Fake Plastic Trees - by LuCash - (c) Radiohead

‘Fake Plastic Trees’ on Radiohead’s second album The Bends in 1995, was unlike any other song the band had previously come up with. A stark contrast to their astounding rock sounds, this song followed a slower and more melodic tune.
On the surface, ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ talked about a hankering for a real relationship in a world that was becoming increasingly materialistic. The idea was to fake it till one made it or till it drained them out. It showed one’s struggle of desperately trying to believe that what existed between two people who were romantically involved was “real” and putting every last bit of their effort in to make it real - in vain, of course.
The song’s narrator related the story about the girl he loved, who was living with a “broken” man and the pretence that both of them put up to make their love seem genuine. But, being the omniscient narrator that he was, he saw right through façade but found himself stuck between staying and running from his beloved and ended the song on the note of “It wears me out.”
In spite of everything, Thom Yorke’s powerful vocals on ‘Fake Plastic Trees’, along with the extraordinary accompaniment of the instruments, really showcased the versatility of Radiohead as an alternative rock band and established them as being more than just a one-hit-wonder. The ballad went on to become one of the most popular among the plethora of songs that Radiohead released during their time.