Harry Patch (In Memory Of)

Radiohead have just released a brand new song, Harry Patch (In Memory Of), for download on WASTE, at a price of one pound (which goes to charity). It is a fitting tribute to Harry Patch, the last World War I veteran in the UK, who recently passed at the age of 111. The lyrics are taken from the words of Harry Patch himself when he gave an interview in 2005.

"i am the only one that got through
the others died where ever they fell
it was an ambush
they came up from all sides
give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves
i've seen devils coming up from the ground
i've seen hell upon this earth
the next will be chemical but they will never learn"

The words are so stark and they must be some of the most powerful Thom has ever sung. The message can't be mistaken. The song itself is basically just Thom's voice set against strings arranged by Jonny, which are really beautiful, grand and ceremonial and which remind me a little of Jonny's film scores, and the song on a whole is a simple yet fittingly emotional tribute. To be honest, this sounds nothing like Radiohead have done before, at least in terms of the arrangement. A song with no rhythm section isn't something you'd expect after In Rainbows. And the strings approach something classical sounding, which may have been what Thom was talking about in a recent interview, when he discussed the chance of them doing classical stuff in the near future. However, i see this song more as a one off tribute, and i don't think it should point the way to Radiohead's next 'sound'.. right? (You never know with them.)

According to Thom's blog post, Jonny and him were inspired after hearing that interview with Harry Patch on Radio4 and they recorded the song in an abbey, a few weeks before his death. I sometimes like to believe in fate and things being 'meant to be', and maybe they were meant to record this song before he passed, and now as they release it the memory of Harry Patch and his anti-war message will be honoured by even more people.

Anyway, it is still only slowly hitting me that Radiohead have released a new song.. I'm kinda burned out by school (yeah its only been orientation week but) but coming home and turning on the computer, to see a new song is always brilliant.