Radiohead was always set for art-rock immortality, right? Well, for a while, it looked like the English group was set for one-hit-wonder status instead. “Just,” one of the greatest rock singles of the ’90s and the songs from “The Bends” changed that perception, of course.
But what’s happening to the characters in the music video for “Just?” And why does this complex rock song continue to fascinate audiences? These are, in my view, some of the notable theories on the matter.
Radiohead’s Journey to Making “Just”
I suppose that it was a dream that had turned into a nightmare very quickly. Radiohead had started as a collaboration between shy, bookish, but ambitious kids who’d met at the prestigious school for rich kids, Abingdon School.
Just like Genesis, who had formed under similar circumstances, they were fated to play complex prog-rock and be dominated by a charismatic lead singer (Thom Yorke).
But before all of that happened, Radiohead went stratospheric on the strength of the grunge-rock single “Creep.” This success, however, didn’t immediately translate into sales for the debut record “Pablo Honey.”
Radiohead reconvened, determined to throw everything at the wall for the follow-up, “The Bends.” The tone of the songs was bitter, I think, but the playing was confident, sophisticated. It was just what the group needed. (See what I did there?)
Meaning of the Lyrics of “Just”
The music is as much a statement of the band as the lyrics are. “Just” is, in the words of Thom Yorke, part of an ongoing challenge, a competition “by me and Jonny to get as many chords as possible into a song.” One must remember, I think, that Radiohead was primarily known at the time for the simple, power chords of “Creep.”
“Just” begins a trend for Thom Yorke of writing about narcissists and liars. It is a combative lyric. “Can’t get the stink off/He’s been hanging ’round for days,” are the memorable first lines of the song.
Yorke writes with disgust about this so-called friend. The more he picks at the reasons for hating him, the more he feels alienated from society. He mentions this as being “the purest hell.”
The Music Video for “Just”
Radiohead quickly acquired a reputation as a happy-go-lucky band writing about cars and girls, right? Nope! The group was primarily known for its songs about anxiety, tension, and the desire to cut off from society.
These themes are presented in “Just” and require appropriate visuals. Luckily, Jamie Thraves had the right concept for it.
In one of the most memorable music videos of the 1990s, the main character in “Just,” played by actor Dorian Lough, trips over a man sitting on the pavement. He interrogates him about his reasons for sitting this way. Soon, passers-by, including policemen, ask the man the same question. The man simply asks to be left alone.
When the man finally answers, all of those who had inquired lie flat on the pavement.
Lough later said of the music video: “It was a great part to play. And although I may have done a lot of TV work since (including) Trial & Retribution and Silent Witness, I’m rarely recognized for that by the public. It’s Radiohead fans who I can rely on to spot me in the street and ask ‘What did he say?‘
Legacy Of Radiohead and “Just”
Yes, I think Radiohead deserved it. Public reappraisal came quickly for the band. “The Bends” was a huge success. It spawned several hit singles in the United Kingdom. And, the group earned positive comparisons to groups like Pink Floyd.
“Just” continues to be praised. NME included the guitar solo on its list of the best of its kind, and the magazine also chose the song as the 34th greatest “indie anthem.” And, renowned British producer Mark Ronson opted to cover the song, mainly using brass instruments, in 2007, becoming a Top 50 hit.
Meanwhile, Radiohead’s music became increasingly obscure, and the group’s reputation grew greater and greater. On hiatus for several years now, the band is fittingly judged as one of the most important alternative rock bands of all time.
