Electioneering (song)

"Electioneering"
Song

"Electioneering" is a song by Radiohead, from the band's 1997 album OK Computer.

Thom Yorke describes "Electioneering" as being about preaching to others through a microphone. He uses the metaphor of a politician selling his party platform to critique the live promotional shows Radiohead was doing to sell its music[href=http://www.greenplastic.com/lyrics/electioneering.php]. In its original 1996 live form, the song ended on a catchy note with Thom repeating the line "Doin' it all." Yorke was thinking of the Poll Tax Riots as he wrote "Electioneering", the scenes where people were breaking down the gates of Downing Street. As well as being political, the song is also about Radiohead, travelling around the globe and having to sell their records to people. The song is in Drop D tuning, and features use of the D minor chord in the main riff.

While the previous songs on OK Computer were very electronically oriented, this song is closer musically to earlier "guitar" records, using a main "riff" and heavy overdubs.

Currently the song is very rarely performed live having all but disappeared from the band's regular setlist.

For the 2007 tribute album from Easy Star All-Stars, Radiodread, "Electioneering" was covered by Morgan Heritage.

For the 2007 tribute album from Stereogum, OKX, "Electioneering" was covered by the Cold War Kids, who stripped the song down to a simple drum beat and vocals.

Sources

http://www.greenplastic.com/lyrics/electioneering.php