2 + 2 = 5 (song)

"2 + 2 = 5"
Song

"2 + 2 = 5 (The Lukewarm.)" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the third and last single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song reached number 15 on the UK singles chart.

Themes

The song's title recalls the symbol of unreality from George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the book, inhabitants of an authoritarian future state are made to engage in doublethink, replacing their own conscience and beliefs with those imposed from above. At the end of the novel, the protagonist's individuality is demolished, as he avows that two and two are, in fact, five. With lyrics like "All hail to the thief, but I'm not" and "Don't question my authority" there have been repeated suggestions from many musical critics that the song is based on the controversial election of George W. Bush in 2000. The band have strenuously denied this, saying in one interview, "It would be too easy for us to insult George Bush".

Hail to the Thief lists subtitles, or alternative titles, for each of its songs. The alternative title for "2 + 2 = 5", whose lyrics also include the album's title, is "The Lukewarm.". Singer Thom Yorke has mentioned it as a reference to the works of Dante.

The song has a change in the time signature from 7/8 to 4/4 at 1:54 in the song. The last theme of the song "I try to sing along" has a guitar driven interlude that begins at 2:25 (2+2=5).

At the beginning of the song, the listener hears guitarist Jonny Greenwood plugging his guitar in and saying 'We're on.', and lead vocalist Thom Yorke is heard saying "That's a nice way to start, Jonny...".

Music video

The video begins as chalkboard stills of a group of cows grazing a meadow. The child-like art shifts on as the cows begin to stand on two feet and build a communist society. One day, a cow answers the door to a pig wearing a suit. The pig introduces the cow to television, which then broadcasts titillating programs, brainwashing it. This distracts the cows long enough for the pigs to build factories. It's shown that the pigs abuse their power by oppressing the cows and draining the milk from the cows' bodies, causing them to turn skinny and weak. Having had enough, the cows protest, but face defeat when the pigs resort to threatening them with guard dogs. With nothing left the cows break down and sedate their depression with alcohol. At this point, the mumbling vocals of Thom Yorke and the music itself break into a frenzied pace. Disturbing images of a police state run by the pigs (full of propaganda, violence and sadomasochistic sexuality) explode on the screen in the form of frame-by-frame animation.

The music video makes references to Nineteen Eighty-Four, Animal Farm and Neon Genesis Evangelion throughout. It was animated by Gaston Vinas.

Track listings

Promotional single

CD CDRDJ6623

1. "2 + 2 = 5" - 3:21

12" 12RDJWL6623

1. "Sktterbrain" (Four Tet remix)
2. "Remyxomatosis" (Christian Vogel RMX)

Single

CD one CDR6623

1. "2 + 2 = 5" - 3:21
2. "Remyxomatosis" (Christian Vogel RMX) - 5:07
3. "There There" (first demo) - 7:43

CD two CDRS6623

1. "2 + 2 = 5" - 3:21
2. "Skttrbrain" (Four Tet remix) - 4:26
3. "I Will" (Los Angeles version) - 2:14

DVD DVDR6623

1. "2 + 2 = 5" - 3:21
2. "Sit Down Stand Up" (Ed Holdsworth's video)
3. "The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time" (excerpt)

See also

COM LAG (2plus2isfive) EP (2004)

External links

• AtEaseWeb.com page