An "Iron Lung" is a cumbersome medical device used to help sick people breathe in the '50s. The lyrics reflect how restrictive the band felt when they became known simply for their hit "Creep." The song was written the day they had to drop out of the Reading Festival because of Thom Yorke's strained vocal cords.
The verses were recorded live from a 1994 MTV performance at the Astoria, London. These were then spliced together with the choruses from the earlier RAK studio version for the final recording.
This was featured in the 1995 movie Clueless when Tai meets Travis in the school cafeteria. The song was supposed to be used in a different scene when Alicia Silverstone's character criticizes Radiohead's music for being whiny, but "Fake Plastic Trees" was used instead.
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