Lovely song.

it's a stellar song. a good theme song for going towards the white light. a bitter sweet song but nonetheless; it is amazing

I agree...I cried too. "Because I know today has been the most perfect day I've ever seen."

Can you imagine being about to die and calmly--beautifully--saying that? I think its terribly sad because I know Ill never be able to say that with any verity...

brilliant

Absolute genius. never thought that too much :)

I've listened to this song all night, it's brought me to tears and back, but now it just makes me so calm, almost uplifted I can't explain it at all. Thom is one of the most wonderful minds of our time.

I think this is one of their best songs. It does bring out the water works... I think the trick is to find your own personal purpose, whatever that may be. I recently found mine at the age of 28, and my only worry now is that I don't know if I'll ever be able to complete it before I die... But death doesn't scare me anymore.

I'm french so I wasn't abble to anderstand the lyrics at first hearing. But even just his voice and the increasing intensity of the song overwhelmed me.

well this song is pretty much amazing
but im sorta confused

is this a song about killing yourself?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0MI3gtaqfY

This is my favourite video of this song. It gives me an out of body experience.

The most beautiful song ever written only thom could write such an intense emotion. God bless him, pure genius.

I completely agree...Most of the stuff I write is reminicient of but couldnt match up to his in a milion years.It's sad to think the likes of Girls aloud sll more records than him, but alas the world is so.

i first heard the song while cruising through youtube, his passion and sadness and beauty was captured so well it made me want to cry. it sounds like it has a potential to be a suicide song- amazing.

"You are my centre when I spin away & This is my way of saying goodbye"

my god i cry everytime, this song is a peice of art. he is truly talented

theres a line at about 2:00min into the song after "because i cant do it face to face" that none of the lyrics pages show, does anybody understand what he's saying?

It's almost impossible to ignore the overlaying allegory to the Faust legend. The idea of Videotape seems to be that Thom has done something that has made him a great man, but in so doing, done something that is unforgivable and evil, leaving his soul tainted with guilt. Part of the magic of Radiohead is how vague the allegory is, so it's had to really tell what he's talking about. The rest of the album is packed with Faust references to the point of eruption. Reading the Faust play through Radiohead's eyes is also an interesting experience that I would suggest to any fan of Radiohead.

this song is about killing yourself and being judged by god and leaving your suicide note on videotape for people to find. The red blue green may be decomposing but who knows but the man himself. Great song, absolutely love it. Ozzy

first time i listen to this song
i just cry
is just amazing
one of best yorke performances

It's not about killing yourself, its the most beautiful thing i've ever seen written about dying in peace, the videotape is the record of all the things in his life.

I understand where the suicide-letter idea comes from, but that wasn't the impression I got from the song. I felt a voice overwhelmed by the magnificence of the world. "This is one for the good days", "You are my center when I spin away", "Today has been the most perfect day I've ever seen"... If I died accidentally tomorrow, that's probably how I'd sound trying to tell my lover how I felt about everything I had to leave behind.

'I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But I was outside Bagdad Theatre in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for 15 minutes, and he never opened his eyes.
After that I liked jazz music.
Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.
I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened.' That is from the book blue like jazz. Watching someone love something always gets me.

It's heart wrenching and behind every line of this song I scream Patrick's name. And tears..many tears for what I've lost.

This song is very nice. It sounds dramatic. :(

This song is amazing. I first remember listening to this song while standing in the rain after a good ol' heart crushing experience.

ps. Red Blue green is not decomposing, its the primary colors that make up a video image.
"And I have it all here
In red blue green
Red blue green"

this song is suicide note, or last words of man who knows that he is about to die, or die some day, but he made peace with all things and now he found true apathy and happiness.
in my personal opinion one of best songs i have ever heard.
sorry if someone see it other way. this is only and deepest way i can comprehend.

it's about knowing that everybody dies one day and that you don't have to be afraid when you have loved truely. probably it's to hard to tell it to her in person so all make sure you have a videotape ready at the time.
the oldness of the videotape makes it even more touching.

its not about going into the white light Mephistopheles is the devil

"This is my way of saying goodbye, cause I couldn't do it face to face i'm talking to you after its too late from my videotape."

On a live version on youtube. To clarify all the suicide "I think's"

My grandfather actually said the words "Because I know today has been the most perfect day I've ever seen" after i asked him why he was so happy. Keep in mind he has never EVER heard this song.

The missing lyrics are.
THIS IS MY WAY OF SAYING GOODBYE
BECAUSE I CAN'T DO IT FACE TO FACE
SO I'M TALKING TO YOU BEFORE...
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS NOW
YOU SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID
BECAUSE I KNOW
TODAY HAS BEEN THE MOST PERFECT DAY
I HAVE EVER SEEN

U people talk about dying. Well for sure this song if about it... but for me will all be the growing of a tenderness friendship between me and my blue beautiful ereys college mate.
I´d like him to know how many time somo of the thigs he told me come back into my mind and make me gently smile.
You were the very best part of my 2008 year.
OBRIGADA POR EXISTIR =)

You shouldn't be afraid because this has been the most perfect day I've every seen...

Mephistopheles is the devil, but I don't think it means the subject will be going to hell. I think it's more like a "final bitterness", or maybe just a little bit self-deprecating. That makes more sense.

The song is about how hes dying but hes not afraid and completely at peace

its a beautiful song and the rest of the album is also fantastic

Read Faust

I completely agree and think almost every day those exact word about Thom Yorke. And it carries on everyday when I find myself feeling, thinking, saying, the exact emotions and words his songs have blessed us with.