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Fake Plastic Trees
Radiohead
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- Album
- The Bends
- Released
- 1995
- Genres
- art rock, alternative rock
- Length
- 4:51
- Tempo
- 74 BPM
- Label
- XL Recordings
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About this song
The band recorded the song for The Bends, and while working on it they attended a Jeff Buckley concert in Highbury. Back in the studio, Thom was so moved by Buckley's set that he sang the song twice and then fell to his knees crying. The music video shows Thom riding a shopping cart through a supermarket where all the products are distinguished only by color.
What it's about
The song is meant as a protest against consumerism. Its imagery underlines a theme of overconsumption, where people buy anything just to have bought something.
Fun facts
- Sampled in 2 other songs, like “Bouquet by Cacola”.
- Covered 27 times, including “Fake Plastic Trees by Luke Sital-Singh”.
- Written by Ed O’Brien, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Thom Yorke and Philip Selway.
- Produced by John Leckie.
- Recorded at RAK Studios.