About This Track
This song was premiered in San Sebastian, Spain on July 31, 2002. The song’s alternative title is “The Lukewarm”.
The song’s title “2 + 2 = 5” recalls the symbol of unreality from George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the book, inhabitants of an authoritarian future state are made to engage in doublethink, replacing their own conscience and beliefs with those imposed from above. At the end of the novel, the protagonist’s individuality is demolished, as he avows that two and two are, in fact, five. The song contains similar inaccuracies including January bringing April showers.
With lyrics like “All hail to the thief, but I’m not” and “Don’t question my authority” there have been repeated suggestions from many musical critics that the song is based on the controversial election of George W. Bush in 2000. The band have strenuously denied this, saying in one interview, “It would be too easy for us to insult George Bush”.
The song reached number 15 on the UK singles chart.
The first part of the song is in a 7/4 time signature, which switches to 4/4 about 1 minute 22 seconds in (after the words “Two and two always makes five…”).
At the beginning of the song, the listener hears guitarist Jonny Greenwood plugging his guitar in and saying “We’re on”, with lead vocalist Thom Yorke replying “That’s a nice way to start, Jonny…”.
The song’s title “2 + 2 = 5” recalls the symbol of unreality from George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the book, inhabitants of an authoritarian future state are made to engage in doublethink, replacing their own conscience and beliefs with those imposed from above. At the end of the novel, the protagonist’s individuality is demolished, as he avows that two and two are, in fact, five. The song contains similar inaccuracies including January bringing April showers.
With lyrics like “All hail to the thief, but I’m not” and “Don’t question my authority” there have been repeated suggestions from many musical critics that the song is based on the controversial election of George W. Bush in 2000. The band have strenuously denied this, saying in one interview, “It would be too easy for us to insult George Bush”.
The song reached number 15 on the UK singles chart.
The first part of the song is in a 7/4 time signature, which switches to 4/4 about 1 minute 22 seconds in (after the words “Two and two always makes five…”).
At the beginning of the song, the listener hears guitarist Jonny Greenwood plugging his guitar in and saying “We’re on”, with lead vocalist Thom Yorke replying “That’s a nice way to start, Jonny…”.
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Albums featuring this track
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Hail to the Thief
Radiohead
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The Best Of
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- 7digital $11.99
- Juno $13.49
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Hail to the Thief (live 2002)
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Hail To The Thief (Collector's Edition)
Radiohead Buy- Download Album
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Shouts
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juanfmonc wrote:
This is my favorite band!! I dedicated this pic (http://tinyurl.com/787cbfx) to this song, you may like it :)
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obscurecendo wrote:
"That's a nice way to start, Jonny." [2]
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Vermillion666 wrote:
i always heard meditation
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AlexMercure wrote:
PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION
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Tiana21_11 wrote:
"That's a nice way to start, Jonny."
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Alex_Darkness wrote:
beeeeest
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merwe_ryan wrote:
PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION (I'd swear too!)
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rimel_de_miel wrote:
I am such a dreamer :)
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serizierrock wrote:
this is better than Red Bull
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ms_creep wrote:
perhaps my fav Radiohead song
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tiho_ti wrote:
great.
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paul30483 wrote:
Love this song! By the way guys if any of u want a free iphone 4 check out this site FREEIPHONE4-METROLYRICS.INFO Actually works! Just got mine the other day haha
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YuiBloodsucker wrote:
wow. I like this so. Umm Yes best song ever. *o*
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Badscaremonger wrote:
It was my first Radiohead song
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rache-l wrote:
go and tell the king the sky is falling in...
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ABattleofOne wrote:
PENETRATION PENETRATION PENETRATION (I swear this is what Thom is saying)
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Bastafa wrote:
math rock.
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brndn wrote:
top 5 radiohead song
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Yinjo wrote:
it's 6 damnit
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Adrianovaz2007 wrote:
@rcstars: The second names for HTTT tracks are right, but it's just other names on booklet, this is the correct tagging.
Track Stats
653,524 Scrobbles
129,347 Listeners
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Recent Activity
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rampietti added 2 + 2 = 5 to rampietti’s library. yesterday afternoon
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mtapiamx added 2 + 2 = 5 to the playlist. yesterday afternoon
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mtapiamx, dulcetc and Levato loved Radiohead – 2 + 2 = 5. yesterday afternoon
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lorak1979 added 2 + 2 = 5 to lorak1979’s library. Sunday evening
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kamikadze_kiro, chromatic_black, spinFOREVER and 10 other people loved Radiohead – 2 + 2 = 5. Sunday morning
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khanweezy added 2 + 2 = 5 to khanweezy’s library. Friday morning
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MonicaCobain, Tap_kick and TheyMadeMeDoIt_ loved Radiohead – 2 + 2 = 5. Thursday afternoon
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batmetzger added 2 + 2 = 5 to batmetzger’s library. last week
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oneroomcity, AllOurVespers, Pearz420 and 10 other people loved Radiohead – 2 + 2 = 5. last week
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kverleijsdonk added 2 + 2 = 5 to kverleijsdonk’s library. 12 days ago
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