Reckoner

Reckoner is defined by its avoidance of traditional V-I functional harmony in favor of tertiary relationships and chromatic shifts. The main riff relies on the soft transition between C and Em (I to iii), which maintains a high level of tonic stability while adding minor-key color. The bridge is the harmonic climax, utilizing a rare C-B-Bb-A descending sequence that provides a literal interpretation of the 'refracted color' mentioned in the song's inspiration. The use of major 7th and dominant 7th extensions throughout these shifts gives the track its distinctively lush, jazz-inflected atmosphere.

The song evolved from a different Radiohead track titled 'Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses'. While working on that earlier piece, the band developed a coda that eventually became the final version of 'Reckoner'. They decided to keep the original title for this new composition. Thom Yorke identified the lyric 'because we separate like ripples on a blank shore' as the thematic center of the In Rainbows album.

Originally developed from a coda for the song 'Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses,' this track evolved into a lush arrangement centered on a John Frusciante-inspired guitar riff. It is distinguished by its complex layers of shaker-heavy percussion and Jonny Greenwood’s elegant string arrangements.