Airbag

Overview
"Airbag" acts as a thematic overture for Radiohead's seminal album OK Computer. It explores the paradoxical relationship between humanity and technology. While the album often criticizes technological reliance, this song presents a scenario where technology (the airbag and the car's engineering) literally saves a life, leading to a complex emotional state of gratitude, invincibility, and existential shock.

Rebirth and Reincarnation
The central theme is survival as rebirth. The lyrics draw heavily on the concept of a near-death experience providing a clean slate. The narrator implies that the person who entered the car died in the crash, and the person who walked away is a new entity—"born again" in the neon glow of the accident scene. This touches upon themes found in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, suggesting that the shock of the crash served as a violent transition into a new state of being.

The Illusion of Invincibility
There is an undercurrent of irony in the narrator's grandiosity. The line "I am back to save the universe" suggests a manic, adrenaline-fueled reaction to trauma rather than a genuine divine appointment. It highlights the psychological defense mechanisms the mind employs when facing mortality. The song captures the specific euphoria of realizing you are alive when you should be dead, a feeling that renders the terrifying "jackknifed juggernaut" impotent against the miracle of the airbag.

The narrative begins in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic event, specifically a violent automobile collision. The protagonist finds themselves emerging from the wreckage of a massive accident, potentially involving a large transport truck. Rather than resulting in tragedy, the incident becomes a moment of profound, almost supernatural awakening. The narrator describes the sensation of the collision not as a moment of pain, but as an explosion of cosmic proportions, likening the deployment of the safety mechanism to the birth of stars.

Standing amidst the twisted metal and the artificial glow of neon street signs, the survivor experiences a dissociation from the physical danger they just escaped. There is a surreal realization of safety; the German-engineered vehicle has performed its function perfectly, acting as a womb that shielded the occupant from the destructive forces outside. This miraculous escape triggers a messianic complex within the narrator. Having cheated death, they feel invincible and repurposed, declaring themselves returned to the world with a grand, perhaps delusional, mission to save the universe. The terror of the crash is transmuted into a cold, ecstatic joy of simply being alive and breathing, protected by the very technology that typically alienates humanity.

Origins and Inspiration
"Airbag" was the first track on the 1997 album OK Computer. The lyrics were inspired by Thom Yorke's longtime phobia of automobiles, which stemmed from a serious car accident he was involved in during 1987 with his girlfriend. He was also influenced by an article in an automobile association magazine titled "An Airbag Saved My Life," as well as The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Yorke wanted to capture the feeling of an accident not as a negative ending, but as a jarring, positive start to a new life.

Recording and Production
The track's distinct sound was forged through experimental production techniques spearheaded by the band and producer Nigel Godrich. They sought to emulate the sound of DJ Shadow and the Mo' Wax label. Drummer Phil Selway played a drum beat, which Yorke and Godrich then sampled, cut up, and reassembled on a sampler to create a stuttering, mechanical, yet organic rhythm. This technique gave the song its signature "dub" feel, bridging the gap between rock instrumentation and electronic structure. The song was recorded at Canned Applause, a converted shed near Didcot, Oxfordshire, before the sessions moved to St. Catherine's Court.

The Airbag
The titular symbol represents the womb of technology. It is the final barrier between life and death, a sudden, violent, yet soft explosion that counters the hard violence of the crash. It symbolizes a second chance granted by human engineering.

Interstellar Burst
This metaphor elevates a traffic accident to a cosmic event. It suggests that the energy released in the crash was equivalent to a supernova, emphasizing the magnitude of the internal psychological shift the narrator experiences. It connects the mundane (car travel) with the universal (stars/creation).

Jackknifed Juggernaut
A symbol of uncontrollable, overwhelming force. The "juggernaut" represents the dangers of the modern, industrial world that loom over the individual. Surviving it is framed as a victory of the human spirit (aided by the airbag) over the chaos of modernity.

Neon Sign
Represents the artificial, commercial world that the survivor wakes up to. The "scrolling up and down" suggests a computer screen or a malfunction in reality, reinforcing the feeling that the world looks different—more digital or simulated—after the crash.

The emotional landscape of "Airbag" is a complex blend of detached shock and manic euphoria. It captures the specific feeling of adrenaline that floods the body immediately after a near-death experience—a sensation where fear is temporarily suspended and replaced by a hyper-aware sense of aliveness. The verses feel tense and claustrophobic, driven by the stuttering drums, while the chorus opens up into a vast, spacious sound that evokes relief and awe. Thom Yorke's vocal delivery is restrained and melodic, contrasting with the violence of the lyrics, suggesting a numbness or a state of shock.

Legacy and Impact
As the opening track of OK Computer, "Airbag" signaled a massive shift in rock music, moving away from the guitar-heavy Britpop of the mid-90s toward a more textured, electronic-influenced sound. It is frequently cited by critics as one of the best album openers of all time.

Critical Reception
The song's production, particularly the drum loop, influenced a generation of rock bands to incorporate sampling and electronic editing into their workflow. It remains a staple in Radiohead's live setlists. The song's themes of technological anxiety prefigured the digital concerns of the 21st century, cementing Radiohead's reputation as prescient observers of modern life.

Rhythm and Meter
The song is in 4/4 time, but the syncopated drum pattern obscures the downbeat, creating a lurching sensation akin to a vehicle spinning out of control or a heart skipping a beat. The tempo is moderate (approx. 84 BPM), allowing the dub-influenced bass to breathe. The interplay between the rigid, mechanical drum loop and the loose, fluid guitar lines creates a tension that resolves only in the choruses.

Rhyme Scheme
The lyrics follow a loose, inconsistent rhyme scheme, often relying on slant rhymes or assonance (e.g., "universe" and "burst"). This lack of strict structure reflects the chaos of the accident and the narrator's scattered state of mind. The verses are somewhat free-form, while the refrain provides a grounding repetition.

Musical Techniques
The defining feature of "Airbag" is its cut-up drum loop. By sampling live drums and rearranging them digitally, the band created a rhythm that feels both human and robotic, mirroring the song's man-vs-machine theme. The bassline, played by Colin Greenwood, is stop-start and heavy, borrowing from Dub reggae aesthetics. Jonny Greenwood's guitar work is angular and sparse, utilizing effects to create space rather than filling it with traditional riffs. Notably, the song includes sleigh bells, adding a bizarre, almost festive, or wintery texture to the grim subject matter.

Literary Techniques
Yorke employs enjambment and fragmented syntax ("In a fast German car / I'm amazed that I survived") to mimic the disorientation of a crash. The lyrics use hyperbole ("save the universe") to convey the rush of adrenaline. There is also a strong use of juxtaposition, contrasting the violence of a "jackknifed juggernaut" with the peaceful silence of the aftermath.

What is the meaning behind Radiohead's Airbag?

"Airbag" is about the euphoria of surviving a car crash. It explores themes of reincarnation and the irony that technology, which often endangers us, also saves us. Thom Yorke was inspired by his own fear of cars and the feeling of invincibility that comes after a near-death experience.

Is the song Airbag based on a true story?

Yes, it is partially based on Thom Yorke's personal experiences. Yorke was involved in a car accident in 1987, which left him with a phobia of driving. The song was also inspired by a magazine headline he saw, "An Airbag Saved My Life," and the concept of restarting life after a trauma.

What is the 'interstellar burst' mentioned in the lyrics?

The "interstellar burst" is a metaphor for the moment of impact and the deployment of the airbag. It likens the explosion of the safety device and the psychological shock of the crash to a cosmic event, such as the birth of a star, signifying a profound, almost spiritual new beginning for the survivor.

How did Radiohead create the drum sound on Airbag?

The drums were not a standard live take. Drummer Phil Selway played a rhythm which was recorded, then sampled and cut up by Thom Yorke and producer Nigel Godrich using an Akai S3000 sampler. They rearranged the beats to create a stuttering, Mo' Wax-style loop inspired by DJ Shadow.

What album is Airbag by Radiohead on?

"Airbag" is the opening track of Radiohead's third studio album, *OK Computer*, released in 1997. It sets the sonic and thematic tone for the rest of the record.