Aside from the very obvious Charlie Brown titled song, has anyone found the references to certain cultural staples (some of them cartoons) slightly odd in the new music.

 

There are a few references to Peter Pan, among some other things. These might not seem like a big deal, but for a band that has never referenced anything in that way (unless I'm mistaken) I've found it surprising and am curious as to how it will appear in the rest of their new material.

 

I've wondered what everyone else's take on it is, as I haven't seen much discussion of it.

 

I'm not sure how lost these references will be on those who didn't grow up in English speaking places but they're pretty clear from my twenty year old American perspective.

"One eye watching you" is a 1984 reference. That phrase is repeated in the book a few times. Maybe "Major Minus" got some inspiration from that. Or at least that's the first thing I thought of when I heard the song.

There is also a reference to the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz - in reference to his heart.

 

And I didn't know that 1984 reference! That's very cool.

 

I suppose some people may say 42 is a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I think that reference would be lost on most people (as it was me until so many pointed it out on this forum).

 

These other references are very much staples of culture.

Seems to me that the line, "I'm on a roll this time," from "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" is something of a reference to the Radiohead song "Lucky", which contains the same line. (Albeit slightly different; "I'm on a roll / I'm on a roll / This time... I feel my luck could change")

 

Also, the Oracle confirmed that the title "Moving to Mars" was inspired by Mat Whitecross's 2009 film Moving to Mars.

 

I think everyone was already aware of these two references, but they do belong in this thread!:)

Not sure if this counts in the same way, but I remember in the Rolling Stone interview with Chris a few years back, he said the Violet Hill line "a fox became god" was referencing Fox News.

^Oh yeah, and then they got mad.

Some smarter posters than me pointed out a Peter Pan reference in Major Minus - crocodiles ticking round the world.

 

footyfan - I noticed the "I'm on a roll" line too! :D

 

Christmas Lights has the Elvis reference, if that counts. But I'd agree that the last two albums have had a bit more of a grounding in reality compared to the perhaps more abstract and distant lyrics of the Parachutes through X&Y.

on a roll is a pretty common expression, not a radiohead reference.

I've noticed several--namely the Wizard of Oz, Charlie Brown, and Peter Pan references

 

Us Against the World has a Biblical reference I believe--the 'Daniel in a lion's den' bit.

When I first heard "I'm on a roll this time" I thought of Lucky too!

 

Oh, and the crocodile reference..?

I suppose some people may say 42 is a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I think that reference would be lost on most people (as it was me until so many pointed it out on this forum).

 

Don't Panic could be considered a HGTTG reference, too (although i don't know that it was intended to be). :P

Don't Panic could be considered a HGTTG reference, too (although i don't know that it was intended to be). :P

 

Yeah I'm not sure, because it was originally called panic so I could see how that'd be coincidental.

Seems to me that the line, "I'm on a roll this time," from "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" is something of a reference to the Radiohead song "Lucky", which contains the same line. (Albeit slightly different; "I'm on a roll / I'm on a roll / This time... I feel my luck could change")

 

Of every song of all the history, of all the bands of the world, that's my favorite song.:D

I've noticed several--namely the Wizard of Oz, Charlie Brown, and Peter Pan references

 

Us Against the World has a Biblical reference I believe--the 'Daniel in a lion's den' bit.

 

That's a good one from a song in my opinion that is so strong lyrically.

 

The lyric 'like a raindrop to a river I lost a friend'. Wow!

^ Yeah, that entire song sounds like it's been pulled straight from the Parachutes era :wacky:

^ Yeah, that entire song sounds like it's been pulled straight from the Parachutes era :wacky:

 

As much as I like UATW, I don't think its lyrics are very Parachutes-esque at all. It's only like Parachutes because it's a stripped down song in my opinion.

 

Parachutes lyrics are far less coherent than what's in UATW; a lot of songs take a phrase or two and repeat them in different ways. (Don't Panic, Yellow, Shiver, Trouble, High Speed, to name a few) So yeah, UATW's lyrics don't seem to be from Parachutes at all. And no way would they have such an overt biblical reference on a Parachutes song.

^ There's several songs that we've heard so far (UAtW included) that have been carrying the them of 'us against the world'.

 

And it doesn't sound like it came from the album of Parachutes, necessarily, but it sounds as if it was written during that era (even though we know it wasn't :P)

Mm I guess it's kind of semantics thing. What I'm trying to say is that saying UATW sounds like a Parachutes song - any comparison of the sort - is a comparison that kind of undermines the lyrical uniqueness and musical quality of itself and LP5. On the other hand though, I get that comparing it to Parachutes is just a roundabout way to say it's a really bloody good song.

 

In any case, I'm with you about UATW as a theme. In another thread, I had a decent paragraph about why I think it's the album title. :p

Mm I guess it's kind of semantics thing. What I'm trying to say is that saying UATW sounds like a Parachutes song - any comparison of the sort - is a comparison that kind of undermines the lyrical uniqueness and musical quality of itself and LP5. On the other hand though, I get that comparing it to Parachutes is just a roundabout way to say it's a really bloody good song.

 

In any case, I'm with you about UATW as a theme. In another thread, I had a decent paragraph about why I think it's the album title. :p

 

Well... let's hear it!

Mm I guess it's kind of semantics thing. What I'm trying to say is that saying UATW sounds like a Parachutes song - any comparison of the sort - is a comparison that kind of undermines the lyrical uniqueness and musical quality of itself and LP5. On the other hand though, I get that comparing it to Parachutes is just a roundabout way to say it's a really bloody good song.

 

In any case, I'm with you about UATW as a theme. In another thread, I had a decent paragraph about why I think it's the album title. :p

 

Ah, okay. I see what you mean :D

 

Well... let's hear it!

 

Seconded! :awesome:

Here's the post. It's not some huge brilliant thing, but I think it's a better guess than this MX-related bollocks. :p

^ Great theory, but it kinda throws what Chris said about it 'starting with an M' out the window. :thinking: