Read Creep Lyrics by Radiohead updated 2025, download Creep Lyrics by Radiohead in pdf format for free on Kungfutv.net.
Clean Lyric
When you were here before
Couldn’t look you in the eye
You’re just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You’re so fucking special
But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
I don’t care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice
When I’m not around
You’re so fucking special
I wish I was special
But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
She’s running out the door
She’s running
She run, run, run, run
Run
Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You’re so fucking special
I wish I was special
But I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don’t belong here
I don’t belong here
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The Unlikely Legacy of “Creep”: Radiohead’s Accidental Anthem for the Misfits
When Radiohead released “Creep” on September 21, 1992, they had no idea they were unleashing a raw nerve of a generation. Written by a young Thom Yorke at Exeter University, the song began as a personal exorcism of insecurity—a “Scott Walker-esque” ballad Yorke joked about—only to morph into an alt-rock phenomenon that would haunt and define the band for decades .
The Birth of an Unwanted Child
- Inspiration: Yorke penned “Creep” about a woman he admired from afar in Oxford’s café scene, whose unexpected appearance at a Radiohead show left him mortified. As guitarist Jonny Greenwood recalled, “It was inspired by a girl Thom followed around” . The lyrics—*”You’re just like an angel / Your skin makes me cry”*—captured paralyzing infatuation and self-loathing, themes Yorke linked to his struggle with masculinity in the 1990s: “Any man with sensitivity would have a problem asserting a sexual persona without looking like a hard-rock cliché” .
- Near-Death in the Studio: During rehearsals for their debut album Pablo Honey, producers Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie overheard the band casually playing “Creep.” Yorke quipped it was a cover; Slade nearly scrapped it, sighing, “Too bad their best song’s a cover” . Only after convincing EMI to release it did the track get recorded—in one unguarded take. Drummer Philip Selway noted, “It sounds powerful because it’s completely unselfconscious” .
The Accidental Genius
What made “Creep” iconic was a series of happy accidents:
- Jonny Greenwood’s Sabotage: Disliking the song’s quiet vulnerability, Greenwood slammed his guitar during the chorus, creating three jarring “blasts” of noise. Producer Kolderie amplified the sound until it “punched you in the face” . Yorke later called it the sound of the song “slashing its wrists” .
- Plagiarism as Salvation: Mid-recording, guitarist Ed O’Brien realized the chord progression mirrored The Hollies’ 1974 hit “The Air That I Breathe.” Rather than ditch it, Yorke leaned in, crediting Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood as co-writers after legal action .
- Censorship Irony: The line “You’re so fucking special” was softened to “very special” for radio—a move the band initially resisted as “selling out,” but later accepted .
The Love-Hate Relationship
Despite its success (reaching #7 in the UK and topping charts globally), Radiohead grew to resent “Creep”:
- Artistic Chains: Audiences demanded it at shows, chanting after just three notes. Fans walked out once it was played, reducing the band to a “one-hit wonder” label they despised .
- Critical Dismissal: Yorke called the lyrics “pretty crap,” while Greenwood admitted they avoided playing it for years to avoid feeling like “showbusiness” .
- Unexpected Gratitude: By the 2010s, perspectives shifted. Guitarist Ed O’Brien acknowledged: *”It gave us freedom. We recouped Pablo Honey’s costs, so we made The Bends without interference”*—paving the way for experimental masterpieces like OK Computer and Kid A .
Why “Creep” Endures
Beyond its grunge-era angst, “Creep” taps into universal vulnerability:
- Lyrics as Mirror: Listeners projected their insecurities onto lines like “I’m a weirdo / What the hell am I doing here?” Forums overflow with stories of unrequited love, social alienation, and depression tied to the song . One fan wrote: “It’s about losing someone to time… suddenly you’re the creep for caring” .
- Cultural Shape-Shifter: Covered by artists from Prince to Postmodern Jukebox, and featured in The Voice and Glee, “Creep” transcended alt-rock to become a standard . It even scored dystopian scenes in The Man in the High Castle .
- The Paradox of Self-Acceptance: While Yorke framed it as self-loathing, Greenwood offered a redemptive read: “It’s a happy song about recognizing what you are” . This duality—despair versus self-awareness—lets each listener find their truth in the chaos.
The Ghost at Glastonbury
In 2017, Radiohead stunned fans by resurrecting “Creep” at Glastonbury. Yorke’s preamble said it all: “This is for anyone who doesn’t belong anywhere.” The performance wasn’t nostalgia—it was a reckoning. As O’Brien conceded, “People like it. We play it for the right reasons now” .
FAQ: Unpacking “Creep”
Q: Was “Creep” really inspired by a specific person?
A: Yes. Thom Yorke confirmed it stemmed from a woman he observed in Oxford during his “fucked up” college years. Jonny Greenwood added she later attended a Radiohead show, deepening Yorke’s discomfort .
Q: Why did Jonny Greenwood’s guitar make those explosive noises?
A: He was trying to wreck the song. “I hit the guitar hard—really hard because I didn’t like it,” he admitted. Producer Kolderie amplified the sound, creating its signature tension .
Q: Is “Creep” a grunge song?
A: Sonically, it’s closer to blues or torch ballads (Yorke cited Scott Walker). Lyrically, it predated grunge; Yorke wrote it in the late 1980s, years before Nirvana’s breakthrough .
Q: Why did Radiohead stop playing it live?
A: They felt trapped by its success. Audiences ignored newer material, and the band feared being pigeonholed. Yorke admitted: “Sometimes I want to stop halfway through and say, ‘Nah, this isn’t happening’” .
Q: How did plagiarism allegations affect the song?
A: Radiohead credited Hollies songwriters Hammond and Hazlewood after losing a lawsuit. Ironically, this “stolen” middle eight became the song’s most haunting section .
Q: What’s the most misunderstood line?
A: “I want you to notice when I’m not around.” While often seen as romantic longing, Yorke framed it as pathological obsession—a drunk man’s futile fantasy .
“Creep” remains a testament to art’s uncontrollable life: accidental, borrowed, despised, yet undeniably immortal. As Yorke said, “It’s everybody else’s song now.” And in that surrender, it became a salvation for weirdos everywhere .
