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6. I Might Be Wrong: Amnesiac and Beyond
- Indiana University Press
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144 I Might Be Wrong 6 Amnesi ac and Beyond Rather than next presenting a “hollow space” between imaginary sides, as Kid A does, Amnesiac instead proceeds immediately to its next single , track six, “Knives Out.” In contrast to Kid A, here the second-side “single” is real, in the sense that it was actually released on its own to the public to promote the album. However, unlike “Optimistic,” with its sloganistic, surface-positive lyrics, “Knives Out” makes no pretense at positivity. Thus it inverts the construction on Kid A to present a “false” version of a “true” single. “Knives Out” The song begins with a catchy guitar riff over the stepwise, descending harmonic progression C minor–B-flat major–A-flat major–G minor–F major–E minor. The full band is present from the initial notes, presenting a single that could easily be heard on the radio. The ensemble seems to be “putting on a good face” so people will buy the album based on that first impression; a close listen to the lyrics, however, soon reveals the horrors behind the mask. The first line (0:19) draws the listener in with the words “I want you to know,” followed by the statement that “he’s not coming back,” a reference to the subject who has been present throughout both Kid A and Amnesiac. The second line (0:38) brings the listener even closer, asking her to “look into my eyes.” The singer then states that “I’m not coming back” (italics added), aligning I Might Be Wrong · 145 himself with the subject and his insistence on Kid A that “I’m not here, this isn’t happening.” Rather than schizophrenia, here the singer recognizes that he and the subject are one, that their fates are the same. The chorus (0:57) presents a different harmonic progression, with a series of chords that transform from minor to major in order to create the dominant for a temporary tonic: A minor becomes A major, which tonicizes D minor; D minor moves to D major, which tonicizes G major . The chorus ends on E minor, also the ending chord of the verses, which leads back into the C minor of the verse (as a third-related chord rather than a dominant). Over these chords, the voice sings a melody with the chromatic pitches C-sharp and E-natural, notes that fit into the underlying chords but create a rupture in the diatonic line. The lyrics give instructions for surviving in the modern world, beginning with the command “knives out.” Rather than defending herself against a perpetrator, however, the listener is instructed to “catch the mouse . . . shove it in your mouth.” Verse two (1:22) notes that everyone is at the mercy of society: “if you’d been a dog, they would have drowned you at birth.” The verse goes on to again ask the unnamed “you” to “look into my eyes” to discover the sincerity behind the words, because “it’s the only way you’ll know I’m telling the truth.” Of course, this does not allow for the possibility that the subject could be lying. The band has created a real single with a falsely soothing return to the old guitardriven sound; is the invitation to learn the truth a legitimate one, or are they simply trying to fool the listener? The lyrics restore the Enlightenment privileging of sight: only the eyes can see the truth. The irony is that the subject is beyond sight, technologically—in being represented through the recording—and existentially—in being no longer present. “Truth,” which depends on the presence of the subject, forces “you” (the listener) to fend for “yourself” in a violent society in which we all look out only for ourselves. Here the premise of existence is selfpreservation : “knives out, catch the mouse, don’t look down, shove it in your mouth.” You should eat without looking at what is being eaten, lest the horror be too great. Not looking down also ensures that someone else cannot surprise and kill you for the mouse. The lesson here is that because we are so intent on protecting ourselves and what is ours, we do not notice the destruction we must necessarily inflict on nature in order to survive—or, that humankind will always put the needs of [3.81.97.37] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 02:18 GMT) 146 · R adiohead and the Resistant Concept Album its own small group...