Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
She ionizes and atomizes
Then turns to sunlight
He realizes and itemizes
Pulls harder than gravity
She ionizes and atomizes
Then turns to sunlight
Flourescent lightbulbs will make
An absense of dark, but
The light just aint there still and she said
"I'm feeling empty,
The real lights can make you heavy but
Never ever really empty
Flourescent lights will always equal empty.
Then turns to sunlight
He realizes and itemizes
Pulls harder than gravity
She ionizes and atomizes
Then turns to sunlight
Flourescent lightbulbs will make
An absense of dark, but
The light just aint there still and she said
"I'm feeling empty,
The real lights can make you heavy but
Never ever really empty
Flourescent lights will always equal empty.
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
this song means a lot to me because sunlight is the most beautiful mind blowing special thing there is. and i despise lights because they resemble sunlight in no way so i udnerstood exactly what eh was talking about.
its a girl whos maybe fucked up and shes dating a guy and she leaves. he tries so hard pulls harderthan grvaity but shessunlight and shes gone. and he gets another girl its distraction but its not real. this girl was sunlight beautiful and unbelievable.
you can turn on every light in the house but it will never be as bright or glow as much as sunlight will do. im feeling empty (shes depressed has problems?) the real lights sunlight can make you heavy but never ever really equal empty flourescent lights will always equal empty. sunlight as life hes messed up too but she choses to go out and experiences thigns anyway and he choses to distract himself. or maybe she is going out into the world and wont take any emdication for her problems and he does to solve them and acts like thigns are fine. because the real lights can make you heavy but never ever really equal empty. the most beautiful person can be a disaster- can make you heavy- but will never be empty like any random non descript normal person and also life can be havy but youll still feel things on mediation or with distractions youll never feel.
i dont know. i cant explain it. because i know the difference between sunlight and a light bulb. and it makes a world of difference to me.
the music in this song is also brilliant.