"Dissecting the Theory Behind Radiohead's 'Let Down': An Examination of the Purpose Behind Their Music"
In the early hours of the morning, Radiohead recorded their iconic song "Let Down" in the grand ballroom of St. Catherine's Court, a historic Elizabethan manor house in Bath, England. This track, from their album "OK Computer", is now gaining popularity on TikTok.
The song begins with a duet for electric guitar and Fender Rhodes electric piano, both played by Jonny Greenwood. The guitar and Rhodes arpeggiate an ornamented A major 7 chord, a wistful quality emerging from the inclusion of a hidden minor chord. The bass and drums enter at ten seconds, setting the pace with a measure of regular 4/4 time.
The basic chords in the verses are simple A major chords, while Thom Yorke's vocal melody walks down the A major scale from A down to E. The chorus, however, deviates from the norm, with different chords: D, E, A, F# minor, and an odd harmonic rhythm.
Jonny Greenwood's sources of inspiration often come from the classical world, and he has cited minimalist composer Steve Reich as an influence for the rhythms in "Let Down". The bleeping in the outro is not tempo-aligned, evoking the destabilizing effect of Steve Reich's phasing. The intro rhythm is also a nod to Reich, with a strange, syncopated pattern that takes up one measure of 4/4 time, followed by groups of five notes, implying 5/8 time.
The chorus, which is three phrases long, is unusual outside of the blues. Rock choruses are typically two, four, or eight phrases long. The second break in the song features an early '80s vintage ZX Spectrum, producing a bleeping sound through a one-bit beeper.
"Let Down" is about feeling distant and disconnected, as described by Thom Yorke in Rolling Stone's oral history of OK Computer. Jonny Greenwood explains in a 1997 interview with Humo magazine that "Let Down" is about the transit-zone feeling of being in a space, collecting impressions but feeling vacant.
The serene ambient outro features high bleeping, low bleeping, and acoustic guitar arpeggiating A major 7. Thom Yorke laid down his vocals in the orangery, a kind of stone greenhouse with nice natural reverb.
Stanley Donwood, the designer of Radiohead's album covers, said that all old houses in England are haunted, which makes sense given the haunted nature of OK Computer. The bleeping sound continues over the song's third verse and chorus, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
As "Let Down" finds new life on TikTok, listeners continue to appreciate its unique blend of minimalist influences, unconventional structures, and haunting melodies.
