10 Best Rock Ballads Of The 90's
5. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
It's almost become a running joke in rock circles about how Radiohead songs are meant to be depressing. The prominent whine in Thom Yorke's voice makes each song feel like it's meant to sound overly dramatic with each passing word. While there is certainly some truth behind the mentality, "Fake Plastic Trees" is one of the band's greatest sonic distillation of emotion.
Opening with just a plain acoustic guitar, the song seems to creep up on you as Yorke starts talking about everyday items made out of plastic. As he becomes more and more disillusioned with these artificial things, Yorke takes a step back to look at the world around him. Upon close inspection, he realizes that these items reflect most of his life, with a girlfriend who seems to be emotionally transparent and a society bogged down in their own apathy.
Over Jonny Greenwood's heartfelt guitar squeals, Yorke yearns to be something more than just ordinary, even if it means having to change who he is to get there. After his sad lament for the world around him, the song quickly dissolves into nothing. Even with no clear resolution, I'd like to think that Yorke finally finds his authentic self someday.