Songs → Lift
Released on OKNOTOK. This song was written prior to the period captured on the MiniDiscs, having been performed live as early as May 1995.
It appears on the MiniDiscs in the form of various live performance and soundcheck recordings, as well as multiple mixes of the studio version which was recorded along with OK Computer but remains unreleased outside of the MiniDiscs.
Recording Chronology
March - April 1996: On Tour
Winter 1997: Mixing Sessions
Recordings → Lift (Seattle)
Live performance. Incomplete recording, ends abruptly in the middle of the song. Recorded on 24 March 1996.
Discs → MD123 → Lift (Seattle)
Transcription
This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Cuz it's time to come home / This is the place
Recordings → Lift (San Francisco)
Live performance. Recorded on 27 March 1996.
Discs → MD111 → Lift (San Francisco)
Transcription
(Thank you! This is a brand new song. I hope you like it.) / This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / The smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / 'Cause it's time to come home / This is the place / Remember me / I'm that face you always see / You've been stuck in a lift / In the belly of a whale / At the bottom of the ocean / The smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / 'Cause it's time to come home / The smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Oh, let it go / Let it go / Today is the first day / Of the rest of your days / So lighten up, squirt
Recordings → Lift (Minneapolis soundcheck)
Recorded during soundcheck on 3 April 1996. This was soundchecked immediately prior to Airbag (acoustic), and the two can be edited together to form a single continuous recording.
Discs → MD124 → Lift (Minneapolis soundcheck) * ‡
Transcription
{none}
Discs → MD124 → Lift (Minneapolis soundcheck) *
Transcription
This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / This is the place / Remember me, I'm that face you always see / You've been stuck in a lift / In the belly of a whale at the bottom of the ocean / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / This is the first day of the rest of your days / So lighten up, squirt
Recordings → Lift (Toronto)
Live performance. Recording ends abruptly in the middle of the song. Recorded on 6 April 1996.
Discs → MD111 → Lift (Toronto) *
Transcription
(Lift) / This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / 'Cause it's time to come home / This is the place / Remember me / I'm that face you always see / You've been stuck in a lift / In the belly of a whale / At the bottom of the ocean / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up
Recordings → Lift (Cleveland)
Live performance. This was the opening song of the set, and the recording includes a bit of the intro music. Recorded on 8 April 1996.
Discs → MD124 → Lift (Cleveland)
Transcription
([?]. Hi, I'm not home right now. But if you want to leave a message just start talking at the sound of the tone.) / This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / This is the place / Remember me, I'm that face you always see / You've been stuck in a lift / In the belly of a whale at the bottom of the ocean / The smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / The smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Let it go / Today is the first day of the rest of your days / So lighten up, squirt
Recordings → Lift (clean vox)
Studio mix. This version begins with a sound collage of 4 looped samples taken from various MiniDisc recordings.
The samples are taken from [squeal], [TV stuff {4}], [good morning], and [silly voices].
Discs → MD125 → Lift (clean vox) <alternate mix>
Transcription
(God bless you) / (God bless you) / (God bless you) / (God bless you) / (God bless you) / This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / This is the place / Remember me / I'm that face you always see / You've been stuck in a lift / In the belly of a whale / At the bottom of the ocean / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Let it go, let it go / Today is the first day of the rest of your days / So lighten up, squirt
Recordings → Lift (distorted vox)
Studio mix. This is listed on the track list for the disc, but appears to have been recorded over on the MiniDisc, leaving just a short fragment of the intro's sound collage.
Discs → MD125 → Lift (distorted vox)
Transcription
{none}
Recordings → Lift {MD126 #1}
Studio mix. In this version, the sound collage of looped samples has been removed from the mix.
Discs → MD126 → Lift {MD126 #1} † <finished mix 1 - longer intro>
Transcription
This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / This is the place / Remember me / I'm that face you always see / You've been stuck in a lift / In the belly of a whale / At the bottom of the ocean / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Let it go, let it go / Today is the first day of the rest of your days / So lighten up, squirt
Recordings → Lift {MD126 #2}
Studio mix. Similar to the previous mix. This version is overall a little louder, and the beginning of the intro has been slightly shortened.
Discs → MD126 → Lift {MD126 #2} † <finished mix 2 - louder>
Transcription
This is the place / Sit down, you're safe now / You've been stuck in a lift / We've been trying to reach you, Thom / This is the place / It won't hurt ever again / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / This is the place / Remember me / I'm that face you always see / You've been stuck in a lift / In the belly of a whale / At the bottom of the ocean / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Empty all your pockets / Because it's time to come home / A smell of air conditioning / The fish are belly up / Let it go, let it go / Today is the first day of the rest of your days / So lighten up, squirt