"There There" originally debuted on February 10, 2000 during one of the few webcasts Radiohead did for their fans while recording Kid A. The song made its second debut as the opening song in Lisbon, Portugal on July 22, 2002.

It was released as the first single from Hail to the Thief on May 26, 2003 in the UK. The song reached number four in the UK and number one in Canada. It also received moderate airplay from US modern rock stations and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance, making it the band's most successful US radio single since "Karma Police" in 1997.

Like many Radiohead songs of the 2000s, "There There" is described by the band as heavily indebted to the band Can, whose songs Radiohead have also covered. Coproduced by Radiohead and Nigel Godrich, the track apparently made lead singer Thom Yorke well up with tears when he heard it in its completed, mixed and mastered state.

Though in the final studio recording found on Hail to the Thief and released as a single, the song begins with a synthetic rhythm, live performances of "There There" always begin with all members of Radiohead (except Yorke and Colin Greenwood) on drums. The song has frequently been a concert opener since 2002, when it made its official debut as part of a tour of Portugal and Spain. An incomplete version of the song had been played in a live Internet webcast by Radiohead in early 2001. The song has also been performed solo on acoustic guitar by Thom Yorke on several occasions, beginning at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit in October 2002.

The alternate title for the song as listed on the track listing for the album is The Boney King of Nowhere. This is apparently in reference to an episode of the British children's television show Bagpuss, of which Yorke and his young son are professed fans. A Bagpuss-inspired music video was filmed for "There There." Directed by Chris Hopewell, it features Yorke wandering through a dark forest and meeting animals in a fairy tale atmosphere, ending with a stark moral. The video received an award for art direction at the 2003 MTV Video Awards.

The singles for "There There" featured two b-sides. "Paperbag Writer" was created mostly by Yorke, with band member Colin Greenwood adding a bassline. "Where Bluebirds Fly," an electronic piece with wordless vocals, was originally heard as the band's entrance music on their 2002 tour. It has received one live performance: in March 2005, Thom Yorke performed it at the UK Ether Festival with the Arab Orchestra of Nazareth and soloist Lubna Salame, and the London Sinfonietta, also backed by ondes martenot played by band member Jonny Greenwood.