especially the financial standing of the upper-class. "Kicking, squealing, Gucci little piggy" shows the anger and disgust that the android has for those who have excess money. These are the people who can afford to buy designer clothes, like Gucci, and he makes them out to be pigs which kick, squeal, and are dirty. People who "have it all" are usually the type to complain about insignificant things and to whine about things they want. The android is upset by this attitude because he has much less, yet he complains about real problems. This is a reflection of society and the way many people feel about those who are of a higher-class than them. Because people of high-society are "above the law" and don't seem to worry about following the rules, the middle-class are the ones who are at fault for many of the crimes and difficulty within society. The tempo of the song picks up at this point as the lines "Why don't you remember my name, off with his head man," are sung. The assumption is that the lines are spoken by God to the upper-class. He is judging them for their carefree attitudes and the fact that they have forgotten about him. They are now responsible for their own problems, and they are not prepared because they have always shunned them off upon the middle-class. The lines from God end with "Why won't he remember my name? I guess he does." This is a bit of sarcasm straight from God. It could possibly mean that as the upper-class citizens are dying their last words are "Oh God" or something similar. At the mention of his name, God would kind of chuckle to himself that they do remember his name, but just a little too late. He is happy because he is now able to save the middle-class, who have always tried to be responsible for the upper-class. The line "rain down on me, from a great height" has a double meaning. First it could be showing how the android takes the blame for the problems of the upper-class. The millions of raindrops that are falling upon him are his responsibilities, and the great height is where these responsibilities are coming from. It could also be the power of God raining down from heaven upon both classes. The android is happy because he is being saved. It is a seemingly sarcastic line as it is repeatedly drawn out and pleaded by the android to let it happen. It sounds soulful yet has an odd feeling, as if the android would have a big grin on his face as he sings. We can assume the truth of the lines is that they are direct statements towards the upper-class. The android knows he is being saved, and he can't help but point it out to those who have caused their own demise. This is an inclination of how disgusted he is with the upper-class. This disgust is soon brought forth with full force as the next group of lines is sung. The last verse is an Armageddon for the song. It shows the upper-class dying and the middle-class praising God, who they believe to have saved them. "That's it sir your leaving" has a definite command feeling, as it sounds like a police officer 's tone of voice. It could be the voice of God telling the rich and powerful that there time is up. It is followed by the lines "the crackle of pig skin, the dust and the screaming" which are a connection to the line about the Gucci piggy. It gives the impression of a pig withering and drying out. This would be the upper-class, who are meant to die, according to the android. They are screaming and crying out either in pain or to try and explain their sins to God. "The yuppies networking" is a sarcastic remark about how the upper-class usually do business, and how it is failing them now. They are trying to network, or use their connections, to try and save themselves. "The panic, the vomit" is the realization that they are done for and no matter what they do now, they are going to die. It is unclear whether they are supposed to die directly by God's hand or through an uprising by the middle-class, but it is really not important. The last lines, "God loves his children, God loves his children, Yeah!" is a chant-like cry from the middle-class, thanking their savior. The "paranoid android"/Yorke is saved at the end, but the song is mainly about the emotions that he faced while living as a middle-class citizen towards the upper-class. A new emotion is discovered after further review of the song and that is happiness. The android has triumphed.

By Charlie Russell

I think this song is about a seemingly simple character. He lives a simple life, but there is a hole in it somewhere. He needs to find out what it really is and in his desperate search for that gateway home, he encounters several emotions. One, the calm of a warm sunny day that suddenly drifts its way into a haterid thus the lyrics (when i am king you will be first against the wall). Soon he slowly has these paranoid thoughts of never finding that zen. (Off with his head now). Then the time comes after this explosion of emotion when he can't take it and just breaks out into a level of insanity that brings him to a very calmed feeling. An exit from his torn life for a few minutes. Then he realizes his life will never be complete and rips his last hair out of his head. That man never did find himself. Then he goes to sleep just to wake for a new day.

By Josh Spiceland

the speaker is going insane, or has already gone insane. when he tries to sleep, he hears unborn chicken voices in his dreams. even in the daytime he hears the voices. other people notice that something is wrong, and they try to interfere, but the speaker stops them and knows that he isnt insane, but instead, he will be king because of what he is being forced to go through. and so he will kill all that get in his way. But then when it is over, and he thought that he would become king, but he doesnt, he yells iinto the streets, "why dont you remember my name?" he was supposed to be king and finally have the power to 'off with his head'.

so, finally, when he realises that he wont become king, he is terribly depressed and sings the little bit about 'rain down on me from a great haaaeeeiiii". then suddenly it all starts again, and the voices return. he hears the crackle of pigskin, the yuppies networking, the dust and the screaming all in his head. more than he ever heard before. he panics, because he doesnt know if this one is more real than the one he went through before. he vomits. 'god loves his children'.

'god'= the voices inside his head. and now he is happy that god has returned. yeah!

By XxCarouselxX@cs.com

I basically see it as a man struggling to find his identity, and dealing with life. Basically in a fit of depression. He goes from confusion about what is going on, then onto controlling, and angry, then he despises anyone who doesnt see it his way, then he feel greif. Then he a phrase meaning to put them against a firing squad, or to line someone up and slit their neck. It shows a struggle for power. Then he finally gives up, and "rains down on me" is a sign of hopelessness and letting the emotional distress take over and take control. Then he loses all hope when thinking about life in general, and seeing that there is so much unhappiness in the world, then a sarcastic "god loves his children"

By Rajinder Chauhan

the title is about life as we know it today and thoms interpretation. a android, something that works from programmed rules and regulations and to add to it it is paranoid, scared and full of fear.

I think the song can be sumed up about a hope to be free and blissfully ecstatic (rain down etc.) The beginning is a statement of general superficial factors that exist in this day and age... there is the atmosphere of the beginning at the end of the song too, showing firstly the hope to escape but the difficulty of escaping too...

I think this song is about abuse of power. Especially in the line "When I am king, you will be first against the wall", meaning "defy me and die".
Also, this leader thinks all their power comes from God ("Rain down/ Rain down/ Come on, rain down on me... from a great height").
The last verses talk about how when this leader becomes so powerful, that he destroys his own state. I think the line "The panic, the vomit" refers to nuclear bombs. Of course, you panic, and those who survive the explosion get radiation sickness (and usually when you're sick, you throw up).
And how Thom sings "God loves his children" in a somewhat sarcastic tone, means "How can we consider ourselves products of the Creator if we're so corrupt and always killing each other off?"

Anyway, go rent it and I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about. Thanks for your time and comments are welcomed.

Also the lines "Ambition makes you look very ugly. Kicking squealing Gucci little piggy" remind me of the ever increasing fashion-conscious population and the people who spend thousands on looking good (they have the ambition to be the most glamorous person on Earth). Thom, as it says on the biog pages of this website, has a great love of clothes. Perhaps he's angry at the prices he's forced to pay for good clothes?!

See: kicking-sporty
Scwealing-scarey
Guchi-posh
little-baby
Piggy- the fat ginger one!

That line is about the spice girls!!!!

I think the song is basically from the viewpoint of an Android. His wires are all messed up, and he doesn't know what's going on, and that's why he has 'all the unborn chicken voices in my head'. He thinks that he will take over the world one day, 'cause humans are pretty dumb, so he thinks their opinions have no consequence, and that he can kill them all when he becomes king.
Then he realises he doesn't have a name, and goes nuts. He doesn't have a name 'cause he's a robot.

And at the very end, he's totally malfunctioning, and is blurting out things that make no sense.

That's my two cents, anyway.