“Life in a glass house” is a
criticism of the judgments made by members of
society who are themselves living inside a fragile
illusion.
Thom Yorke uses
metaphor to equate contemporary
civilization, with its
social,
economic, and
political milieu, to the
archetype ‘glass house’ in which we are not to throw stones.
Thom Yorke addresses this aspect of the
metaphor directly, stating: “Don't talk
politics and don't throw stones.”
He is also specifically critical of certain aspects of public opinion, notably the
death penalty. He states that: “once again we are hungry for
lynchings” and that “that’s a strange mistake to make. You should
turn the other cheek, living in a glass house.” Basically, he is saying that as isolated as members of the
first world are, in his
perception, from the
reality of life that it is presumptuous and incorrect to seek
justice through
execution. Additionally, he draws attention to the perverse aspect of the
death penalty by referring to ‘
lynchings’, the prime example of mob rule overpowering the
rule of law and an example of the degree to which men can be ruled by
bloodlust.
Thom Yorke’s inherent
paranoia towards the
government is also revealed in this song when, in the last verse, he states that despite his desire to “stay and
chew the fat” he is unable to do so due to the existence of an outside force observing: “there's someone listening in.” By concluding the
song on this note, Thom seems to be exposing the manner in which one aspect of a corrupt
society can prevent the proper operation of another: a spreading sociological
cancer.
Thom is critical of
false appearances, ”She is putting on a smile”, and consumerist processes of
mass production: “Once again packed like frozen food and battery hens.” Overall, this song is an attack against all aspects of modern society that elicit disgust from the multifaceted headman of
Radiohead. Unlike some of their other songs, which promise the possibility of escape, “Life in a Glass House” seems to be a catalogue of an inescapable
malaise that is permeating modern life.