How to Disappear Completely

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Lore & Background

The song originated in June 1997 when Yorke began writing it in Toronto, Canada, during the OK Computer tour. Later that month, after Radiohead performed their largest show to date at the RDS Arena in Dublin under windy and rainy conditions, Yorke drew inspiration from a dream where he ran naked down the River Liffey pursued by a tidal wave. Guitarist Ed O'Brien noted the track reflected the stress endured on tour, particularly by Yorke. The phrase "I'm not here / This isn't happening" became the chorus, advice given to Yorke by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe to cope with stress. In late August 1997, Yorke performed an early acoustic version during a New York soundcheck, footage of which appeared in the 1998 documentary Meeting People Is Easy. During the 1998 OK Computer tour, live renditions sometimes lasted between seven and ten minutes before settling into the final six-minute studio version.

In Their Own Story

In July 1997, Yorke told Terry David Mulligan he had written a song with the chorus "I'm not here / This isn't happening." The title evolved from working titles like "This Is Not Happening" to "How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found," derived from Doug Richmond's 1985 book. According to some accounts, the song was dedicated to Manic Street Preachers' Richey Edwards, who disappeared in February 1995. By early 1999, Yorke experienced writer's block, yet this track remained largely written before Kid A sessions. On July 27 at Batsford Park mansion, they recorded a new demo, but Yorke dismissed it as sounding like "old Radiohead." In December 1999, the band moved to Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire. On December 1, Philip Selway's drum parts were recorded in preparation for the Orchestra of St John's collaboration. By February 4, 2000, the orchestra recorded strings at Dorchester Abbey, a 12th-century church five miles away, conducted by John Lubbock.

Reader's Guide

Musically, the song is an acoustic-driven ballad in F♯ minor with a tempo of 102 beats per minute and a 6/8 time signature. It features strummed acoustic guitar, a Chris Squire-influenced bassline, and Yorke's vocals clearly without processing, unlike preceding tracks on Kid A. The chord progression follows Cadd9–Em–Em6–G–Gsus4–D–Dadd4–Em(maj6). At 0:23, the bassline enters with a sequence of F♯–A–B–E–C♯. Jonny Greenwood composed the string arrangement over December 1999 to January 2000, multi-tracking his ondes Martenot inspired by Olivier Messiaen and Krzysztof Penderecki. The Orchestra of St John's recorded their parts in a single take using multiple microphones and an Apple G3 computer. Greenwood initially found the score "unplayable" by conventional standards, but conductor Lubbock encouraged experimentation. An isolated string track titled "How to Disappear into Strings" was later included on the Kid A Mnesia (2021) reissue.

Did You Know?

• The phrase "I'm not here / This isn't happening" was advice from Michael Stipe to help Thom Yorke cope with tour stress.
• Jonny Greenwood's string score initially made the Orchestra of St John's musicians "burst into giggles" because they found it unplayable by conventional standards.
• The song's title is derived from Doug Richmond's 1985 book How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, which details erasing one's identity.
• Live versions performed during the 1998 tour reportedly lasted between seven and ten minutes, longer than the final six-minute studio version.
• An isolated string track titled "How to Disappear into Strings" was released on the Kid A Mnesia reissue in 2021.