Crane 1
Ben Crane
Prof. Leonard
English Composition II
21 February 2021
The Many Meanings of “Creep”
“Creep” by Radiohead inspires many artists to perform it with their own interpretation.
The universal lyrics and moldable composition make it so the song can take many different
meanings. It has been covered by Prince, Kelly Clarkson, Tears for Fears, and even Jim
Carrey, all bringing their distinct personality to the song. One of the most dramatic changes
comes from British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks. The musicality alone cues the listener in on
the two different meanings. The accompanying music videos solidify those differences.
Radiohead presents aggressive and anthemic visuals appealing to an angsty audience. “Creep”
by Arlo Parks shows a more melancholy visualization of the original Radiohead song and is
targeted towards a wider audience.
The original version of “Creep” is based on a college experience of Tom
Yorke, the lead singer. He details a dark moment when he was obsessed with a girl to the
point where he was actively hurting himself through his infatuation. He wrote the song to
show his anguish towards a part of himself that he hates. Arlo Parks’ cover has a much
different inspiration. Often, she would listen to Radiohead as inspiration for her songwriting.
Parks spent lots of time thinking introspectively to songs like “Creep,” and she wanted to
share the feeling she got from those experiences. These two different intentions led to two
dramatically different versions of the song even though they share the same lyrics. The artists
2
Crane
revealed the purpose behind recording the songs, but their music videos show more ways they
diverge.
Radiohead’s music video is aggressive and anthemic. It starts in a dingy venue
with a large audience. As Yorke starts singing, his facial expressions are sarcastic and
patronize lyrics like, “I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul.” He is trying to push away
the person to whom he is singing. Although he has an obsession with this girl, he drives her
away because she’s a reminder that he’s an outsider. He wants to relate to people but feels he
doesn’t fit in with social norms, so he gets angry. He displays anger on his face for most of
the music video, but as the music swells and chaos breaks out in the bright lighting, he seems
more and more tortured. His conflict climaxes as he sings “run” about two-thirds of the way
through the video. Yorke’s face contorts and looks pained. The audience can feel his sadness
despite the anthemic nature of the lights and bobbing heads. This juxtaposition creates the
universal feeling of struggling under the surface. The video ends with Yorke returning to a
subtle, sarcastic version of himself. The dark thoughts are still bubbling inside him, but he
puts his defense mechanism back on, and the audience can no longer see his pain.
Arlo Parks’ cover is much tamer. She sits at a piano, isolated, in what seems
like a church. Her soft voice expresses the sadness in feeling like she doesn’t belong. Parks is
gentler in her emotions as the camera spins around. The instrumental matches the calm mood
of the video. She is not putting up any barriers between her and the audience. They are seeing
her vulnerability and sympathizing with the conflict. While the sad emotions are in the
forefront, the gorgeous sunlight peering through the windows gives hope that she will
overcome this struggle.
3
Crane
While Yorke often gravitates towards harsh faces, Parks often looks like she is on the
verge of tears. The intention seems more focused on drawing people in rather than pushing
people away. Yorke’s target audience is angsty and looking for someone with whom they can
relate. He is creating a community for people who feel they don’t belong. Parks is showing
vulnerability to give hope to those in the same situation. She appeals to a broader audience;
Anyone who believes they are a creep. In contrast, Yorke is appealing to a subsection of that
audience who processes that feeling in unhealthy ways.
Both songs are great at achieving what they seek to do. It’s impressive to see
how different they are despite how much they share. Radiohead is tortured and angry with a
depressing undertone. Arlo Parks is sad and vulnerable but with a bit of hope. These videos
feel like a greater narrative. The original is the impulsive reaction of anger to feeling alone,
and the cover is finally evaluating one’s life and deciding to move forward. Everyone has
dealt with not fitting ib. These songs help make these outsiders feel a little less alone.
4
Crane
Works Cited
Turnbill, Brent, director. Radiohead - Creep, 18 July 2008,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk.
Dream, Tom, director. Arlo Parks - Creep (Radiohead Cover), 11 June 2020,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRDbsLYSwe0.
