Life in a Glasshouse

Song infobox
Name = Life in a Glasshouse


Artist = Radiohead
Album = Amnesiac
Released = 4 June 2001
track_no = 11
Recorded = Late 2000
Genre = Jazz
Length = 4:34
Writer =
Label = EMI, Parlophone, Capitol
Producer = Nigel Godrich, Radiohead
Tracks =
# Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box
# Pyramid Song
# Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
# You and Whose Army?
# I Might Be Wrong
# Knives Out
# Morning Bell/Amnesiac
# Dollars and Cents
# Hunting Bears
# Like Spinning Plates
# Life in a Glasshouse

"For the Gentle Giant album, see In a Glass House."

"Life in a Glasshouse" is a song written by the English alternative rock band Radiohead that appears on their 2001 album "Amnesiac". It is performed by lead singer Thom Yorke with the late British trad jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band.

Beginning with a brief atmospheric loop and clanging church-like bells, the song quickly morphs into a funereal New Orleans-style jazz number by a horn section including a clarinet, a trumpet and a trombone. The song is also available with a slightly extended introduction as a b-side to the "Knives Out" single. This version lacks the opening sound effect and instead features a trumpet solo introduction from Lyttelton that is edited out in the album version.

The song follows the Radiohead tradition of having a song that dates back to a previous recording session at the end of the album [ [http://www.losingtoday.com/reviews.php?review_id=4251 Losingtoday.Com - The Indie Music Magazine ] ] [ [http://www.followmearound.com/presscuttings.php?year=1998&cutting=54 Radiohead Press Cuttings -> Interview with Jonny - January 29th, 1998 ] ] . "Life in a Glasshouse" was initially written for acoustic guitar by Thom Yorke. A fragment of this version dating back to 1997 can be heard in the "Meeting People Is Easy" documentary, as played in a live sound check. While recording "Amnesiac", band members had the idea of enlisting Lyttelton to move the song in a different direction, and wrote to him asking if they could collaborate. Lyttelton listened to one of his grandchildren's copies of the band's "OK Computer" and agreed. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1194791.stm BBC News | ENTERTAINMENT | Jazz legend joins Radiohead ] ] The song was apparently recorded in late 2000, after the release of "Kid A", while other tracks on "Amnesiac" were recorded during the same sessions that produced "Kid A".

The song was played once live, again by Yorke with Lyttelton's band (but with Radiohead members Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway on piano and drums respectively), when Radiohead appeared on "Later with Jools Holland" in 2001. Lyttelton and his longtime trombonist Pete Strange, who both play on the track, have since passed away.

The CW teen drama One Tree Hill (TV Series) has an episode named after this song.

The song also appeared in a scene of the 2006 film "Children of Men".

The title "Life in a Glasshouse" is often incorrectly written as "Life in a Glass House". The song also contains the phrase "and don't throw stones", alluding to the popular aphorism: "He who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones". [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/those-who-live-in-glass-houses-shouldn-t-throw-stones Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw s...: Information and Much More from Answers.com ] ]

References