David Lavi - Lotus Flower

When my best friend and I bought tickets to see the Radiohead show way back in February we half expected it not to happen, not because of BDS but because summertime is usually also wartime (just ask Neil Young). Many artists have been called on not to perform in Israel but Radiohead was one of the only acts to respond, leading to a back and forth which dominated headlines. It also led to a renewed interest in Radiohead's music with radio stations playing plenty of their songs and tributes to the band like this stunning cover by David Lavi.

There were many memorable moments at Wednesday's show, whether it was Thom Yorke reminiscing about the band's 1993 gigs at the Roxanne (their first international shows!) followed by Creep and The Bends, or the surprisingly emotional sing-along at the end of Karma Police, but a moment that will always stay with me was the shift in the air when the band began to play "No Surprises". Amidst all the chaos, it felt so good to hear the lullaby-ish notes and to cheer with everyone to the lines "bring down the government/ they don't, they don't speak for us". No alarms and no surprises please.

I will shape myself into your pocket
Invisible, do what you want, do what you want
I will shrink and I will disappear
I will slip into the groove and cut me up, and cut me up

There's an empty space inside my heart
Where the weeds take root
And now I'll set you free
I'll set you free
There's an empty space inside my heart

Where the weeds take root
Tonight I'll set you free
I'll set you free

Slowly we unfurl
As lotus flowers
'Cause all I want is the moon upon a stick
Just to see what if
Just to see what is
I can't kick your habit
Just to feed your fast ballooning head
Listen to your heart

We will shrink and be quiet as mice
While the cat is away; do what we want
Do what we want

There's an empty space inside my heart
Where the weeds take root
So now I set you free
I set you free

'Cause all I want is the moon upon a stick
Just to see what if
Just to see what is

Put the lotus flower into my room

Slowly we unfurl
As lotus flowers
'Cause all I want is the moon upon a stick
I dance around a pit
The darkness is beneath
I can't kick your habit
Just to feed your fast ballooning head
Listen to your heart