Thom Yorke reads a letter about men in suits

Thom Yorke joined us at Letters Live at London's Union Chapel in 2019 to read a brilliant letter from Henry Stewart to the Guardian newspaper, sent in August 2016.
For more from Thom, watch his first performance in front of a live audience after lockdown at Letters Live at the Royal Albert Hall in 2021.
Watch Thom perform Free In The Knowledge now: • Thom Yorke performs Fr...

[@James_David]

I didn’t realize he was reading a letter as participation in an event and thought these were his personal plights.

[@enzoarayamorales7220]

They might as well be because he delivers them as if they’re his own, he agrees.

[@Halliday7895]

@@enzoarayamorales7220 im sure men in suites in the music industry did him in just as well. you really cant avoid it if you are a super popular rock band.

[@rekt_angle]

Actually they ARE his personal plights. in fact, if you look online, he stated that during the production of OK COMPUTER he was reading Noam Chomsky books.

[@NoYoutubeName1]

@@enzoarayamorales7220He’s wearing a suit, so he can’t be serious about it

[@DudeAndTheDog]

​@@NoKZbinName1I make you right... My thoughts exactly.

[@SETRAAKI]

man his voice is so nice

[@joop5415]

Did some digging around - turns out he's a singer! Check out his band "The Radio Head".

[@dwiski]

Did some digging, turns out his new Album "Wall Of Eyes" releases on January 26th 2024!

[@ozzy1243]

You should hear him sing lol

[@desitterspace10101]

@@joop5415 Please tell me this is satire 😂

[@growingmelancholy8374]

@@desitterspace10101 it's not.

[@melchorino1]

Thom Yorke always a source of inspiration, thank you for existing!

[@KW-ro5ow]

Henry Stewart writing a short and sweet piece of excellence.

[@booled1]

“If we are to start telling people what to wear, maybe, we should ban suits?😄” i love him SO MUCH.

[@NoYoutubeName1]

He was reading a letter, they’re not his personal thoughts. People were laughing and Thom was smiling…while wearing A SUIT, they realise the false equivalence fallacy of the letter.

[@biskit-town]

​@@NoKZbinName1 Not sure if this has clicked by now but I believe he's talking about the MEN in suits, not just a standard of wearing suits.

[@dragonmagoz]

Very wise words, spoken by a very wise man.

[@ayushagarwal1342]

00:48 "wo"

[@Joeljaboy]

me when i listen to a radiohead album 😮

[@jaesbow]

Here, in the US, I’ve never understood why the weather men on television wear suits and ties while they tell us how hot its going to be.

[@barriniho]

People would pay more attention if the weatherman only wore red Speedos.

[@smirkingshark]

Very apt he read this considering he used to sell suits when he was younger!

[@900_2.fm.]

So sell your suit and tie

[@booled1]

⁠@@900_2.fm.and come and live with me

[@galetinm]

He's wearing a suit.

[@robovac3557]

Never knew he sold suits.

[@rodmorrin6268]

But his dream was to sell burkas one day

[@javanesemystic]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Warmongers in suits Thank you for this 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@Ciaranmch]

Well delivered. He's learned something from his south park days when they couldn't get him to "emote"!

[@maxdagg-heston4962]

Not sure I would like this world without someone like thom around...

[@mitzzzu_tigerjones444]

Man in suit speaks words based in reality

[@dshepherd107]

That was short, but he did an excellent job

[@wandasetzer1469]

Hear, hear! I've always thought so.

[@najrenchelf2751]

I’ve had a mild resentment against wearing suits since I can remember, so I fully support this letter XD

[@argantonio8656]

No hay mayor arma que la palabra. Tanto mirar "el burro volando" que no vemos lo que tenemos delante. Thank you Henry!!

[@eldermorph]

i have the same eye problem with thom yorke. it looks cool xd

[@Marimusic2024]

Me too ...we are so cool

[@superei8ht2]

Brilliant

[@bearketamin]

beautiful boyy 😍 ❤

[@robbocat7643]

Great writing well presented 👏

[@adcan1371]

We feel you Mary.

[@FerVerde-Compositora]

TE AMO

[@troubledtimes3941]

I am absolutrly creasing because it's like Alan Partridge and David Brent teamed up.

[@suzymatwetwe]

Brilliant 👏👏👏

[@oktokssok]

I LOVE YOU!

[@TechnicJunglist]

This is why Thom is one of my favorite humans on the planet. Unwavering political views. Brilliant man.

[@dollar145]

The philosophical weight, political, and realism of this speech are immense. Those who wear penguin attire are the ones sinking us all into the mud.

[@MARLEYDIDIT]

this aged so well, thank you Thom … FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸

[@IronicleseAndSardoniclese]

Yay! 😂

[@ZaelPsy]

Genial. Alguien tiene una buena traducción en español? Gracias

[@andrewhyde4708]

Quality !

[@kentonbolte931]

suits - I refer to as urban camoflage

[@berkeleymorrison]

i love the way he says burqa

[@John-Smith-999]

I've been in pubs and clubs, some of which have dress restrictions and some of which do not. I've never never had or seen any trouble in pubs and clubs without dress restrictions. The same can not be said of the pubs and clubs with dress restrictions

[@drpibisback7680]

High-strung places attract high-strung clientele.

[@blurt-x3s]

I love that page flip he does at the end, like he's dropping a mic

[@arabesquearomas]

💓

[@alexisgomez3015]

👏👏👏

[@FergbyFive]

This is not Thom Yorke’s political speech. It’s from Letters Live on KZbin. “Thom Yorke joined us at Letters Live at London's Union Chapel in 2019 to read a brilliant letter from Henry Stewart to the Guardian newspaper, sent in August 2016.”

[@oldwestdemons]

Thom York looks like the weird guy on Paranoid Android video?

[@xemy1010]

Spitting image!

[@j.roberts6601]

1,000,000% TRUE……… 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙✌️

[@igoretski]

Wow. The thumbnail picture for this video is really badly chosen.

[@jakewoeste9002]

Why would you put the punchline in the title?

[@groggod666]

Based

[@FrancisFord-g8f]

ABLETON

[@RobertTate-jv3qv]

'Men in suits' qre literally torturing me .. . .

[@PhillipBicknell]

Since the jacket of a 'lounge' / business suit is nothing more than a re-tailored military tunic, yes, we should ban suits. You doubt me? Well, turn the lapels in and the collar up - you can very easily convert a jacket into a tunic for theatrical use; the button-hole even functions for the missing top button. And KZbinr Lindybeige has a rant about how impractical they are too.

[@timmanning5206]

Of course he does

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

I think you missed the entire point.

[@jorgepeterbarton]

They are military? So. Pacifist hippies used to wear military surplus with peace signs stiched on 🤷

[@ChristopherLoupe-hh6bj]

How disappointing this is. What a huge talent to just bow to the ridiculous liberal narrative. Many women work on Wall Street and Lombard and many are in positions of power and were just as responsible for all this writers plights. To make a purely class issue into some kind of statement about immutable characteristics is disgusting and shameful. It’s also idiotic. I still love every Radiohead song I ever heard and just wish I hadn’t opened this at all.

[@void_pepsi6405]

im not british enough for this shit

[@paulphoenix1669]

God I love him. What's the context for this?

[@dannyoberthier3053]

so why does drippy thom play israel?

[@sophiaaj3868]

I am a woman with Burka ( Negab )

[@sugarpuff2978]

So what? Nobody cares so don't think you are special.

[@buttermilkjudas]

i care and actually we met in person and i asked them to write their comment idiot@@sugarpuff2978

[@aztmyfan9690]

I think you're very special. Ignore the person above, please. ^^

[@wtz_under]

@@sugarpuff2978the letter read is literally about muslim clothing and suits

[@jackpeterson6670]

Maybe just ban the people in suits

[@alisonharte76]

😂

[@hugo54758]

Indeed the problem is not vestimentary but ideological. Both capitalism and islam are huge burdens for human progress

[@bz.3160]

I don’t get it, what is he talking about?

[@hugo54758]

This misses the point about how toxic islamization is for the world, but in particular for Europe.

[@tokyoarrow]

I love Radiohead and Thom Yorke, but these are very foolish words. Women in Burkas, Niqab, Bikini have never done "me" harm. So what's the fuss about? Can easily be repacked with the same logic to "Men in pointy white hoods have never done "me" harm. So what's the fuss about / Men in brown shirts have never done "me" harm. What's the problem?" 1) It is senseless to equate a fairly universally worn garment of business and politics to one mandated by religion or ideology. 2) It is anti-liberal to neglect the suffering of others, because the harm is not being done to us personally. Russia's war in Ukraine doesn't effect me personally. Iranian women being killed (by men) for protesting against religious attire enforced on them (by men), does not effect me... If you're going to take a stand on something political, at least be consistent and apply rigorous self scrutiny of your logic. Swap out words to see how your train of thought applies to other comparable situations you have a stance on either in favour or against.

[@indiegogogirl2662]

Beware women in suits too...

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

i like thom but isnt it kinda ironic? suits are a neutral piece of clothing not identified by any religion.ehhh whatever.

[@Fannycioc]

Et bien qu'il envoie sa femme en Iran il verrait si elle a " le choix" ! Non à l'islamisation forcée de l'occident. Ce n'est qu'un artiste bobo bien planqué comme les autres, consensuel et complètement idiot utile ! Qu'il fasse de la musique, ce qu'il fait d'ailleurs très bien, le reste on s'en occupe !

[@DavidHartel-db5lh]

First

[@norview1974]

Hey Henry (and Thom for that matter), banning burkas isn't meant to keep woman from from attacking others. It's meant to help woman who are oppressed, who have no voice, and are forced to wear them (have you been living under a rock with what's happened in Iran for example?). But Henry, if you're facing possible mutilation or worse by not wearing a suit, then by all means speak up.

[@corylohanlon]

​@Ajapam34do you think brits are immune to the same kind of religious indoctrination and opression as other women or is this some kind of Olympic level double think? They're saying "You're not treating women like that on our watch." Go wear one for a day. It's dehumanizing. It removes your identity.

[@ChristianBurnett]

Would you liberate them from their oppression by forcing them to wear something else, @norview1987 ?

[@loadeddice4696]

@@ChristianBurnett "You are being liberated. Please do not resist"

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

I am no fan of burkas but telling women what they cannot wear is not the opposite of oppression.

[@jorgepeterbarton]

So ignorant...for so many it is a choice. You complain about Iran forcing what they can and cannot wear to wear something and respond by saying we should force what they cannot wear. How about, don't criminalise what people can or can't wear.

[@corylohanlon]

Men in suits taught me about economics, Islam, oppression, freedom of conscience, social coercion, and the difference between correlation and causation. Henry Stewart should seek one out.

[@Lagrangeify]

I'm not sure Henry was claiming all men in suits are villains. Rather that if attire can serve as the symbolic focus of so many assumed ills then the most ubiquitous of all would surely be the business suit.

[@oui2611]

​@@Lagrangeify👏👏

[@evangarry3525]

Men in suits have also kicked families to the curb to starve, stolen your wages to line their own pockets and dictated marginilised groups role in society. The point of the poem is that the people pushing to ban garb of normal everyday people who so happen to be muslim, are the people whos attire deserves to be banned because of the damage done by men in suits

[@elchiponr1]

the whole argument is twisted. Everyone who thinks the women wearing burka's are evil is a stupid idiot. The point of not wanting burka's is because of the freedoms and right we strive to uphold for our citizens. One of those rights is to not be invisible. @@Lagrangeify

[@CatsandJP]

Moral…..Just be wary of men in suits…especially the buttoned and stitched up politically correct trying to hold people accountable to their standards….or those men in their perfect suits might just….cancel you.

[@lucidnonsense942]

Yes, lefties, the group famous for suit wearing... The fact that being asked to act like a decent human being is so burdensome to you, says a lot about you - none of it good.

[@Hendry_De-Lux]

Just garbled bollocks mate

[@ModelsExInferis]

Oh, you were doing so well until you mentioned a word that you have no idea what it means. Thanks for playing though!

[@CatsandJP]

⁠. Oh ..please I’ve been around the block since 1952 you obviously haven’t experienced what I have with the “all above board and squeaky clean” personas people use. By the way woke is a term used going back to the 30s and has many meanings….e.g….seize hold of the world….heap blame on…refer to The Book of Contemporary Slang by linguistic and lexicographer Tony Thorne. It is actually a word that means….nothing…it’s a current fad/trend…..Your welcome to get back to me on that.

[@Hassan047]

@@CatsandJP legend

[@jq8974]

Woke twofaced men in suits: Justin Trudeau. Men redeeming suits to nobility and purpose: Jordan Peterson. 👔

[@ModelsExInferis]

It really amazes me that the right keep using the word "woke" as if they have any idea what it means! 🤣And before you say you know, you've just proven you don't.

[@tremorchristlester4688]

And the left think Jordan Peterson is a alt right winger

[@Guadeloop]

imagine actually taking jordan peterson seriously

[@jq8974]

@@ModelsExInferis I take it you like Trudeau. I live here. Not a fan. Have all the semantics you like - Jordan rocks the suit 💼

[@ModelsExInferis]

@@jq8974 I've no opinion on Canadian politics.

[@jldisme]

❤

[@dannyoberthier3053]

so why does drippy thom play israel?