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Where I End And You Begin.

I was watching Radiohead play “Where I End and You Begin” on an old Jools Holland episode tonight, and I realized why I always get a little excited whenever I hear them play the song. It’s that extra beat right before the second verse — one beat of hesitation, before the line “I’m sorry for us / the dinosaurs roam the earth.” It gets me every time, that catch of anticipation, waiting for him to deliver the line, just a second late. It’s a beautiful little moment of tension and release, and it’s when the song really kicks into gear.

Interestingly, in the published lyrics for the song, the line’s written, “and I’m sorry for us,” though I’ve never heard the word “and.” Maybe it’s the syllable that’s unsung.

Unless you’re reading this in RSS, the song’s in a player right above. And here’s the clip from Jools Holland, via YouTube.