Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
And how many ways can you break my spirit down, again
And how many times have I peeled my face up off the ground, for you
In case that you're starting to think you can run my life, I'd think again
Or cripple my faith when you judge and criticize me, but I'm still standing
I don't know if I can say
I've lived through everything
But I've walked this earth alone
With bare-feet, broken in the snow
And my father said to me
It never seems to be
A simple walk down an icy cold broken road
Disgraced and shamed
Afraid to walk the line, again
Controlled for too many years
But never once forgiven
For my sins
And I never thought I'd say
That I'm weaker today than I was yesterday
Oh man
But I'll fight as I always fight
With what's inside of me
This warrior spirit inside of me
I don't know if I can say
I've lived through everything
But I've walked this earth alone
With bare-feet, broken in the snow
And my father said to me
It never seems to be
A simple walk down an icy cold broken road
And time after time
A man who couldn't be a man
I'm alone, but I'm alive
Been taught to believe
What's meant to be will be
I don't know if I can say
I've lived through everything
But I've walked this earth alone
With bare-feet, broken in the snow
And my father said to me
It never seems to be, yeah
A simple walk down an icy cold broken road, again
An icy cold broken road
I guess I'll never know
But I've been told
It's an icy cold broken road
It's an icy cold broken road
And how many times have I peeled my face up off the ground, for you
In case that you're starting to think you can run my life, I'd think again
Or cripple my faith when you judge and criticize me, but I'm still standing
I don't know if I can say
I've lived through everything
But I've walked this earth alone
With bare-feet, broken in the snow
And my father said to me
It never seems to be
A simple walk down an icy cold broken road
Disgraced and shamed
Afraid to walk the line, again
Controlled for too many years
But never once forgiven
For my sins
And I never thought I'd say
That I'm weaker today than I was yesterday
Oh man
But I'll fight as I always fight
With what's inside of me
This warrior spirit inside of me
I don't know if I can say
I've lived through everything
But I've walked this earth alone
With bare-feet, broken in the snow
And my father said to me
It never seems to be
A simple walk down an icy cold broken road
And time after time
A man who couldn't be a man
I'm alone, but I'm alive
Been taught to believe
What's meant to be will be
I don't know if I can say
I've lived through everything
But I've walked this earth alone
With bare-feet, broken in the snow
And my father said to me
It never seems to be, yeah
A simple walk down an icy cold broken road, again
An icy cold broken road
I guess I'll never know
But I've been told
It's an icy cold broken road
It's an icy cold broken road
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More Featured Meanings
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This gives me chills down my back when I listen to this.