Just (song)

"Just" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, included on their second album, The Bends (1995). It was released as a single on 21 August 1995 and reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 2008, "Just" was included in Radiohead: The Best Of. The English producer Mark Ronson released a cover version on his 2008 album Version.

Writing
"Just" was the first song Radiohead finished while working on The Bends at RAK Studios. At the time of recording, the singer, Thom Yorke, said it was the most exciting thing Radiohead had recorded.

Much of "Just" was written by Radiohead's lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. Yorke said Greenwood "was trying to get as many chords as he could into a song". According to the guitarist Ed O'Brien, earlier versions of the song were about seven minutes long. The lyrics describe someone in a bad relationship, with a "malicious" vocal vibrato from Yorke.

"Just" begins with a strummed solo guitar, which the critic Mac Randall likened to the 1991 Nirvana song "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Greenwood plays octatonic scales that extend over four octaves. In the solo, he uses a DigiTech Whammy pedal to pitch-shift his guitar solo into a high, piercing frequency. The angular guitar riff was influenced by John McGeoch's playing on the 1978 Magazine song "Shot by Both Sides"; Greenwood said that it was "pretty much the same kind of idea". Both "Just" and "Shot by Both Sides" were produced by John Leckie.

Music video
The "Just" music video was directed by Jamie Thraves, who adapted it from an idea he had for a short film. It took two days to shoot. The street scenes were filmed on Liverpool Street, London; the scenes of the band were filmed on a set.

In the video, a man lies in the middle of the pavement, attracting attention from passersby. The members of Radiohead watch from an apartment above. The man's conversation with passersby is displayed in subtitles; they ask why he is lying down, but he refuses to explain. Eventually, the man explains, but his explanation is not subtitled. The bystanders lie down next to him.

Reception
In 2007, NME named "Just" the 34th-greatest "indie anthem". In 2017, NME named the guitar solo one of the greatest of all time. In 2020, the Guardian named it the 32nd-greatest Radiohead song, writing that it placed Radiohead between grunge and Britpop: "Hailstorm distortion meets perky hooks, wily vocals and ... an absurd pageant of guitar chords. The chorus flips the grunge ethos on its head, swapping self-loathing for theatrical vitriol."

Track listings
UK CD1 and cassette single
 * 1) "Just" – 3:52
 * 2) "Planet Telex" (Karma Sunra mix) – 5:21 (remix by U.N.K.L.E.)
 * 3) "Killer Cars" (Mogadon version) – 3:49 (remix by John Leckie)

UK CD2
 * 1) "Just" – 3:52
 * 2) "Bones" (live) – 3:13
 * 3) "Planet Telex" (live) – 4:07
 * 4) "Anyone Can Play Guitar" (live) – 3:39

Australian CD single
 * 1) "Just" (album version) – 3:52
 * 2) "Bones" (live) – 3:13

Personnel

 * Thom Yorke – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
 * Jonny Greenwood – electric guitar, Hammond organ
 * Ed O'Brien – electric guitar
 * Colin Greenwood – bass
 * Philip Selway – drums

With Alex Greenwald
Mark Ronson and Alex Greenwald covered "Just" for the Radiohead tribute album Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads. It was released digitally on 13 March 2006 as the lead single. It reached number 48 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 36 on the Scottish Singles Chart in 2006.

With Phantom Planet
Ronson rereleased the cover in February 2008 as the fourth single from his second album, Version, now credited as featuring Alex Greenwald's band Phantom Planet.

The music video was directed by Jim Canty, it acted as a sequel to and paid homage to the earlier Radiohead video. The video features a city sweeper finding the group people lying around on ground.

The song played as the follow-up to "Valerie", which was still in the UK top 20 upon the release of "Just". "Just" reached No. 31 after its release.

Track listings
CD single CD 1 88697271202 / download CD 2 88697272032 / download 10" vinyl 88697271211 
 * 1) "Just" (radio edit)
 * 2) "Valerie" (SugaRush Beat Company remix)
 * 1) "Just" (radio edit) – 3:51
 * 2) "Valerie" (SugaRush Beat Company remix) – 3:45
 * 1) "Just" (radio edit) – 3:15
 * 2) "Just" (DJ Premier's Justremixitmix) (featuring Blaq Poet) – 3:57
 * 3) "Just" (The Go! Team remix) – 2:31
 * 4) "Just" (The Loving Hand remix) – 6:12
 * 5) "Just" (DJ Premier's Justremixitmix) (featuring Blaq Poet) (instrumental) – 3:57
 * 6) "Just" (The Loving Hand remix) (instrumental) – 6:12
 * 1) "Just" (radio edit)"
 * 2) "Just" (DJ Premier's Justremixitmix) (featuring Blaq Poet)
 * 3) "Just" (The Loving Hand remix)
 * 4) "Just" (The Go! Team remix)