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.
Hey, Where You Going?
"I Like Your Shoes"
There's A Man In The Factory
Stomping On The Chickens
There's A Geezer In A Wheelchair
Strangling Himself
There's A Girl Holding Scissors
On A One Way Street
I Don't Know What She's Doing
Should I Call Someone Else?
There's A Man With A Moustache
Smoking All The Cigarettes
God Damn White Trash
Stinkin' Up The Dump
Kids In The Park
Chasin' All The Rats Away
God Damn Atheists
Getting Paid To Pray
All These People Are Gonna Fuck You
(You Little Fucker)
You're Gonna Have To Fuck 'Em
All The Way Back Home
There's A Big Fat Cockroach
Running Up My Bills
There's A Little Skinny Monkey
Running Up The Hill
Which Way To The Information Flow?
Getting Ready For The Ice Age
Just Keep Going That Way, Keep Going
I Took Some LSD
"There's A Whole Other World Out Here"
"Never Flush Anything Down The Toilet"
I Took Some LSD
Thanks For Riding
Welcome To Nowhere
Can I Get Some Urine?
Can You Go?
Are You Able To Give Some Urine?
Here, Pee In This
There You Go
You Should Have Come Down To See Me Sooner
"Here, Eat This Receipt"
You Can Come Down Anytime You Want
And Stay With Me
Can You Remember Where You're From?
Can You Remember Where You Live?
Can You Remember Who You Are?
They're Not Gonna Let You Out
"Dying Of Thirst In This Fucking Place"
"Hey, This Ain't A Fuckin' Boarding Home"
"Let's Kill 'Em"
Everything Behind You
Is Being Destroyed
You Gotta Keep On Moving
We're Counting On You
You're The One
"You Know That's Vomit, Right?"
Take Me Uptown
Take Me Uptown
(SECRET)
Hey, Get In The Car
Stick Your Head On
You're Gonna Have To Breathe Under Water
You'll Get Used To It
Let 'Em Know
You're Plugin' 'Em All In
I Can See 'Em Lightin' Up
Everybody's Getting Connected
Everybody's Inside The Mind
Were All A Buncha Sneeky
Sneeky Sneeky People Out Here
Welcome To Nowhere
"I Like Your Shoes"
There's A Man In The Factory
Stomping On The Chickens
There's A Geezer In A Wheelchair
Strangling Himself
There's A Girl Holding Scissors
On A One Way Street
I Don't Know What She's Doing
Should I Call Someone Else?
There's A Man With A Moustache
Smoking All The Cigarettes
God Damn White Trash
Stinkin' Up The Dump
Kids In The Park
Chasin' All The Rats Away
God Damn Atheists
Getting Paid To Pray
All These People Are Gonna Fuck You
(You Little Fucker)
You're Gonna Have To Fuck 'Em
All The Way Back Home
There's A Big Fat Cockroach
Running Up My Bills
There's A Little Skinny Monkey
Running Up The Hill
Which Way To The Information Flow?
Getting Ready For The Ice Age
Just Keep Going That Way, Keep Going
I Took Some LSD
"There's A Whole Other World Out Here"
"Never Flush Anything Down The Toilet"
I Took Some LSD
Thanks For Riding
Welcome To Nowhere
Can I Get Some Urine?
Can You Go?
Are You Able To Give Some Urine?
Here, Pee In This
There You Go
You Should Have Come Down To See Me Sooner
"Here, Eat This Receipt"
You Can Come Down Anytime You Want
And Stay With Me
Can You Remember Where You're From?
Can You Remember Where You Live?
Can You Remember Who You Are?
They're Not Gonna Let You Out
"Dying Of Thirst In This Fucking Place"
"Hey, This Ain't A Fuckin' Boarding Home"
"Let's Kill 'Em"
Everything Behind You
Is Being Destroyed
You Gotta Keep On Moving
We're Counting On You
You're The One
"You Know That's Vomit, Right?"
Take Me Uptown
Take Me Uptown
(SECRET)
Hey, Get In The Car
Stick Your Head On
You're Gonna Have To Breathe Under Water
You'll Get Used To It
Let 'Em Know
You're Plugin' 'Em All In
I Can See 'Em Lightin' Up
Everybody's Getting Connected
Everybody's Inside The Mind
Were All A Buncha Sneeky
Sneeky Sneeky People Out Here
Welcome To Nowhere
Lyrics submitted by askingtoomuch
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I think this would make a great music video. My favorite part is
"Hey, Get In The Car Stick Your Head On You're Gonna Have To Breathe Under Water You'll Get Used To It"