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.
Daddy where did you go when I was five years old?
A newborn sister left crying in her crib
Now with this shiny blade and slicing not maim
My heart or relationship to you
I have become the bastard son
The joke of everyone
The failure I've become
Now it takes a lot to go hell
Got one life so better live it well
These words are rushing through my mind
You turned your back on all your kids
Just look at what you did
Just another bastard son like me
I have become the bastard son
The joke of everyone
The failure I've become
And you've failed all your kids
An eternity of blind hate flows from your diamond rings
And the souls you smoked mock your face in hell
Lies they are coming back to life
They're coming back to me
The revenge of a five year old boy
A newborn sister left crying in her crib
Now with this shiny blade and slicing not maim
My heart or relationship to you
I have become the bastard son
The joke of everyone
The failure I've become
Now it takes a lot to go hell
Got one life so better live it well
These words are rushing through my mind
You turned your back on all your kids
Just look at what you did
Just another bastard son like me
I have become the bastard son
The joke of everyone
The failure I've become
And you've failed all your kids
An eternity of blind hate flows from your diamond rings
And the souls you smoked mock your face in hell
Lies they are coming back to life
They're coming back to me
The revenge of a five year old boy
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i'm surprised nobody has said much on this song. buddy nielsen was raised w.o a dad. so he was a bastard. this song is about his experiances growing up without a father and how its hurt him. obvisouly the dad had more kids, and took no repsonibilty for any of them.