Songs → Electioneering

Released on OK Computer. Electioneering was already written prior to the period captured on the MiniDiscs, with its first known performance being on 25 May 1995.

It appears throughout the MiniDiscs in the form of live recordings and a couple of soundcheck rehearsals, but the song is already near its finished form and only minor differences can be heard.

The following was included in the OKNOTOK notebook, showing a variety of lyric ideas. Some of these are appear in the early versions of the song on the MiniDiscs:

A page from the OKNOTOK notebook.

Recording Chronology

    March - April 1996: On Tour

    July - August 1996: On Tour

    Winter 1997: Mixing Sessions

    Recordings → Electioneering {MD111 #1}

    An incomplete soundcheck recording from an unknown date. Recording begins abruptly.

    This recording appears to have been dubbed from the same DAT that contained the Attenzione! (Portland) soundcheck recording and followed directly after that track on the original DAT. Likely recorded on or near that same date.

    DiscsMD111 → Electioneering {MD111 #1} ‡

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 4 @ 10m35s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 4 @ 10m49s

    Transcription

    {none}

    DiscsMD111 → Electioneering {MD111 #1}

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 6 @ 10m53s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 6 @ 11m07s

    Transcription

    Voodoo shields...... economics (riot shields, voodoo economics) / (could I get more of Ed, please [?]) / Give.... give me one of those prizes (give me one, give me one of those prizes) / I'll hang it on my wall / When I go forward you go backwards (you go forwards, you go backwards) / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forward you go backwards (you go forwards, I go backwards) / Somewhere we will meet / Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn this thing on / Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn this thing on

    Recordings → Electioneering (San Francisco)

    Live performance, recorded on 27 March 1996.

    DiscsMD111 → Electioneering (San Francisco) *

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 13 @ 28m16s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 13 @ 28m30s

    Transcription

    I will stop, I will stop at nothing / To say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Riot shields, voodoo economics / Yeah, give me one of those prizes / I'll hang it on the wall / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Do what you want, do you know what, do you want this, turn that thing off / [?] turn this thing off / (Thanks! Thanks. That feels better.)

    Recordings → Electioneering (San Diego)

    Live performance, recorded on 30 March 1996.

    DiscsMD124 → Electioneering (San Diego) *

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 23 @ 55m36s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 25 @ 56m56s

    Transcription

    I will stop / I will stop at nothing / Say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your vote / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Ha, ha, ha / Riot shields / Voodoo economics [?] / Give me one / Give me one of your fucking prizes (give me one of the prizes) / I fucking deserve it / I'll hang it on my wall / Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Ha, ha, ha, ha / Doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, doing it fucking all / Doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, [?] / (Thanks.)

    Recordings → Electioneering (Toronto)

    Live performance, recorded on 6 April 1996.

    DiscsMD111 → Electioneering (Toronto)

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 22 @ 57m14s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 22 @ 57m28s

    Transcription

    (Electioneering.) / I will stop, I will stop at nothing / Say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your vote / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Riot shields, voodoo economics / Give me one, give me one of your prizes / I trust I can rely on your vote / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn this thing on / Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn this thing on / (Thank you.)

    Recordings → Electioneering {MD111 #2}

    Presumably recorded during a soundcheck on an unknown date, as no audience can be heard. Nearly complete song, but the recording cuts abruptly just before the end of the song.

    DiscsMD111 → Electioneering {MD111 #2}

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 25 @ 67m32s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 25 @ 67m46s

    Transcription

    I will stop, I will stop at nothing / Say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your vote / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Riot shields, voodoo economics / Give me one, give me one of your prizes / I'll hang it on my wall / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forward you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn this thing on / Turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn it on, turn this thing on

    Recordings → Electioneering (DC)

    Live performance, recorded on 10 April 1996.

    DiscsMD124 → Electioneering (DC)

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 9 @ 13m08s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 11 @ 14m08s

    Transcription

    (This is a new song.) / I will stop / I will stop at nothing / Say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your vote / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Ha, ha, ha / Riot shields / Voodoo economics / Yeah, cuz it's just business / Now who is the enemy this week? Who is it? Who is it? Who is it? / I trust I can rely on your vote, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, hah / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, doing it [?] all / Doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, doing it all, [?] / (Thank you!)

    Recordings → Electioneering {MD122}

    Live performance, recorded on an unknown date in August 1996.

    DiscsMD122 → Electioneering {MD122}

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 15 @ 57m57s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 15 @ 58m44s

    Transcription

    (-- called Electioneering.) / I will stop / I will stop at nothing / Say the right things / When electioneering / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha / Riot shields / Voodoo economics / It's just business / Cattle prods and the IMF / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / Somewhere we will meet

    Recordings → Electioneering (Hershey)

    Live performance, recorded on 26 August 1996.

    DiscsMD118 → Electioneering (Hershey)

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 15 @ 42m46s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 15 @ 43m02s

    Transcription

    I will stop / I will stop at nothing / Say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you'll go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you'll go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / Ha, ha, ha / Riot shields / Voodoo economics / It's just business / Cattle prods and the IMF / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you'll go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you'll go backwards / Somewhere we will meet / (Thanks.)

    Recordings → Electioneering {MD125}

    Studio mix. This sounds similar to the final album version, but has a lot of extra dynamic compression.

    DiscsMD125 → Electioneering {MD125} * <finished mix with extra compression?>

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 6 @ 18m42s
    <edited for release>
    OK Minidisc
    track # 7 @ 19m46s

    Transcription

    I will stop / I will stop at nothing / Say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet / Ha, ha, ha / Riot shields / Voodoo economics [?] / It's just business / Cattle prods and the IMF / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet

    Recordings → Electioneering {MD126}

    Studio mix. This sounds the same as, or similar to, the final album version, although on the album the beginning of the song segues slightly with the ending of Fitter Happier.

    DiscsMD126 → Electioneering {MD126} † <finished mix without segue>

    MINIDISCS [HACKED]
    track # 9 @ 34m28s
    OK Minidisc
    track # 9 @ 34m28s

    Transcription

    I will stop / I will stop at nothing / Say the right things when electioneering / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet / Ha, ha, ha / Riot shields / Voodoo economics [?] / It's just business / Cattle prods and the IMF / I trust I can rely on your votes / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet / When I go forwards you go backwards / And somewhere we will meet