Why I Reacted To This Song
It came on as a radio follow-up and it’s just so haunting. The strings pulled me in immediately and I couldn’t skip past it.
Original by Artist
About This Song
“How to Disappear Completely” appears on Radiohead’s 2000 album Kid A, produced by the band with Nigel Godrich. Thom Yorke wrote it after a moment of dissociation on tour, taking advice from Michael Stipe to mentally repeat “I’m not here, this isn’t happening” to get through overwhelming situations. Jonny Greenwood arranged the strings, performed with the Orchestra of St John’s, building the song around a detuned guitar drone beneath the orchestration.
First Impressions
The strings are amazing right from the start, slow and unsettling rather than warm. It’s a slow-burn listen, not danceable at all, more like something you sink into.
My Reaction
What makes this one stick is how the dissociation in the lyrics is matched exactly by the arrangement. The strings don’t resolve into anything comforting, they just hover, and Yorke’s voice sounds like it’s drifting further away with each repetition of “I’m not here.” It’s not a song built for replay value in the usual sense, but it rewards sitting with it.
Rating
82/100