Black Star

What it's about

The song looks at the lows of a romantic relationship with a partner suffering from mental illness, where the more stable partner uses scapegoats and half-measures to get through each day without open conflict. After the protagonist separates from the lover, they find themselves falling into the same kind of emotional breakdowns their former partner had.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 1 other song, like “Fırlat by Rahdan & Sansar Salvo”.
• Covered 5 times, including “Black Star by Jade Bird”.
• Written by Philip Selway, Ed O’Brien, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood and Thom Yorke.
• Produced by John Leckie and Nigel Godrich.
• Recorded at RAK Studios.