In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
This city's just waiting to crack
This house is not a home
This is me under attack
This is my self control
And I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody
I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody
And if you're looking to me for salvation I'm fresh out
And if you're wanting to vent your frustration
What about when I look at you
I don't see what I used to see
If I want a better life
I'm sorry, forgive me
You're angry, you should be
I'm happy
Why don't we just take a step back
Examine what you are?
You're where the line goes slack
You're a fantastic scar
And you thought I was somebody else
You thought I was somebody else
You didn't know I was somebody
You thought I was somebody else
You thought I was somebody else
You didn't know I was somebody
And if you're looking to me for salvation I'm fresh out
And if you're wanting to vent your frustration
What about when I look at you
I don't see what I used to see
If I want a better life
I'm sorry, forgive me
You're angry, you should be
I'm happy
I'm happy
I'm happy
This house is not a home
This is me under attack
This is my self control
And I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody
I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody else
I thought you were somebody
And if you're looking to me for salvation I'm fresh out
And if you're wanting to vent your frustration
What about when I look at you
I don't see what I used to see
If I want a better life
I'm sorry, forgive me
You're angry, you should be
I'm happy
Why don't we just take a step back
Examine what you are?
You're where the line goes slack
You're a fantastic scar
And you thought I was somebody else
You thought I was somebody else
You didn't know I was somebody
You thought I was somebody else
You thought I was somebody else
You didn't know I was somebody
And if you're looking to me for salvation I'm fresh out
And if you're wanting to vent your frustration
What about when I look at you
I don't see what I used to see
If I want a better life
I'm sorry, forgive me
You're angry, you should be
I'm happy
I'm happy
I'm happy
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Radiohead
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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.
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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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.
I'm thinking somebody has thrown away a relationship and at the same time revealed his true colours. I think she says "You're a fantastic scar" because he really cut her deep when he left, but now she's risen above the pain, and he has fallen into depression.