“Videotape,” by Radiohead

I’ve always been of the opinion that the last song on an album holds a special significance. An artist will usually leave the listener with a parting shot– a summation, perhaps, of the album’s themes, or some poignant words of wisdom.

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

“And everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.”

For Radiohead’s gorgeous 2007 album In Rainbows, that parting shot is “Videotape.” Unlike the aforementioned tracks, “Videotape” is an understated effort, eschewing theatrics for a quiet, deeply affecting meditation on death and the ephemera of things.

The “videotape” of the title is a recorded message, left by the speaker for his loved ones to see after his death. Despite the sentimentality of the idea, the song centers not so much on the idea of love or nostalgia, but rather on the passing of time (reflected even in videotape technology’s modern obsolescence), and the speaker’s inability to connect in the here and now, preferring to put off his real feelings until after he’s passed.

“This is my way of saying goodbye,” Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke croons. “Because I can’t do it face to face.” There’s a palpable regret in his words, and in the insistent, plaintive piano chords that play under them.

Always on the cutting edge of music, art, and, well, everything, Radiohead is no stranger to death-related final album tracks. Their 2000 opus Kid A— an album that narratively traces a life-cycle — concludes with the beautiful song “Motion Picture Soundtrack,” which, despite its esoteric lyrics, has a heavenly, heavily ornamented instrumentation that clearly indicates its death theme. An electric church organ rings, harps glissando, and an angelic choir that sounds like a sound-bite from a ’50s movie accentuates the funerary feel. The last line of the song: “I will see you in the next life.”

“Videotape,” however, takes a more complicated view of death. We end on a mixed note– the singer sounds world-weary, resigned to his own failings, yet in spite of it all hopeful. “No matter what happens now, you shouldn’t be afraid, because I know today has been the most perfect day I’ve ever seen.” We’re not sure whether we believe him, but we want to.

Listen to the song below: