“How to Disappear Completely” was based on a dream Thom Yorke had in which he was floating around the city as if he were a ghost. The chorus also came from advice that Michael Stipe of R.E.M. gave him during the OK Computer tour so that he could “get away” from everything.

The aesthetic of the instrumentals and the vocals in this song dovetail nicely, resulting in an almost impressionistic effect, wherein the band sonically recreates the sensations and mind states of those fleeting, dreamlike or seemingly-hallucinatory glimpses of life. This ephemeral, mind-out-of-body-and-time aesthetic is carried throughout Kid A.

The title is taken from Doug Richmond’s 1986 book, How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found, a guide on faking one’s death and establishing a new identity—ideally borrowed from an actual dead person with similar vital statistics.

Speaking during a 2006 BBC interview, Thom Yorke described “How To Disappear Completely” as “the most beautiful thing [they] ever did.”

“Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” was the second single released from Paul & Linda McCartney’s 1971 album Ram.

It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 September of 1971, displacing The Bee Gees‘ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. It kept the #1 position for only one week, replaced by Donny Osmond’s “Go Away Little Girl” It was the first US #1 hit of Paul’s post-Beatles career.

The song has a unique medley-like song structure, consisting of three unrelated melodies tied together by the chorus. McCartney would repeat the use of this song structure on the 1974 hit “Band On The Run”.

McCartney said “Uncle Albert” was based on his uncle. “He’s someone I recall fondly, and when the song was coming it was like a nostalgia thing.” McCartney also said, “As for Admiral Halsey, he’s one of yours, an American admiral”, referring to Admiral William “Bull” Halsey.

However, some suggest that this song is rich in symbolism about Pearl Harbor.

The songs played by the fictitious Stillwater were original songs written for the film by Nancy Wilson, Cameron Crowe, and Peter Frampton.

One of three tracks originally included on The Modern Age EP that prompted a record label bidding war and would later appear on their debut album Is This It.

“Barely Legal” is about a girl who’s just turned 18 and is extremely naive in everything she does. The narrator is talking about her and how he doesn’t see anything in her but is obsessed with her still for some reason.

Interestingly enough, Julian’s father John Casablancas infamously had an affair with a 16 year old model when he was 41. The irony of the situation could be a jab at his father who he was known to have issues with or a mere coincidence.