Man of War

Album: OK COMPUTER OKNOTOK 1997 2017 (2017)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was originally titled "Big Boots" and was written around the time of The Bends. It was first performed by Radiohead on October 2, 1995 at New York's Mercury Lounge. After being played 16 times in 1995 the track was discarded from the band's setlist, until 2002, when it was performed during a concert in Salamanca, Spain.
  • The song was recorded in March 1998, in Abbey Road Studios, for the soundtrack of The Avengers, but was later scrapped. The tune did feature in the 1998 tour documentary Meeting People is Easy but was never officially released until 2017 when it was one of three unreleased tracks on OKNOTOK, the 20th anniversary reissue of OK Computer.
  • The song starts off by comparing somebody to a slow-sailing Man-O-War jellyfish

    Drift all you like from ocean to ocean
    Search the whole world


    However as the tune develops we hear the typically cynical and wary lyrical content found on Radiohead's late 1990s material.

    So unplug the phones, stop all the taps
    It all comes flooding back
    To poison clouds and poisoned dwarves
  • The music video was filmed in Brooklyn, New York and helmed by skate video director Colin Read. It features a disheveled man increasingly descending into paranoia as he is followed by unknown forces.

Comments: 1

  • Shrek from Shrek's SwampDonkey! Get outta mah swamp!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Joan Armatrading

Joan ArmatradingSongwriter Interviews

The revered singer-songwriter talks inspiration and explains why she put a mahout in "Drop the Pilot."

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.