The Eraser, Pt. 3: This Is Fucked Up

"Black Swan"

What will grow crooked, you can't make straight

It's the price that you gotta pay

Do yourself a favour and pack your bags

Buy a ticket and get on the train

Buy a ticket and get on the train

Tom’s depression is starting to spill over into anger and bitter sarcasm. He tells himself that he might as well leave, since there's no hope of rescuing this relationship now that it has jumped off the tracks.

‘Cause this is fucked up, fucked up

‘Cause this is fucked up, fucked up

If you just see these lyrics on the page, they look very angry. However, the way Thom Yorke delivers them on the album changes the meaning considerably. He sings in a very detached deadpan, essentially devoid of real emotion. In the story, I see Tom (the character) shaking his head, sarcastically marveling at just how bad all this is getting.

People get crushed like biscuit crumbs

And laid down in the bitumen

You have tried your best to please everyone

But it just isn't happening

No, it just isn't happening

Again, Tom’s emotions seem detached and distant. The way he sees it, relationships fall apart. It’s only natural. No matter how much someone may try to keep their partner happy, things will inevitably fall apart, leaving people crushed and hurt.

And that is fucked up, fucked up

And this is fucked up, fucked up

This your blind spot, blind spot

It should be obvious, but it's not

But it isn't, but it isn't

Tom feels like he’s starting to understand the problems in his relationship. They’re fucked up, sure, but it’s too late to do much about them now. Both he and his partner should have seen this coming, but neither of them did until they were past the point of no return.

You cannot kickstart a dead horse

You just crush yourself and walk away

I don't care what the future holds

Cause I'm writin' out today

With your fingers you can touch me

Tom finally takes action. He leaves, telling his partner that their relationship is “dead” and there’s no point trying to revive it. He walks out the door, towards the future, which must be better than all this.

I'm your black swan, black swan

But I made it to the top, made it to the top

This is fucked up, fucked up

Tom is finally celebrating his escape from the pain in his relationship. He survived and is finally out in the world, a free man.

Be your black swan, black swan

I'm for spare parts, broken up

Despite his distancing sarcasm, Tom can’t hide the fact that’s he’s still in deep emotional pain. He may have escaped the relationship, but it has still scarred him. He’s really in no condition to be wandering around, looking for a new relationship.

You are fucked up, fucked up

This is fucked up, fucked up

This final chorus is the most serious repetition of the “fucked up” theme. Tom realizes how truly warped his relationship was and how much damage it has done to him. He can’t believe how incredibly fucked up the past few years of his life actually were.

"Skip Divided"

I'm in a skip divided malfunction

I flap around and dive bomb

Frantically around your light

Enveloped in a sad distraction

Things haven't been working out well since Tom walked out on his relationship. He’s met someone new, a “sad distraction”, but he keeps thinking of his old partner. Nothing’s really working for him right now.

I got your voice repeating endlessly

Could you guide me in? Could you smother me?

I swoop around your head, but I never hit

I'm blinded by your daylight

Tom can’t get his old partner out of his head. He tries to escape into his new relationship, trying to let it “smother” him so his old feelings will be drowned out. However, this new partner just doesn’t connect with Tom at all. Besides, Tom is still blinded by his love for his past relationship.

Electric veins pass through me

I thought there was this big connection

Again, Tom finds himself in a relationship that isn’t working. He can’t connect with his new partner at all.

I only got my name, I only got the situation

I just need a number and location

All Tom really has is himself and what he knows. Also, could the “number and location” imply that his new relationship is actually with a prostitute? That could explain why there wouldn’t be much “connection” between them.

Without appropriate papers or permissions

I'm known to bite in tight situations

Tom’s definitely doing something he shouldn’t be doing. He’s thinking about how he doesn’t have “permission” to be in this new relationship, but in his bitterness and anger he has decided that he doesn’t care. He’s lashing out, biting back in vengeance.

And I head into your french windows

I thought there was a big connection
I only got my name, I only got my situation

I just need my number and location

It may not be with a prostitute (how many prostitutes have homes with french windows?), but Tom is definitely having some kind of affair by now. His old relationship has driven him into this impulsive new one and Tom hasn’t fully thought any of this through yet.

And my mum keeps telling me

Hey hey, hey hey, hey hey!
The devil may

Hey hey, hey hey, hey hey!

Tom is conflicted. He knows he shouldn’t be here, with this new partner who probably doesn’t really care about him at all. At the same time, he’s blinded by his anger at his old partner and just wants to feel good for a brief moment.

You are a fool, you are a fool

For sticking ‘round, for sticking ‘round
Yeah, you are a fool, you are a fool

For sticking ‘round, for sticking ‘round

Tom keeps turning his feelings over in his mind. The conflict between his guilt and his anger is starting to drive him crazy. He’s mad at himself for staying in his old relationship for so long, but he’s also upset about seeking refuge in this indulgent fling.

I tried every trick in the book

I tried to look and knew

Every trick in the book

But how come I look?

Tom keeps finding himself in these painful relationships and he can’t understand why. He thought he was doing everything right. Why does this keep happening to him?

No more common dress or elliptical caress

Don't look into your eyes 'cause I'm desperately in love

In love, in love

Tom confronts his new partner, saying he can’t hide his feelings any longer. He still feels something for his old partner and those feelings aren’t going away any time soon.

When you walk in the room everything disappears

When you walk in the room it's a terrible mess

When you walk in the room I start to melt

When you walk in the room I follow you round

All Tom can think about is his old partner. Everything else on his mind has been eclipsed by this obsession. He’s starting to fall apart without him or her in his life.

Like a dog, I'm a dog, I'm a dog, I'm a lapdog

I'm your lapdog, yeah

There’s nothing Tom can do about it. He’s too loyal, too in love with his old partner to ever leave. He’ll always keep going back, begging for forgiveness.

I just got a number and location

I just need my number and location

There’s only one thing Tom can do from here: go home.