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.
You came out of nowhere
Stealing my heart and brain
Flaming my every cell
You make me feel myself
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Will you stay on this land forever?
Will you stay on this land forever?
Across the time and space
A never-ending dance
A blooming and a trance
You make me feel my soul
There's no more loneliness
Only sparkles and sweat
There's no more single fate
You make me feel myself
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Will you stay on this land forever?
Will you stay on this land forever?
My body is like a lightning rod
Capsize me and douse me in your bay
A shiver of want, always
When you're on the tip of my tongue
And in the back of your parked car
I could build a fort
And play all day
Between your lips and mine
Let's stay here forever
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Will you stay on this land forever? (Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
Will you stay on this land forever? (Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
Stealing my heart and brain
Flaming my every cell
You make me feel myself
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Will you stay on this land forever?
Will you stay on this land forever?
Across the time and space
A never-ending dance
A blooming and a trance
You make me feel my soul
There's no more loneliness
Only sparkles and sweat
There's no more single fate
You make me feel myself
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Will you stay on this land forever?
Will you stay on this land forever?
My body is like a lightning rod
Capsize me and douse me in your bay
A shiver of want, always
When you're on the tip of my tongue
And in the back of your parked car
I could build a fort
And play all day
Between your lips and mine
Let's stay here forever
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Will you stay on this land forever? (Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
Will you stay on this land forever? (Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
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
Ed Sheeran
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.
This is easily one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard.
In my college philosophy class, we have spent a great deal of time talking about how the early philosophers tried to find essential definition for things like beauty, love, etc. An essential definition captures all particular instances of a thing, and is a perfect universal. It is very difficult, even impossible at times to establish perfect essential definitions. It is the work of philosophers to find these definitions because they enable us to understand reality, and to achieve wisdom about the particulars which surround us.
That being said, listen to this part of the song:
"Across the time and space A never-ending dance A blooming and a trance You make me feel my soul"
Not just the lyrics: the instruments, the tone of the vocals, the tune... this is what love feels like. This is the essence of a feeling captured in song.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ohohoh... Will you stand in this land forever?"
Will it last? We can only hope that the feeling goes on forever... but even with this song on repeat, I can't get enough. It's the greatest feeling ever. This song has actually caused me to shed a few tears of joy on a few occasions.
Nobody writes songs like this. M83 is right along with Arcade Fire as one of the only bands in our time that makes soulful music which captures the essence of things. This purity of emotion distilled into music is what all musicians should aspire to create. Words alone cannot do justice to the expression of the human soul which this kind of work represents: this is a rare glimpse into the very nature of what it means to live, love, and exist. This is art of the truest form.
This is a great comment too. Makes me love Reunion even more to see other people's enthusiasm and hear their insights about it
This is a great comment too. Makes me love Reunion even more to see other people's enthusiasm and hear their insights about it
This is a great comment too. Makes me love Reunion even more to see other people's enthusiasm and hear their insights about it
Can I just say that this is a beautiful comment? It's more eloquent that anything I could have ever dreamed of writing about this song. You put into words what I feel about this song so perfectly.
Great comment!