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Radiohead Palo Alto Lyrics
In a city of the future
It is difficult to concentrate
Meet the boss, meet the wife
Everybody's happy
Everyone is made for life

In a city of the future
It is difficult to find a space
I'm too busy to see you
You're too busy to wait

But I'm okay, how are you?
Thanks for asking, thanks for asking
But I'm okay, how are you?
I hope you're okay too

Everyone one of those days
When the sky's California blue
With a beautiful bombshell
I throw myself into my work
I'm too lazy, I've been kidding myself for so long

I'm okay, how are you?
Thanks for asking, thanks for asking
But I'm okay, how are you?
I hope you're okay too

Palo Alto, California, is home to many of America's large corporations, including Xerox and a few computer companies. When the band played there in March 1996, they were given a several tours of these temples of economical and technological advancement. Thus, the song is about the "city of the future" - the motto of Palo Alto, which is situated in Silicon Valley- and ponders the friendly attitude of the people the band members met there; Thom greets those people in the chorus. It was finally recorded in the UK in November 1997.

The band have never worked out how to play it live properly. This song was originally known as 'OK Computer' but was ditched pretty early on in the recording of that LP, to be revived and overhauled for release as a B-side.