Every Radiohead song that's NOT in 4/4

[@DavidBennettPiano]

📌📌A FEW SONGS I MISSED... - *Sulk* (from The Bends) is in 6/8 time. - *Subterranean Homesick Alien* (from OK Computer) is in 6/8 time. - *Where I End and You Begin* (from Hail To The Thief) has a one-off bar of 2/4 amongst the otherwise 4/4 meter. - *Lucky* (from OK Computer) has some bars of 2/4 mixed amongst the 4/4 meter. - *Life In A Glass House* (from Amnesiac) is a weird one... it can be notated in a fast , unchanging 4/4. However, perhaps the more accurate way of notating it would be at half-time, and that would involve occasional bars of 2/4 amongst the 4/4. Also, there is a moment after the first chorus where the tempo sort of swells/jitters which can be notated as a one off bar of 7/8 time + a bar of 3/16, however you could also notate this as a brief tempo change or fermata. Also, *Hunting Bears* is in free time, but I wouldn't really count "free time" as a meter; the song is still effectively in 4/4 but just with no fixed tempo. Thank you to the commenters that brought these omissions to my attention! Let me know if there are any others I missed! 💙💙

[@yoink364]

treefingers...

[@DavidBennettPiano]

@@yoink364 also free time 4/4 😊

[@chrisdickson199]

Lucky?

[@Antimonuu]

While it can technically be written in 4/4, i think there should also be a shoutout to Myxomatosis

[@stopmotionmovie123]

I could be wrong, But I think true love waits is in 2/4

[@OtisNotibrus]

"Pop is Dead" has a main guitar riff in 10/4!

[@Gricky_Da_Bomb]

We must not speak its name.

[@noaj1234]

emi studios wants to know your location

[@9thLife11]

you son is dead

[@Th4SilentOne]

Pop is dead doesn't exits, it's a story to scare children

[@daydreamintonation]

Pop is Dead is a perfectly fine, Pablo Honey-era track. I know the band hates it, but they hate Creep, too. I had to buy the Stop Whispering single just to be able to play it properly!

[@drewsify552]

Now let’s see all The Smile songs that ARE in 4/4

[@crepequeen643]

At this point they have more songs in 5/4 lmao

[@ramaayodhya5762]

all I could think of is Free In The Knowledge

[@MM-vs2et]

@@crepequeen643 Even the ones in 4/4 are subdivided like a polyrhythm

[@rndmbs]

Bodies Laughing

[@clamato54]

Skrting on the Surface needs a full breakdown here

[@norixsynth]

there's also: Sulk (3/4) Subterranean Homesick Alien (6/8) Spectre (6/8 with a bit of 9/8 in the chorus)

[@hatachi-e8x]

and All I Need which has the verse in 10/4

[@drorweininger5831]

I find it crazy that the 2 strangest Radiohead albums (Amesiac and TKOL) are actually fully 4/4

[@Jaspertine]

Radiohead are good at riding the line between avant garde and accessible, so it might have been a conscious decision to keep the metres straightforward on those albums... or maybe to experiment more elsewhere since the songs they wrote were more rhythmically direct... or it's a coincidence, I dunno.

[@mikeprice25]

I did wonder if he would highlight the polyrhythms on some of the TKOL tracks like the claps in Lotus Flower

[@ronintheebarbarian2041]

Amnesiac has Pyramid Song which isn’t in 4/4 (unless idk what that means)

[@liamdams2985]

​@@ronintheebarbarian2041pyramid song is in 4/4!

[@liamdams2985]

Amnesiac has Hunting bears, which is in freetime, and TKOL has codex which is mostly 4/4, but has I think one bar in 5/4

[@gpeddino]

If you do this for The Smile, it will be pretty much their whole catalogue, lol.

[@Hylemxylem-ou4sp]

Man I’d love to see him talk about The Smile in a video

[@Kircaldy]

This comment should be at the top so that David doesn't miss it.

[@Rik-B]

The metres of some of The Smile's songs are absolutely bonkers!

[@travismaenle9416]

You will never work in television again 5/8 Panavision 7/4 Thin thing 6/8 Wave a white flag 11/8 Skrting in the surface 11/8 Wall of eyes 10/4? Teleharmonic ?/4 Read the room 11/8 middle section Under our pillows 5/8 5 bar phrase Friend of a friend 5/4 with the occasional 6/4 I quit ? Possibly a 5/8 then 7/8 phrase or just a 5 bar 8/8 phrase depending on how u hear it idk Bending hectic 4/4 but a couple different polymeters with the guitar 5/8 then 3/8 You know me! 5/4 Thats right. The e n t i r e album Wall of Eyes is odd ts or polymeters. I think. Foreign spies 5/4 Instant psalm 14/4 (4/4 + 4/4 + 6/4) Colours fly 10/8 Dont get me started 6/4 then some weird sh at the descending parts then 9/4 in the breakdown Tiptoe tbh i dont know if this has a time signature or what youd say for this No words 7/8 intro then 7/4 polymeter synth

[@jackthesmoltangerine]

@@travismaenle9416 wall of eyes is 5/4, you can literally hear Thom counting “one, two, three, four, five” in the song

[@jameshannagan4256]

One of the interesting things about Radiohead is that it sounds so natural that I barely even notice it, weird how they do that.

[@IBHID]

There's a polymetre on 'In Limbo' as well - Phil is playing in 4/4 throughout! Jonny's guitar on 'Ful Stop' also superimposes 5/8 at points starting at 3:39. 'Weird Fishes/Arpeggi' finally has some 5/8 guitar lines beginning at 0:26 and 4:03.

[@chedmcgiannis9003]

I noticed you included A Wolf at the Door, which was also in your previous video about Neapolitan chords. It's cool that not only does it have an unusual time signature, but it uses a Neapolitan chord as well! As always, keep up the great work mate!

[@grahamdowney5550]

6/8 isn't that unusual

[@DavidBennettPiano]

@@chedmcgiannis9003 thank you 😊

[@chedmcgiannis9003]

@@grahamdowney5550 You’re right it’s probably the second most used time signature can think of many examples

[@efficiencygaming3494]

I'd love to see a part 2 video featuring the B-sides. My favorite one "Polyethylene" was actually the first song I thought of when I saw the title of this video! They didn't stop at the albums when it came to making rhythmically different music...

[@Jumblem]

Let down Underrated

[@ExileOnDaytonStreet]

The Radiohead subreddit is leaking again

[@Master_Exploder5000]

THE CIRCLEJERK UNITES!

[@daddykarlmarx6183]

I would love if you would talk about the smile as well, either on their own or adding them to Radiohead videos in the future, 3 solid albums made by half of radioheads members. Some of thoms solo work is also worth a listen

[@Jaspertine]

I'd love to see you do this for Soundgarden as well. Another band with lots of fun metres that was very inspiring to teenage me. (RIP Chris, you're still dearly missed)

[@drdoom8793]

And far more accessible than Radiohead imo

[@pensivepenguin3000]

Yes! Soundgarden needs to happen

[@pensivepenguin3000]

Radiohead has that knack of making normal times sound weird and odd times sound normal

[@cuvo7285]

I also love that The Smile has a lot of songs in non-conventional time signatures

[@BlueSR]

Do this for the Smile!! Their excellent catalogue is mostly in odd time signatures…

[@duckdude7780]

Yoo Bluesr your goated! Awesome Hollow Knight creator and likes Radiohead. 👍

[@itsithinkso]

My life changed completely after i first time heard the second part of pyramid song when the drums came in.... thanks for noticing this ;)

[@christophertovar1154]

Thanks!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you 😊

[@Trendyflute]

As a fan of their many B-sides, EPs, and various oddball tracks I imagine there are more examples in their full catalogue but I appreciate the run through all the album tracks, thanks David, was a pleasure!

[@andrewbarlow9083]

You should make another video about songs that use polyrythms! I know that “Hopeless Wanderer” by Mumford and Sons has some awesome polyrhthyms in the piano at the start and throughout that gets me loving the song every time! It also uses both rhythms alone in different sections of the song! Love your channel btw! It’s a great way to learn some great music theory ideas!!

[@raularenaza3230]

Let Down’ is such a brilliant track… One of the greatest feelings is playing it with your mates-what an amazing atmosphere it creates... My favourite Radiohead song ever!

[@JamieThelin]

Unbelievable These Are My Twisted Words slander

[@Smrda1312]

One of their best

[@levinelson8697]

That masterpiece has every time signature ever made, I think lol

[@fran96269]

I love your channel, keep it up bro!

[@JackMorgan06]

Pretty sure Where I End and You Begin has a singular bar of 2/4 during a 4/4 song

[@PatriceIci]

The lyrics to "Everything in its right place" is Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon??? I have been singing Yesterday I woke up soaking, all I want .... is everything in it's right place...

[@jiweh]

yes

[@BeatDSM]

@@jiweh I was convinced the lyrics to The Eraser were "Please excuse me but I've got two eyes" until earlier this year.

[@PowerRedBullTypology]

The creativity to keep coming up with musical subjects to keep talking about radiohead!

[@Dylangrit]

I love your videos! Keep it up.

[@goat9629]

life in a glasshouse has bars of 2/4? Hunting bears in free time?

[@pronpalunpo]

9:00 the lyrics are actually "you have not been"

[@ericrakestraw664]

How many songs by the Beatles are in an odd meter?

[@zzzaphod8507]

Might be worth doing such a video for the Beatles, agree

[@billycjustice]

Thanks David!

[@aydenkaszas]

I love this channel

[@gloriahead]

They are GENIUS ❤

[@oliverzwahlen]

Do it for Genesis. They are the master in making weird meters not sounding weird at all. Especially in the early period but still true for parts of collins hit songs like turn it on again .

[@crepequeen643]

Wow, a video about my specialist special interest (Radiohead songs that have unusual time signatures)???? Christmas came early this year ☺️

[@2ToneWalt]

I really do need to dig my Radiohead vinyl out, its bin a while.

[@BantheDan]

Hunting Bears on Amnesiac is in free time though right? :D

[@alexlishinski9241]

DBP doing a video about Radiohead? I don't believe it!

[@kingloser4198]

Excellent video as always. Had a little trouble counting some of them :) I'd love to have a metre setter at the start. I know that'd slow down the snappyness of the info though.

[@trooperandz1]

Thanks for reminding me of how much I love Pablo Honey!

[@georgesolo3369]

Awesome video. Now do The Smile 🙃

[@BadlyOrganisedGenius]

Now do this with King Gizzard XD

[@ceilingfansclocksminecraft1226]

That would be fun, but King Gizzard has an even longer song catalog than Radiohead.

[@Lasagnabobby]

I still have no idea how time signatures work

[@OMB_Music]

I think this guy likes Radiohead

[@QKvox]

Please do a video on the smile, their time signature fuckery is their signature

[@topicvideosguy]

I thought Hunting Bears off Amnesiac was in free time?

[@arrobarrober]

Great content. Adding a click would help us to better understand the measures.

[@Alsike]

B-sides omitted to prevent this video from being an hour?

[@amnesomniac]

Seriously :)

[@FairPlay0007]

I always thought some black magic of odd rythm was happening on Morning Mr Magpie. And yeah, ofc its just 4/4...

[@JMoat13]

I don't think we can say Amnesiac is the only album that is completely in 4/4. Either its both Amnesiac and TKOL or no album because in I might be wrong I'm pretty sure there is a bar of 3/4 in Jonny's outro solo. (I might be wrong though :)

[@prismix0870]

Pablo Honey underrated

[@mikmak5551]

Great video! Can you perhaps do the same concept for MUSE?

[@ej8736]

Weird Fishes missed out polymeters galore

[@fern_2148]

0:07 NO SURPRISES MENTIONED 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥💯💯

[@decentsingersclub]

for the black star intro/riff i like to think of it as 4/4 + 2/4 as theyre quite distinct

[@Jaspertine]

That's kinda how I hear it, but with a triplet feel.

[@decentsingersclub]

@@Jaspertine the 2/4 bit is in a tresillo rhythm, which is the closest to a triplet you can get with straight quavers

[@Jaspertine]

@@decentsingersclub I'll go ahead and pretend like I know what those words mean... but I trust that you're right.

[@chloemchll3774]

I had to count it as 4/4 and 2/4 to learn how to play it. Ultimately no problem w considering it 6/4, but just when I learned it I needed the breakdown to make sure I was landing everything in its right place.

[@amnesomniac]

I always felt it was just a 3-bar loop of 4/4...

[@luigiscazzari4724]

In this video, David owns the Radioheadhead persona. 😂

[@VexylObby]

This video was an inevitability.

[@ceilingfansclocksminecraft1226]

Good to know! I've been watching some of your Radiohead videos and they seem like a very interesting band! I'm becoming more interested in trying more of their albums. Also, the only full album from them I've really listened to is OK Computer. Do you have other album suggestions I should try next? I'm going to try The Bends next, and I'm considering Kid A and In Rainbows for sometime after that.

[@amnesomniac]

Maybe just listen to their entire discog from beginning to end. That's what I did, and found that each album I listened to next became my new favorite. My personal favorites at the moment are Kid A and Amnesiac, but that doesn't mean anything. Form your own opinions. Please though don't only listen to the more popular albums, like OKC and In Rainbows, which get a whole lotta hype from the media and whatnot. Not that they don't deserve the hype, just that you might be missing out on some of the most beautiful yet obscure tracks that could also really resonate with you or help you through something.

[@Steamrick]

Madlad.

[@dubs9038]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on Gagging Order

[@CapitaineElsass]

cool you should do a video about

[@danielburges8176]

Tut tut - All I Need from In Rainbows also has a interesting time signature in it - I count it as alternating bars of 4:4 and 6:4 as it's a pattern of 10 across two bars.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

@@danielburges8176 I can see how you’re cutting it up that way, but I would say “All I Need” is just based on a 5 bar loop in 4/4 time.

[@booled1]

Present Tense opens with a 5/4 bar. Fitter Happier’s piano is in 6/4. Also I’m pretty sure Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors is in 3/4.

[@pasdautreidee]

'Spectre' could have its own video !

[@richardsaunders9214]

I expected this video to be 10 seconds long "There are no RadioHead songs in 4/4. Good night!"

[@eloibonneville]

I see what you did there 0:08

[@santiagorojaspiaggio]

You could do this with The Smile, or even with Thom Yorke solo career, and Atoms For Peace.

[@nigelroy1769]

C natural in the vocal melody at 5:17 should be a B sharp

[@julesbillybear6883]

Sorry but B sharp?

[@tylerhackner9731]

I love this legendary band

[@johnnydepp4866]

I don’t know if it’s a good topic, but what about finding punk/hardcore songs in odd time signatures?

[@arbuznazarov9326]

you can hear it in 90s post hardcore like fugazi, drive like jehu, nomeansno

[@triciasaurus]

is sulk not in 6

[@brentsaelens3174]

1:52 for those who want to skip pable honey

[@maxpage1147]

Hi David. Love the video/videos. I had an idea of a video, as a massive Radiohead fan like me, what would be in your opinion the “worst” Radiohead songs on each album? Very hard to pick I know. Keep up the fantastic content

[@amnesomniac]

"Worst" is highly subjective. Also, I don't think it would be a very respectful thing to declare that a piece of someone else's art that they worked very, very hard on is the "worst" of the bunch. David's already stated some of his least favorite tracks in probably a few q&a vids if your interested in his opinion.

[@maxpage1147]

@ admittedly a poor choice of wording from myself. What I meant is least favourite, because they’re all awesome imo. didn’t mean it in a negative way at all but more so out of curiosity really and a bit of insight into his perspective. But yeah I get your point, that is a fair one

[@m1vsis0n]

gosh let down is so underrated

[@aleksandarangelov3374]

Wasn't also All I need in 10/4 (I remember it from the podcast Dissect, shout-out, if you haven't checked it, and you love songs dissection and interpretation, definitely do!)

[@DavidBennettPiano]

It’s a 5 bar loop in 4/4. But the 20 beats of that loop could alternatively be considered two bars of 10/4 😊

[@aleksandarangelov3374]

@DavidBennettPiano thanks for the reply, I'm going to use the occasion to thank you immensely for all your videos and the tips I've learnt from you throughout these past few years! I can definitely say that I've progressed as a musician because of how you make these musical ideas easier to grasp and have inspired me to try out almost all the chord progressions that have led to so many fun experiments! Thank you again for sharing your musical knowledge, blessing us with your beautiful music and inspiring me and others around the world! 😌🙏

[@retro6821]

Hunting bears is free time I think

[@DaveyDeSade]

It’s always troubled me that 2+2=5 isn’t in 5.

[@gf-man331]

i find it so annoying that im so interested in this

[@chloemchll3774]

Missed one on the Bends (but don’t feel bad- I always assumed it was 4/4 and only recently picked up why that’s not really what’s going on.) Sulk sounds like 4/4 (especially the lead guitar line) but if you follow the drums it is actually 12/8, with the guitar part that screams 4/4 all being dotted quarter notes, not quarter notes. Granted, you could still write this as 4/4 with a triple pattern in the drums, but to my mind it is simpler to write it as 12/8 with dotted quarters.

[@spelunkymonke]

0:07 nice

[@TannieMielie]

Really sad that the 5/4 polymeter at the end of Ful Stop wasn't mentioned! One of my favourite parts of that song.

[@markes5025]

Just an observation but it seems like they don't think in meters. Yorke thinks up a melody and/or rhythm he likes and then it sometimes/often seems it is not in 4/4. Often songs from other bands or classical pieces seem to change meter on purpose. With Radiohead it often seems accidental.

[@frogtopia8624]

I see Thom Yorke. I click.

[@justanotheracc1678]

Isn‘t subterranean homesick alien in 3/4 or something of that sort?

[@AikaterineG]

in "Everything in Its Right Place" 10/4 seams more fairer than 6/4 + 4/4 in some parts

[@breakfaststudio8326]

Make a video about The Smile! Please!

[@buzzsmith8146]

Wow. That wore me out! :-)

[@tygical]

i would argue the tourist is in 3/4 with an extra eighth note thrown in there also nude is absolutely in 3/4, not 6/8

[@LetBenCook]

Oh boyyyyyyy

[@sylvainguihaire7768]

Exit music. A fake 4/4 all through the song, until the bass comes in, and the last chorus reveals the true nature of the rhythm, I think 12/8? Ramin Djawadi exploits it very well in its cover for Westworld, with the end in 12/8 reminding the series theme. One of their greatest to me. Check it Live at Bonnaroo, 2006.

[@sylvainguihaire7768]

I might be wrong, please tell!

[@olivierbioret5206]

Thank you for a fascinating vidéo - again ! I used to consider pulk/pull revolving door as an unusal meter song as well : the whole period sounds 20/4 to me, the intro suggest an alternance of 6/4 and 4/4 bars. Any specific reason you didn't incluse it in your list ?

[@paulbates4386]

no sulk?

[@RubenSansaRivero]

no weird fishes? i mean, weird meters?

[@michaelz1212]

Apparently Idioteque is both in 5/4 and 4/4. Percussion is in 4/4 or 2/4 while the vocals and the synth that kicks in the first 15 seconds are in 5/4 or 5/2. I'm not a music expert though.

[@liferoijrm1976]

Aren't the guitars in arpeggi weird fishes making polirythmic riffs in 3/4 (main riff) and 5/4 (backgroud riff)?

[@claudzsx]

the sulk disrespect 😔

[@tylerhayes1663]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but similar to "Let Down", "How to Disappear Completely" uses polymeter when you consider the bass; bass is 4/4 while the rest is 6/8... right?

[@amnesomniac]

I'm pretty sure the bass is in 6/8 just with dotted quarter notes.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

“How to disappear completely” has a polyrhythm, rather than a polymeter. 😃

[@tylerhayes1663]

Ah, right, ok thanks!

[@dantedestefano1948]

Now do this for Tool

[@Egorgamer-ik9cw]

basically their entire discography except the pot and opiate

[@ricolibrando8716]

Do The Smile next plzzzzz

[@stevenking4617]

"If for some odd reason you're not content just playing Radiohead songs... They also have Beatles songs!" 😂😂