Talk Show Host

Album: Street Spirit single (1995)
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Songfacts®:

  • This has never been released on any official Radiohead album. It was released as a B-side to the single "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," the last track of their 1995 album The Bends. It also appears on the Australian compilation CD: Triple J's "J Files Presents The Greatest B-Sides of All Time".
  • This figured prominently in a key scene of Baz Luhrman's 1996 film William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet. Another Radiohead song, "Exit Music (for a Film)" plays over the closing credits of the same movie. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Tony - Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia, for above 2

Comments: 14

  • Balls from Balls Citythey predicted the joker movie
  • Katya from VancouverThe song makes a lot more sense if you listen to it in the context of the film Romeo+ Juliet, the 1996 version that it features prominently in. Great song and the film adds context to the lyrics.
  • Rhs from MontrealI wonder why it’s called “Talk Show Host”
  • Paul from Palm CityNot sure what came first but Talk Show host drum beat sounds similar to that in Amon Tobins “The Killers Vanilla”.
  • AnonymousThe 80’s movie Wisdom has an epic climax scene with a gun and sandwiches and those lyrics seemed to be a reference to that, to me anyway.
  • Resolve from Arizona, UsaThe lyric "with a gun and a packet of sandwiches" refers to a kind of common term "pack a f--king lunch" I.e. "Oh, you want to mess with Leroy Brown, you better pack a f--king lunch" meaning your gonna be there awhile...:if you succeed at all, that's what I've always thought?
  • Brad from Kansas City, KsThe end of this song when Thom York says I'm ready, he is saying he is ready to die which is what this song seems to be about
  • Kivi from Yekaterinburg, -2Alex: I think he needs a pack of sandwhiches to eat them while he's waiting for the enemy to come because he's ready to wait for him as long as it takes.
  • Ashley from San Antonio, TxI always thought this was about being an outcast, "I want to be someone else or I'll explode", but then he talks like he's trying to provoke someone. Although if he's an outcast maybe a bully, but then he says he'll be waiting with a gun and a pack of sandwiches? Who knows maybe he got all Edward Norton in "Fight Club" and got some courage.
  • Alex from Oconomowoc, WiMy only question is why he would be waiting "with a gun and a pack of sandwichs". Is he gonna shoot him then eat lunch with his corpse.
  • Wayne from Kl, MalaysiaAmazing that Radiohead never released this on an official album. It's an amazing song, probably one of their best.
  • Max from Sydney, Australiathis is quite a funny song actully
  • Mari from TÃ?nsberg, Norway(Listen to the text, and you'll know..)
  • Moocakes from San Gabriel, Cadude.....wot's this song about!
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