Rabbit in Your Headlights
"Rabbit in Your Headlights" is a song by British electronic duo Unkle. It was released as the lead single from their debut album Psyence Fiction (1998). The song features vocals from Radiohead singer Thom Yorke.
| "Rabbit in Your Headlights" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Unkle featuring Thom Yorke | ||||
| from the album Psyence Fiction | ||||
| Released | 1998 | |||
| Recorded | July 1997 | |||
| Genre | Trip hop | |||
| Length | 6:18 | |||
| Label | Mo' Wax | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Thom Yorke, Josh Davis | |||
| Producer(s) | Unkle | |||
| Unkle featuring Thom Yorke singles chronology | ||||
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The song was written by Yorke and Unkle member Josh Davis and produced by Unkle, the track heavily uses samples from other songs. "Rabbit in Your Headlights" combines Yorke's vocals with a variety of samples from sources ranging from Dutch band Supersister to the film Contact (1997). It takes its title from a quote from the thriller film Jacob's Ladder (1990); dialogue from the film is also one of many samples on the song. The song also appears to sample the percussion from Talk Talk's "New Grass" from their album Laughing Stock (1991).
While the single was not a commercial success, it was positively received by critics. Pitchfork credited "Rabbit in Your Headlights" as a "turning point" for Yorke, placing his vocals in the context of experimental electronic music for the first time and foreshadowing Radiohead's 2000 album Kid A.
The music video, directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring actor Denis Lavant, was acclaimed for its direction and cinematography, and won numerous awards.