Discover the story of the song > Optimistic – Radiohead

The protagonist is feeling overwhelmed and helpless as he sees flies buzzing around his head and vultures circling dead bodies. He acknowledges that in nature, the bigger, more powerful animals eat the smaller ones and he's only concerned with his own survival. However, he still believes that doing his best is enough to get by and tries to help others even though he feels like he's also trapped on a prison ship. The song ends with a thought-provoking image of dinosaurs roaming the earth.