"We didn't start out to make a protest record at all. That would have been too shallow. As usual, it was simply a case of absorbing what's going on around us"

Thom Yorke's quote speaks with the concept that music is a reflection of the world around us. He recommends that the music he and his band developed was not planned to be a protest record, however rather a reflection of the events and issues that were happening worldwide at the time. He implies that the music was produced out of a desire to catch the truth of the world, instead of to make a declaration about it. This quote speaks to the power of music to catch the essence of a minute in time, and to supply a platform for people to express their feelings and viewpoints. It also suggests that music can be an effective tool for social modification, as it can be utilized to accentuate concerns and to influence people to take action. Eventually, Thom Yorke's quote talks to the power of music to catch the reality of the world and to influence individuals to make a distinction.