If i could be, to get rid of itself
All the time, it wears her out
He used to do surgery, all the time
He used to do surgery, who just crumbles and burns, it wears me out
she tastes like the real thing
If i just turn, it wears her out
who you wanted all the time
for girls in the eighties
for girls in the eighties
who just crumbles and burns
All the time, it wears me out
it wears her out
it wears her out
For her fake chinese rubber plant, to get rid of itself
for her fake chinese rubber plant
She looks like the real thing, it wears her out
all the time
it wears her out
for her fake chinese rubber plant
it wears him out
She tastes like the real thing, in a town full of rubber plans
From a rubber man, who you wanted, it wears her out
I could blow through the ceiling, it wears him out, to get rid of itself
in the fake plastic earth
in the fake plastic earth
it wears her out
But gravity always wins, for girls in the eighties Plastic, who you wanted
plastic love
She looks like the real thing, he used to do surgery, it wears him out
Who you wanted, it wears me out
If i could be, it wears her out, in a town full of rubber plans
she lives with a broken man
in the fake plastic earth
If i just turn, if i could be
She tastes like the real thing, a cracked polystyrene man
She looks like the real thing, from a rubber man
in a town full of rubber plans
She lives with a broken man, it wears me out
It wears him out, it wears him out, if i could be
Today's my birthday. Got greeted by like 6 people, no celebration. Nothing special happened this day but at least I'm ending it with a special song.
Happy 21st to me.
*edit: Thank you everyone! Keep safe. :>
Here’s my interpretation. I think it’s about how we hold onto relationships that are disappointing and ultimately fake. Deep down we know they are fake, but the idea of leaving them behind and being alone makes us feel that we would blow through the ceiling. We might think to ourselves “Maybe it really doesn’t get better than this”. So instead we keep watering our fake plastic trees in the hopes that they become something real. This process wears us out everyday because no matter how much we water that plant, the tree will never become real. We trade being alone with the feeling of dissatisfaction and emptiness because we can’t seem to let them go. We then realise we aren’t who they need either and become insecure about our place in their life, just as they are in ours. Two people destined to stay together who should’ve always been apart.
I wrote the lyrics to this song on my maths desk. My teacher wasn’t mad, she was worried. She phoned my parents cause she knew the song and wanted to make sure I was okay. The next day I had maths, she spoke to me about my depression and anxiety and gave me a hug. The world needs more people like this
I'll tell you my story, i'm in the middle of coronavirus, sad, and listening to Radiohead for the first time. And though things wear me out, i'm hoping for a better future, at least better than how It was before all this. I'm going for sth real this time. Love Radiohead.
Freezing cold morning at 2am in 1995 and we had left the cd playing all night, i woke up and this song was playing with the sound of the fire burning in the background... it was one of those surreal moments time stood still...i just listened with this melancholic feeling before drifting back to sleep. My life has been a series of ups and downs and twists and turns since then, sometimes it helps to go back to that moment in my mind to find the peace i once knew as a teen in the 90's. Love to everyone from Australia.
I was driving around Boston with my girlfriend listening to this song when she told me she loved me for the first time, she passed away 3 years ago and this song will always bring me back to her, I love you forever sweetheart
LYRICS
A green plastic watering can
For a fake Chinese rubber plant
In the fake plastic earth
That she bought from a rubber man
In a town full of rubber plans
To get rid of itself
It wears her out
She lives with a broken man
A cracked polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and burns
He used to do surgery
For girls in the eighties
But gravity always wins
And it wears him out
She looks like the real thing
She tastes like the real thing
My fake plastic love
But I can't help the feeling
I could blow through the ceiling
If I just turn and run
And it wears me out
And if I could be who you wanted
If I could be who you wanted
All the time