Radiohead: Pyramid Song - Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
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* ‘Pyramid Song’, written by Thom Yorke with contributions from Jonny Greenwood and Philip Selway, is one of Radiohead's most enduringly popular songs. In this essay, I analyse the harmony, rhythm and form of the song and suggest that the hypnotic feeling you get whilst listening to it comes about as a result of the music’s complex substructure. A lot of the content and inspiration for this essay comes from Brad Osborn's fantastic book 'Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead'. If you're interesting in diving into the complex theory behind Radiohead's songs, then I thoroughly recommend you purchase this book (link below).
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EXPLANATION OF MOTIF NAMES
- Intro: First motif to be heard in the song
- Pyramid: Most used motif in the song
- Radix: When the notes of the major/minor thirds in each the chords of this motif are plotted against time (number of beats), the sequence looks like a square root sign (√), called a 'Radix' (Radix comes from the Latin for 'root')
- BACH: The major/minor thirds in the chords in this motif are, in order, A♮, G#, B, A#. If you transpose this sequence up a semitone (half-step), you get B♭, A, C, B♮. This is known as the 'BACH' motif - in German musical nomenclature, 'B' signifies a B♭ and 'H' signifies a B♮.
FURTHER WATCHING
Radiohead - Pyramid Song [Music Video]: • Radiohead - Pyramid Song
Everything In Its Right Place: A Conversation with Brad Osborn: • Everything In Its Righ...
FURTHER READING/RESEARCH
Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead (Brad Osborn) - global.oup.com...
#radiohead #pyramidsong
Hi everyone - you might notice that there is a period in the video for about a minute where the video is blurred. This is to get it unblocked for the time-being while I contest the copyright claim. Hope you still enjoy it!
Glad you got it back. I was trying to watch this video recently and saw it was taken down.
Good work on the video. I really liked it.
It coincided with the analysis of the F# as a dominant to a nowhere-to-be-found B minor, and how it maybe isn't possible to define a key -- and I was thinking "What a brilliant visual depiction"
it would help if you mentioned this in the video. very disconerting.
What’s crazy about Radiohead is i can see them intentionally doing this all on purpose but i can also see this all being one big coincidence because they’re just THAT good.
I feel quite the same but I wouldn't say coincidence, I'd say it's both construction and feelings, intertwined. Or let's say, making coincidences happen from feelings/ideas and build around it, maybe, I don't know, I want to know.
It’s on purpose. Because they are that good.
i would consider it coincidence if the rest of their music wasn’t also this thought out
@@lockyp204 Thom said he knocked this song out in 'five minutes,' so to a certain extent it's all coincidental genius. But Phil's drumming is definitely more considered and just incredible.
Id like to know their writing process. If they improvise most their music, they just are that good. If they write it and have clear intentions as they do, they still are that good.
Genius manifests in many ways
I was lucky enough to see Radiohead perform Pyramid Song, it felt like the outdoor stadium was going to disconnect from the Earth and fly us into outer space. I had to walk outside during the next song to gather myself. FEELING that song live has an effect on my body and mind
Wow, you _were_ lucky! I can imagine how you must've felt because I feel similarly just listening to the song by myself. Hearing it live with thousands of other people vibing to it must be an out-of-body experience.
Same here. Outdoor show on the summer. Amnesiac tour. It was an out of body experience.
Around 1999 or 2000 they came to my country and played three nights in a row. I went to all three shows. The first two were in a regular hall, but the third was played in an ancient Roman amphitheatre, and that's when Thom pulled out a piano and played this song solo. Amnesiac wasn't even out yet, so none of us had ever heard this. Nobody knew how to react, it was dead silent except for the music. Of course, when it was over, the whole place exploded with cheers. Best concert I've ever been to, not even a contest.
Always felt the lyrics to this song referred to Jeff Buckley’s tragic swim in the Wolf River in Memphis. The Pyramid is located there, the falsetto, “black-winged angel,” so many references
💯 agree
this just blew my mind
It's 'black-eyed angel', but yes I agree
Too much final fantasy my friend
That would make sense given Thom Yorke was influenced by Jeff Buckley.
When this song came out, I was a musicology student in my third year and spent ages analysing the form of the song just in my bedroom, counting the beats and making the patterns make sense in my own mind. This video reminded me of those days, and it was delightful to see the notes written out, too. Thank you.
Insane production value, keep it going :)
Thank you so much - I will keep going!
Wait it’s that anime reviewer I used to be subbed to
@@tvnorminstudio3080 no. It's the one you should be subbed to
Didn’t know you were a music enjoyer too..
I mean, you used Chrono trigger music in your vids at one point.
Its officially cannon. Scamboli likes Radiohead.
I've just stumbled across your channel and I'm blown away! If you keep producing such stunning and thoughtful videos I predict that in 12 months time you'll have 100k subscribers for sure! Well done and keep going ✨✨
Wow, thank you! I really appreciate that. I've been watching your videos for a long while - they've been a big inspiration. The only thing I find challenging is actually coming up with video ideas. How do you find yours?
Listening In I’m glad you like my videos too! For topics, I generally find ideas when I’m listening to music casually... something interesting will catch my ear and I’ll make a note of it. Then when I have found a few examples with a common thread the video begins to write itself 🙂
That's interesting - thank you for letting me know. I like that, 'write itself' - you make it sound so easy...!
12 months later, he has 60k subscribers
African Priest It’s been 11 months and he’s gained 50k subscribers in that time! I certainly think he’s on his way to 100k. It’s just a matter of time 😃
I’m starting to think Radiohead is WAY different than I assumed
Kid A and Amnesiac are trips down to the bone.
What were you assuming? :3
me too
Bro they went to Oxford
@@suburbanindie cool?
Great analysis. Tonal uncertainty is a marvellous thing. I find it fascinating how some of the greatest pieces of music actually defy modern musical analysis to a certain extent. This shows us that music theory is primarily descriptive and shouldn't be considered to be proscriptive - if it sounds good, it is good.
You need to learn the rules so you can figure out how to bend/break them
Hi. Brad Osborn here. Absolutely fantastic work, and very generous toward my own scholarship!
Thank you so much Brad! I couldn't have done this essay without your book!
Oh my god your graphics are getting even better than they already were, that's incredible. Holy shit man
I’m pretty sure the background is from the music video.
I remember when I first heard this song, it was on MTV, I was hypnotised by the music and the video. As soon as it finished I run to the record shop to buy Amnesiac.
Yeah I also discovered it trough MTV. At first I didn't like it but listening to it many times I've found deep, deep connection to it's haunting sound. Unfortunately I forgot the name of the band, and for many years I've searched for it. I remember rediscovering it at internet cafe in mid school. This day was a very special day for me. From now on I knew, and could discover my love for Radiohead music!
This has to be one of the best edited videos I saw in my life. I know huge part of it was the Pyramid Song itself, but I got goosebumps from listening to this video. Excellent job.
Thank you so much Vladimir!
SMELLS LIKE THEY PULLED THIS TUNE FROM JACK BRUCE - MORNING STORY from Harmony row album
Pyramid song always reminds me of Satie’s gnossienne no. 3. I know it’s a weird comparison and I’m not sure why exactly but I think it’s just that they both have that dark ethereal quality to them.
people call it a complex song when its the complete opposite, and thats its genius. its a simple arrangement done in a way to make it seem more complex, just like all the best art in the world.
i love those quiet string noises at beggining sounding like crowd talking and those weird noises sounding like police sirens
Absolutely lovely analysis! The production quality is insane
Thank you Varun!
Please make more Radiohead content, this is AMAZING!!
PLEAAAASSEEEEE!!!!!
As aggravating as it can be to hear theory applied to music - like revealing the mechanics of emotion - you do an excellent job of balancing the academic and analytical with the mystic and wonder of the listening experience.
Enough so, that I realize any frustration to the analysis of one of my favorite songs, did not spoil the secrets of the experience, but expanded it.
Reminds me of the first time I ever heard this song; the feeling of letting go of the familiar and floating into the unknown - a feeling of uneasy followed by a deep and primal sense of awe and wonder.
I don't understand why this channel has so little recognition. Your analysis was fantastic, and the video is made with great expertise. I hope you go big!
The best is missing: the drum fill in the beginning. Out of this world entrance into the groove
Probably my favourite Radiohead drum fill. The song takes such a beautiful turn there.
I’m in literal tears over this. Music is a pure, pure emotional force.
I'm quite angry at RUclips for only showing me this channel now! 😱
They should really work on their discovery principles...
This. Is. Great!
impressive. A magnificent tribute done to the song that moves me the most... I could listen to it over and over again and still be transported by the beauty of it. It's been 19 years and it has the same impact on me that it had back then....
Completely agree!
Brilliant analysis. I love this song by Radiohead, so hypnotic, ethereal and listenable all at the same time. I realised there was something magical about the song but having watched your video the attention to rythmical/harmonic detail and interplay between the members of the band in this piece is as you say astonishing. A remarkable achievement. Loved the video, subbed immediately.
Nice profile picture!
@@HungryTacoBoy Thanks :)
Before I get grilled: I like Radiohead as much as the next guy. But, it still strikes me as funny how the syncopation is glorified all over modern music history. All the body movements they make and all the confusion they try to overcome is attributed to brilliance in some way, rather than to being relatively inexperienced to it. A slow syncopation like this is not very challenging to play, on the whole spectrum of music skill. Yet: Hoobastank's The Reason has a much faster syncopation, being very confusing to play for a first time. Zero body movements and other gimmicks like double-time thinking involved. The amount of rave and credit they get: zero. Oh well :) Still love this song.
@@FrankyFeedlerdid "the reason" not get hugely popular? I think pyramid song gets the nod about syncopation because there's a LOT going on behind it. Not suggesting Hoobastank's song is simple, but in terms of complexity, pyramid song is considerably more complex due to the layers of syncopation and off rhythms and time signature meanderings. "The reason" is under graduate and "pyramid song" is doctorate level. But both should be appreciated, for sure.
@@Bennyscrap Hugely popular: yes, anyone raving about the brilliance of its syncopation: no. Again at fear of getting roasted: "pyramid song" is far from doctorate level. Again I love Radiohead, but that would be a disservice to the many people actually at doctorate level. Example (still not the most difficult yet many levels beyond said songs): Dream Theater - Breaking all Illusions. Uneven time signatures, switching to syncopation mid-riff, multiple styles and it all sounds totally accessible and musical.
This is my favorite Radiohead song. This song is a spell.
Love the subtle use of James MacMillan in the background - Seven Last Words from the Cross was 8 years before this song!!
I'm so proud of Radiohead...and so thankful for their music, it has brought me much healing over the years. A great breakdown L.I.
My dude, the production value on these essays is insane! You're doing amazing work, keep it up!
Thank you so much Samuel! Glad you're enjoying the essays!
still the song of theirs that I love the most. Thanks for such a great breakdown. Nick Drake`s Riverman also has that ebb & flow.
I played this song in my senior recital, and at the first rehearsal the piano intro didn't work. The pianist wasn't very familiar with Radiohead and was just following the sheet. That's when we figured out it has swing!!
i love music academics they always uncover things us mortals never can
i saw a lot of pyramid song analysis videos but never someting like these. Completly insane.
fantastic analysis. Very easy to understand, yet not simplistic. Great video as a whole. This is going, and staying in my favourite list.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed this one in particular - getting the balance between complexity and simplicity took a while, so I'm pleased it showed.
i heard him say revolving and the amnesiac cover literally flashed in my brain
Man radioheads music has always been a melancholic hug for me since I was 13 years old, I am now 22 and I still listen to their music especially when I'm in a situation where their music perfectly fits in
Ive been listening their music since 2000 year. Im still 19
4/4 Is normal time but done so strangly in this song, symbolizing death how it is normal yet strange at the same time.
I don't know if you have heard Liszt's second ballade, but about a minute into the piece a chord sequence is played which sounds eerily similar to the progression in the song. Not sure if Radiohead was inspired by this but i like to think so! Also i recommend listening to the entire ballade if you haven't. I'm a big fan of Liszt and can gladly say it's one of my favourite pieces of his.
This song has a very, very special place in my heart and a story! Masterpiece!
One of my favourite songs of all time, thank you so much for appreciating it.
Respect and admiration from my side to this amazing analysis. In my opinion, alongside Everything in its right place, this is the best example of the genius of TY and the rest of the band, which is unrivaled in the context of modern popular music. It is so complex when analyzed, so imagine actually having the instinct to create it. I always like to mention that those two songs were allegedly written in the same week. That was a good week for music.
love your supportive wash of strings to accompany the descriptions of the various themes!
Behind the pyramid theme, it's from one of the movements of James Macmillan's Seven Last Words.
What a great video. Midlife Synthesist turned me on but I'm subbing. I've loved this song from the moment I heard it but never even considered what made it tick. Thanks!
The visuals of this video were amazing with the music, it really helped with the "hypnosis" part of the song
Incredible video, I didn’t think this song could be any cooler. You ve actually made it seem more mystical with your analysis
stumbled upon this song on spotify, didn’t know there was so much history behind it
I don’t understand music theory, or rather I’ve never studied it, but you did a splendid job of making sense of something so complex. I used to sit on my floor and try to imagine the moving parts of this song in full color and shape. You helped me put this exercise in order. 👏
This analysis was posted when I was playing this song in the marching band. I remember being blown away when you mentioned that the "3 3 4 3 3" palindrome rhythm outlines the faces of a pyramid. Thank you for making this song sound more interesting than it already is.
I am blown away. Thanks
What an incredible video, how have a only stumbled across this now? Fantastic stuff.
I can’t stop coming back here… ❤
absolutely brilliant analysis, you did this song justice.
thank you very much for the wonderful video. pyramid song is one of the greatest pieces of recorded music ever, IMHO. thank you
SO happy I stumbled upon this! Stunning analysis !
Thank you so much!
I don't know what it is about the title but it just has this magnetic draw for me.
Simply put: brilliant, just a brilliant analysis. Thank you so much for that and your work in general.
i sometimes play this at night while falling asleep
i always say, Selway’s work on Amnesiac is outstanding.
The piano part is inspired by Liszt 's Ballade n. 2 in B minor.
I am crying just watching this. Brilliant.
Bruh! Your video editing is gorgeous! I would say - it's art, man.
Bravo! Many of us have no idea why we are drawn to such a beautiful and hypnotic song. The freaking genius of Radiohead.
Man, best music analysis channel I've seen in a long while.
Thank you so much!
Not only the song is an incredible masterwork, but even this video with its music added to explication... A trascendental trip out of reality... loved it!!!
I much enjoy how you lay down the score visually, Barnaby. Your sheet music is always remarkably clean and well animated.
Thank you Christian!
This is one of the most resonant analyses I’ve ever been privileged with experiencing. 🤯
one of the best analysis till this point
You deserve more attention! This is incredible!
Thank you so much!
First time I heard this (on release) I knew it was more profound than most people realise - and seeing the Egyptian exhibition at the O2 a good few years back confirmed the inspiration - the boat and belongings ready for the journey to the afterlife "nothing to fear" - I think Thom saw the exhibition somewhere else - so yes it is profound lyrically from the point of view of a dead pharoah - but the music is too and this video helps underline that. Maybe it is instinctive with Thom, maybe it was planned - probably to him it felt pleasing and complete that way as a palindrome whether intended or not.
love the depth of analysis and musical theory you delve into Bear Grylls
this video in incredible, thanks for sharing, really opened my eyes to the layers of this masterpiece
i cant play piano but i got one to search for these chords. Awesome content although i have to critizisee our times and the oveeranalyzation, i found everytrhing per ear, i figured out why i like things, why some things cause a different effect. to keep a few of these informations unillluminateed adds to the magic vise versa
Every time I hear this song, I cry my eyes out.
I really wish I could find some piano pieces like the beginning of this song. That sad melancholy feel is hypnotic, need full piano pieces like those
I know what you mean. _Codex_ (From the Basement) and Thom's piano solo of the brilliant _Ingenue_ are stunning too. ♡
Idk if any of these are what you’re looking for but some of my favs: Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit no. 2, Rachmaninov prelude in C sharp minor, Tchaikovsky the sick doll, Rei I(neon genesis), L’amour impitoyable(berserk)
you have put it beautifully. i can grasp now more consciously the mystery behind this song and i think i actually like it even more since i first watched you video. thanks for the analysis
Mate. What a video. Amazing.
This has been my favourite Radiohead song for a long time. Interesting to delve into it like this.
Excellent analysis of this song!
The blurred video is very fitting for the song. Like you’re half asleep, or sleepwalking in a dream, or underwater…
This is easily the best RUclips video I’ve ever seen.
nice use of the macmillan
Radiohead have many, many brilliant songs. But this one haunted me for about a year. Everyday.
Brilliant thanks so much for this 🧡
That is how you break a song down.. Wow👏
Great analysis. Not a radiohead fan yet but now I might become one
Again god your graphics are killer man. Keep it up!
Thanks Andy! You should definitely listen to their songs. I'd start with 'Amnesiac' (the album that contains 'Pyramid Song'), then go to 'Kid A'. Really glad you liked the visuals. When I found out how to do that dissolving effect, I was very pleased!
The Midlife Synthesist sent me here too! Now subscribed
your channel was just recommended to me by a friend - this is a great video, really professionally done. I was shocked to see you've only got 1k views so far! Your video deserves way more than that. I've subscribed. Keep them coming! Thanks
Thank you! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video. I hope you also like what I've got planned!
WOW this analysis is a piece of art in itself :-) Thank you very much for this!
It's as of this song was composed by a mathematician and it became a beautiful art. The genius of Radiohead!
A esto le llamo contenido de muy alta calidad, impresionante análisis y asombrosa edición. Cheers.
brilliant breakdown of a brilliant song - thank you
This was incredibly interesting. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Fantastic video. I can't even imagine how long this took to put together. Thanks for your work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Everything.. In it's right place
Powerful analysis of a song that packs a much stronger punch than you'd think at first listen. Thanks.
I can feel your admirational vibe for radiohead throughout the whole video, and that's all I needed, perhaps :)
I don’t subscribe to any channels. This beautiful song intrigues me and your analysis was so complete, yet you still leave the solution to the listener. Brilliant, and subscribed.
Thank you! Welcome to the channel!
I think both you and Brad Osborn are overthinking the key. The F# is clearly the tonic chord. Every time the song returns to it feels resolved. What's not clear is whether it's based around a Phrygian scale or a Phrygian dominant scale or what. There's a little of both in there. But just because it switches modes doesn't mean it's not in F#.
Your video production and composition, structure, clarity is nothing short of stunning. Immediate subscriber.
Ugh Id love to see more videos like this on ✨ Radiohead ✨
It has Messiaen’s influence. Quartet to the End of Time has those same creative grounds.