Climbing Up the Walls

"Climbing Up the Walls"
OK Computer
Song by Radiohead
From the album OK Computer
Album released	16 June 1997
Recorded	1996, 1997
Genre	Alternative Rock
Song Length	4:45
Record label	Parlophone
Producer	Nigel Godrich

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

It is the first song that Radiohead have recorded which could be described as 'scary'. The string section of the song, composed by Jonny Greenwood alone, features 16 different violinists playing quarter tones apart from each other. The chords used in the main riff of the song are B minor, G major, then E minor.

Before being played live, Jonny pulls out a small shortwave radio transmitter, and begins tuning it to different stations. During the band's soundchecks, Jonny locates classical or spoken word radio stations, such as Radio 4, and uses them to introduce "Climbing Up the Walls". He comments on this, saying "I spend about 20 minutes tuning in some local radio stations before the show, theres always the danger that Huey Lewis and the News are going to turn up in an inappropriate part of the song, but that’s all part of the fun, I suppose."

Thom Yorke has commented on the song, saying "This is about the unspeakable. Literally skull-crushing. I used to work in a mental hospital around the time that Care in the Community started, and we all just knew what was going to happen. And it's one of the scariest things to happen in this country, because a lot of them weren't just harmless... It was hailing violently when we recorded this. It seemed to add to the mood. Some people can't sleep with the curtains open in case they see the eyes they imagine in their heads every night burning through the glass. Lots of people have panic buttons fitted in their bedrooms so they can reach over and set the alarm off without disturbing the intruder. This song is about the cupboard monster."