The song Exit Music (For a Film) by Radiohead was
originally written for George A Romero’s film Romeo and Juliet; however the
writer of the song (Thom Yorke) had completely different intentions than to
simply write a song suited to the themes of the film. The song comes in the
film in the credits although it does not feature in the soundtrack to the film
by request, only their 1997 album OK
Computer. This could be interpreted that it suits the concept of their
record which it features in; where Thom Yorke explains the technological
advance of mankind through two characters who are in love. This is considered
similar to the themes of Romeo and Juliet in which the song features, yet it seems
suited to both the album and film.
Thom Yorke claimed to be
thinking of the 1968 adaptation of the book when writing the song. He stated ‘I saw the Zeffirelli version when I was 13
and I cried my eyes out, because I couldn't understand why, the morning after
they shagged, they didn't just run away’[1]
This furthermore gives the idea that the song was written with the story of
their lives in his head. Although this may be the general idea given here, it
is almost traditional for Radiohead to give an abstract approach to their songs
in meaning and lyrically.
The general idea when most
artists are asked to write a song for a blockbuster would be to suit it to the
genre and attitude which comes with it. However, Thom Yorke (and Radiohead)’s
intentions when creating this song was to write something which suited the
style of their song writing in general and on OK Computer. Thom Yorke’s
attitudes towards the ending of the film were shown heavily in the creation of
this song in concluding with the line ‘we
hope that you choke’ on a dreamy, shoegaze inspired climax.
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