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Fitter happier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- The correct title of this article is fitter happier. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
| "fitter happier" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Song by Radiohead | ||
| from the album OK Computer | ||
| Released | 16 June 1997 | |
| Recorded | 1996, 1997 | |
| Genre | Alternative Rock | |
| Length | 1:57 | |
| Label | Parlophone | |
| Producer(s) | Nigel Godrich with Radiohead | |
| OK Computer track listing | ||
| "Karma Police" (6) |
"fitter happier" (7) |
"Electioneering" (8) |
"fitter happier" is a musical piece by Radiohead, the seventh track on their 1997 album OK Computer.
"fitter happier" is the only song on OK Computer not sung by Thom Yorke. Instead the lyrics are read out by a voice synthesizer, PlainTalk, which is the voice synthesizer on the Apple Macintosh platform. Yorke most likely used the default 'Fred' voice in SimpleText to generate the vocals. The voice also closely resembles the speech synthesizer used by scientist Stephen Hawking. A similar voice to that used in this song is also heard buried in the mix during the chorus of "Paranoid Android", another song from the album.
Yorke described the lyrics of "fitter happier" as a nineties-checklist, with 'slogans' that more or less sum up the OK Computer album and deal with middle class lifestyle. Originally he had planned to sing the song himself, but felt the effect was actually more "emotional" with the computer voice. This parallels what Yorke would do with vocal processing on Radiohead's next album, particularly its title track "Kid A."
The lyrics have rumoured to be the result of an e-mail conversation Yorke had with a fan[citation needed] Although more of a sound collage than a "song" as normally understood, in the background a piano melody can be heard. This was recorded by Yorke while drunk, notable by the sloppy playing style. Also audible is a sample from the movie Three Days of the Condor, repeating the words "This is the panic office. Section 9:17 may have been hit, activate the following procedure.". (The album's liner notes identify the source of the sample as Flight of the Condor, but no such film exists.)
On the tracklisting on the back of the album, fitter happier can be seen in small font next to Karma Police, possibly due to the continuity of the two songs.
During the 1997 tour, "fitter happier" was used to introduce the band on stage. It is also the first thing heard in the 1999 documentary on the band, Meeting People Is Easy.
On the 2006 album Radiodread, fitter happier was performed by Menny More, and consisted of a man with a Jamaican accent speaking the lyrics, with a drum beat in the background. The lyrics were slightly altered with the permission of Radiohead. The new lyrics were essentially the same, but phrased differently, including some Jamaican slang.