Creep (Radiohead song)



"Creep" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as their debut single in 1992; it appeared on their first album, Pablo Honey (1993). During its initial release, "Creep" was not a chart success. However, upon re-release in 1993, it became a worldwide hit. Attendees of Radiohead's early gigs often exhibited little interest in the band's other songs, causing the band to react against "Creep" and play it less often during the mid-to-late 1990s. It is included in the Radiohead: The Best Of compilation album.

The artwork for the single is a painting by Maurice Burns, called "Craigavon Under Age Drinkers Rule".

Background and recording
According to Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood, Thom Yorke wrote "Creep" while studying at Exeter University in the late 1980s. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood said that the song was inspired by a girl that Yorke had followed around who showed up unexpectedly during a show by the band.

In 1992, during rehearsal sessions with producers Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie, Radiohead spontaneously performed "Creep". Yorke jokingly described the song as "our Scott Walker song"; Slade and Kolderie mistook this to mean the song was a cover.

After tension arose due to unsatisfactory attempts at recording other songs, Slade and Kolderie tried to improve morale by requesting Radiohead play "Creep" again. The band recorded the song in a single take; after the performance everyone in the room burst into applause. Once the band assured Kolderie that "Creep" was an original song, he called EMI to tell them to consider it as Radiohead's first single. While the recording had minimal overdubs and the band did not intend to release it, the producers were impressed with the song.

Due to similarities to "The Air That I Breathe", a song recorded by the Hollies in 1973, Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood are credited as co-writers of "Creep". "Creep" uses a chord progression used in "The Air That I Breathe" in its verse and a melody from "The Air That I Breathe" in the bridge following the second chorus.

Composition and lyrics


The G–B–C–Cm chord progression is repeated throughout the whole song, just alternating between arpeggiated chords in the verses and last chorus and loud power chords during the first two choruses. In G major, these may be interpreted as "I–III–IV–iv". According to Guy Capuzzo, the ostinato musically portrays "the song's obsessive lyrics, which depict the 'self-lacerating rage of an unsuccessful crush'." For example, the "highest pitches of the ostinato form a prominent chromatic line that 'creeps' up, then down, involving scale degrees $$\hat 5$$– ♯$$\hat 5$$– $$\hat 6$$– ♭$$\hat 6$$....[while] ascend[ing], the lyrics strain towards optimism...descend[ing], the subject sinks back into the throes of self-pity...The guitarist's fretting hand mirrors this contour".

When the song shifts from the verse to the chorus, Jonny Greenwood plays three blasts of guitar noise ("dead notes" played by releasing fret-hand pressure and picking the strings). Greenwood said he did this because he did not like how quiet the song was; he explained: "So I hit the guitar hard—really hard". Ed O'Brien said: "That's the sound of Jonny trying to fuck the song up. He really didn't like it the first time we played it, so he tried spoiling it. And it made the song." During the song's outro, Jonny Greenwood plays a piano figure. Kolderie forgot to add the piano part during the final mix until the end of the song, but the band approved of the final result.

According to Yorke, "Creep" tells the tale of an inebriated man who tries to get the attention of a woman to whom he is attracted by following her around. In the end, he lacks the self-confidence to face her and feels he subconsciously is her. When asked about "Creep" in 1993, Yorke said: "I have a real problem being a man in the '90s... Any man with any sensitivity or conscience toward the opposite sex would have a problem. To actually assert yourself in a masculine way without looking like you're in a hard-rock band is a very difficult thing to do... It comes back to the music we write, which is not effeminate, but it's not brutal in its arrogance. It is one of the things I'm always trying: To assert a sexual persona and on the other hand trying desperately to negate it." Jonny Greenwood said the song was in fact a happy song about "recognizing what you are".

The version issued for US radio play replaced the line "So fucking special" with "So very special". The group was worried that issuing a censored version would be a "bit of a sellout" according to Jonny Greenwood, but they decided it was acceptable since their idols Sonic Youth had done the same thing. Nonetheless, Greenwood noted the British press "weren't impressed" by the action. During the recording session for the censored lyrics, Kolderie convinced Yorke to rewrite the first verse, telling him he thought the singer could do better.

Release and reception
Despite initial reluctance, staff at EMI ultimately grew enthusiastic about "Creep", and the label decided to issue it as a single. "Creep" met with little success in the UK when it was first released in September 1992. Radio 1 found the song "too depressing" and refrained from playing the song. "Creep" reached number 78 on the UK Singles Chart, selling only 6,000 copies. The band soon moved onto a second single, "Anyone Can Play Guitar", to promote the album Pablo Honey, and released a non-album single, "Pop Is Dead".

Towards the end of 1992, DJ Yoav Kutner played "Creep" incessantly on Israeli radio. He had been introduced to the song by a local representative of EMI. The song soon became a national hit. Radiohead quickly set up tour dates in the country to capitalise on the success. "Creep" had similar success in New Zealand, Spain, and Scandinavian countries. Around the same time, the San Francisco, California radio station KITS added the song to its playlist, and soon other radio stations along the American West Coast followed suit. A censored version of the song was made available to radio stations, and, by the second half of 1993, the song had become a hit nationwide, charting at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. By the time Radiohead went to the United States, they were surprised by the success of the song. Yorke told Melody Maker in 1993 that many journalists misunderstood the song, asking him if it was a "joke".

Radiohead initially did not want to reissue "Creep" in the United Kingdom, but eventually relented. Bassist Colin Greenwood said that "after doing so well in America, there was this tremendous pressure from radio people, the press, the record company, even our fans, to put it out". The 1993 reissue reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The release was bolstered by a September 1993 Top of the Pops performance, which drew criticism from the music press and fellow artists: Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher opined that Radiohead were willing to appear on the show and alter the lyrics to reflect the clean edit of the song "because it made them more money". In December 2007, the song was ranked at #31 on "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's". In June 2008, "Creep" reentered the UK Singles Chart at number 37 after its inclusion on the compilation album Radiohead: The Best Of. "Creep" has been listed as the third best indie song of all time in the 'All Time Indie Top 50'

Performances
After mid-1998, Radiohead did not play the song live at all until the final encore of a 2001 hometown concert at South Park, Oxford, when they played it in a seemingly impromptu decision after an equipment failure on the organ just after the start of "Motion Picture Soundtrack". Thom Yorke commented that they would be playing a "slightly older song... I think."

After the 2009 Reading Festival, "Creep" was not heard live for seven years until 2016, when the song was performed several times throughout the tour promoting their ninth studio album, A Moon Shaped Pool. Thom Yorke got the idea of bringing it back when someone spent the majority of a concert shouting for it. He stated, "We just said, ‘Let’s see what the reaction is, just to see how it feels.'"

In April 2008, American musician Prince covered "Creep" at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. This version was captured on a video from a concert-goer's mobile phone, uploaded online, and shared through Reddit. However, it was quickly taken down at Prince's request. After being told of the situation in an interview, Yorke said "Well, tell him to unblock it. It's our song."

Track listing

 * UK original release


 * 1) "Creep" – 3:55
 * 2) "Lurgee" – 3:07
 * 3) "Inside My Head" – 3:12
 * 4) "Million Dollar Question" – 3:18


 * (Cassette - Promo)


 * 1) "Creep" – 3:56
 * 2) "Faithless, the Wonder Boy" – 4:10


 * UK re-release (CD)


 * 1) "Creep" (album version) – 3:58
 * 2) "Yes I Am" – 4:25
 * 3) "Blow Out" (remix) – 4:00
 * 4) "Inside My Head" (live) – 3:07


 * UK re-release (12" vinyl)


 * 1) "Creep" (acoustic) – 4:19
 * 2) "You" (live) - 3:39
 * 3) "Vegetable" (live) - 3:07
 * 4) "Killer Cars" (live) - 2:17


 * Note: All tracks recorded live at the Metro in Chicago by JBTV on June 30, 1993, except A1 recorded live for KROQ Radio on July 13, 1993.


 * Single


 * 1) "Creep" – 3:56


 * Digital re-release


 * 1) "Creep" 3:56
 * 2) "Inside My Head" 3:12
 * 3) "Million Dollar Question" 3:18
 * 4) "Yes I Am" 4:26
 * 5) "Blow Out (Remix)" 4:19

The original versions of "Lurgee", "Blow Out", "You" and "Vegetable" are all taken from the album Pablo Honey.

Personnel

 * Thom Yorke – lead vocals, guitar
 * Colin Greenwood – bass guitar
 * Jonny Greenwood – lead guitar, piano
 * Ed O'Brien – rhythm guitar
 * Philip Selway – drums

Covers

 * In 1995, Tears for Fears recorded a live version of "Creep" and released it on the CD Single for "God's Mistake" (USCD5/34K 78064-2C) in October.
 * In 2004, Scala and Kolacny Brothers' covered the song for their live album Dream On.
 * In 2008, Australian synthpop band Parralox included a cover of the song on their album Electricity.
 * In 2009, singer-songwriter HANA covered "Creep" on her EP Live in the Studio.
 * In 2010, Amanda Palmer covered "Creep" on her EP album Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele.
 * In 2012, Macy Gray recorded a cover for her album of covers entitled Covered with a deep, strong bass line and haunting vocal.
 * In 2012, Dutch rock band Clan of Xymox covered "Creep" on their 14th studio album Kindred Spirits.
 * In 2014, American actor and drag performer Jinkx Monsoon covered "Creep" on her studio album The Inevitable Album, and released a remix on the remix album ReAnimated in 2015.
 * In 2015, a jazzed-up cover by Haley Reinhart and Postmodern Jukebox was released on YouTube in April to critical acclaim and quickly reached 6 million views and the #1 position on the iTunes Jazz Chart.
 * In 2003, the band Scarling covered the song on their album Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole.

Live Cover performances

 * Asia's Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo performed the song on her 24/SG Concert in 2013. A concert review noted the performance as the highlight of the show.
 * The Pretenders performed a cover of the song before a live audience at Jacob Street Studios, London, in May 1995 which Spin News ranks among the top 10 Radiohead covers. This version featuring Chrissie Hynde has had 5 million plays since it was uploaded on YouTube in 2007.
 * American nu metal band Korn performed an acoustic cover of Creep for their appearance on MTV Unplugged.
 * Prince performed a version of Creep during his appearance at the 2008 Coachella festival. A video upload of the performance was taken down but ultimately re-instated with permission from Radiohead and NPG Publishing.
 * Idina Menzel performed the song during her one night only concert at Radio City Music Hall in NYC and on her 2015 World Tour.

Appearances in other media

 * The song was covered by Clint Mansell and Coco Sumner, and played at the end of the film Filth starring James McAvoy.
 * The Scala and Kolacny Brothers' cover version was later featured in a trailer for the 2010 film The Social Network. Their atmospheric performance of the song helped the trailer amass millions of views.
 * The Brazilian actor and singer Wagner Moura recorded a version of "Creep" to a soundtrack for the movie O Homem do Futuro.
 * A cover of "Creep" by Karen Souza is used as a theme song in Terry Gilliam's 2013 movie The Zero Theorem.
 * The animated film The Book of Life includes the chorus of "Creep", sung by Diego Luna over acoustic guitar.
 * Appears in the film the French film, Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants; Translation: They married and had many children.
 * In Season 5 of Community, an a cappella version of the song is performed by the sons of character Shirley Bennett.
 * The song appears in the finale of E4's television series My Mad Fat Diary
 * Chilean singer Américo covered the song in Canal 13 late show Buenas Noches.

Sampling

 * Rap artist Chino XL sampled the chorus lyrics and the title for his 1996 single "Kreep."