Three Imaginary Girls

Seattle's Indie-Pop Press – Music Reviews, Film Reviews, and Big Fun

While I was a late-comer to In Rainbows, it's become one of my favorite Radiohead records and is still in quite consistent rotation on Ye Olde iPod. "All I Need" is one of my favorite tracks (take a number, I know). Musically, the song is so sexy and dreamy, so that when Yorke moans his, "You're all I need," over all those delicious electronics and keys… well, I would have thought the video would be full of sensual sorts of imagery.

But no.

Instead, the video tackles childhood exploitation. By showing a day in the life of two boys — one obviously affluent and American, one in a third world country — it packs an emotional wallop in under four minutes.

From the Hollywood Reporter, via Stereogum:

Under the music broadcaster's EXIT (end exploitation and trafficking) campaign, MTV and Radiohead have jointly produced a video for the "In Rainbows" track "All I Need"…

Yorke said the band linked with MTV to highlight such issues as child slavery, enforced servitude and sex trafficking because it was "about exploiting a situation while you have the chance." "All power to MTV for taking this on because its obviously going to be difficult for them in terms of the advertisers," he said.

"With the ('All I Need') video, their lawyers had to beg to make sure there wasn't a single white trainer with a logo on it because the implication would be a little too close. But the implication is still there."

Without further explanation, have a watch. Prepare for chills on your goosebumps.