The story behind
Radiohead recorded Fake Plastic Trees in 1994, at the RAK studio in London. The song is part of the album The Bends, released in 1995. According to Thom Yorke, the lyrics are inspired by Canary Wharf, a neighborhood in east London built on abandoned land near the Thames river. During the recession of the nineties, the area was filled with artificial plants, which gives the song its name. During the recordings, the band attended a Jeff Buckley concert in 1994. Afterwards, Thom recorded the vocals and acoustic guitar in three takes, and then the rest of the band completed their parts without altering the melody. The video, directed by Jake Scott, shows the musicians in an empty supermarket, with colors and shelves as if they were a rainbow. There are no customers, only them. ↓ Skip to chordsVerse 1
A F#m
E6 Dsus2
A Dsus2
A
F#m
E6 Dsus2
A Dsus2
Chorus 1
Bm11
A
Bm11
A
Verse 2
A F#m
E6 Dsus2
A Dsus2
A F#m
E6 Dsus2
A Dsus2
Chorus 2
Bm11
A
Bm11
Asus4 A
Verse 3
A F#m
E6 Dsus2
A Dsus2
A F#m
E6 Dsus2
A Dsus2
Chorus 3
Bm11
A
Bm11
A Amaj7
Bm11
A
Bm11
A
Outro 1
Bm11 Bm11 A A
Bm11 Bm11 A
From the album
The Bends
Radiohead · 1995 · Track 4