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.
We live our lives in fever
In a choking sweat of fear
In the heat of the night you can feel so much
In the heat of the night I scream
Don't touch
I remember a time when we used and abused
And fought all our battles in vain
I remember a time we thought that passion was free
In the heart of the night, bodies aflame
We live in fever
I hear your secret heartbeat
I can hear your silent cries
The kids have lost their freedom
And nobody cares till somebody famous dies
I remember a time when we used and abused
And fought all our battles in vain
I remember a time we thought that passion was free
In the heart of the night, bodies aflame
We live in fever
We live in fever
Now we live, in a world of uncertainty
Fear is the key, to what you want to be
You don't get a say
The majority gets its way
You're outnumbered by the bastards
'Til the day you die
I hear your silent heartbeat
I hear your silent cries
Oh your just in lies, lies and lies
The kids have lost their freedom
And nobody cares 'til somebody famous dies
Keep telling lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies
Ah, ah, ah
I remember the time when we used and abused
Ah, it was just lies
I remember the time we thought that passion was free
Ah, it was just lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies
Hear the night, oh
We live in fever
We live in fever
We live in fever
Now we live in a world of insanity
Fear is the key to what you want to be
You don't get a say the majority gets it's way
You're outnumbered by the bastards 'til the day you die
In a choking sweat of fear
In the heat of the night you can feel so much
In the heat of the night I scream
Don't touch
I remember a time when we used and abused
And fought all our battles in vain
I remember a time we thought that passion was free
In the heart of the night, bodies aflame
We live in fever
I hear your secret heartbeat
I can hear your silent cries
The kids have lost their freedom
And nobody cares till somebody famous dies
I remember a time when we used and abused
And fought all our battles in vain
I remember a time we thought that passion was free
In the heart of the night, bodies aflame
We live in fever
We live in fever
Now we live, in a world of uncertainty
Fear is the key, to what you want to be
You don't get a say
The majority gets its way
You're outnumbered by the bastards
'Til the day you die
I hear your silent heartbeat
I hear your silent cries
Oh your just in lies, lies and lies
The kids have lost their freedom
And nobody cares 'til somebody famous dies
Keep telling lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies
Ah, ah, ah
I remember the time when we used and abused
Ah, it was just lies
I remember the time we thought that passion was free
Ah, it was just lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies and lies
Hear the night, oh
We live in fever
We live in fever
We live in fever
Now we live in a world of insanity
Fear is the key to what you want to be
You don't get a say the majority gets it's way
You're outnumbered by the bastards 'til the day you die
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This song is about how people used to be able to have sex and not really have to worry about anything, but now that AIDS are around people have to be very carful before having sex because they may end up cathcing AIDS and dying. The quote "Nobody cares until sombody famous dies" is about when Freddie Mercury died from AIDS and everyone got scared. Very good song.
@IronBlackZepp Yes, Freddie or Rock Hudson