“Fake Plastic Trees” was described by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke as “the product of a joke that wasn’t really a joke, a very lonely, drunken evening and, well, a breakdown of sorts.” Instead of the normal writing process Yorke usually undergoes while creating a song, this track was a bit different. He said this song’s lyrics were “…not forced at all, it was just recording whatever was going on in my head, really. I mean, I wrote those words and laughed. I thought they were really funny, especially that bit about polystyrene.” After Yorke recorded the song in three takes with only his vocals and Johnny Greenwood’s guitar, he broke down and cried.

“Fake Plastic Trees” is by far one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever had the privilege of listening to. It is incredibly easy to hear the heartbreak and rampant emotion in Yorke’s voice, especially in the acoustic version, which you can listen to below. Check it out and leave your thoughts in the comments section.