I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Royal Oil, come on bubble and boil
Stabs like a dagger, make you stagger
On the hot tin foil
Mind your mind or it will surely spoil then you sleep down in the soil
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
When you smoke or poke the poison
You lose the chance to be tomorrow
Look out on the horizon
And see the sadness, the pain and the sorrow
I can't say enough about the stuff
Or what it has in store
When you smoke or poke the poison
You won't be anymore
Royal Oil, come on bubble and boil
Stabs like a dagger, make you stagger
On the hot in foil
Mind your mind or it will surely spoil
Then you sleep down in the soil
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
Royal Oil has cut many down to size
Spikes gonna strike the weak and strong alike
And then forever, and ever close those eyes
Make up your mind to keep your mind up
And to your life be loyal
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
Royal Oil, big trouble brewing
Long, lonely road, long road to ruin
Wrong path to take, great big mistake
And then you sleep down in the soil
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
Stabs like a dagger, make you stagger
On the hot tin foil
Mind your mind or it will surely spoil then you sleep down in the soil
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
When you smoke or poke the poison
You lose the chance to be tomorrow
Look out on the horizon
And see the sadness, the pain and the sorrow
I can't say enough about the stuff
Or what it has in store
When you smoke or poke the poison
You won't be anymore
Royal Oil, come on bubble and boil
Stabs like a dagger, make you stagger
On the hot in foil
Mind your mind or it will surely spoil
Then you sleep down in the soil
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
Royal Oil has cut many down to size
Spikes gonna strike the weak and strong alike
And then forever, and ever close those eyes
Make up your mind to keep your mind up
And to your life be loyal
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
Royal Oil, big trouble brewing
Long, lonely road, long road to ruin
Wrong path to take, great big mistake
And then you sleep down in the soil
Nothing comes from nothing, come on
Royal Oil
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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
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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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
I think this song is about hash oil.
Could be, but it may be something a bit differant... When it gets introduced on 'live at the middle east' he says 'This one goes out to the people who have supported the bosstones for all these fucking years' But microwaveburrito, i still reckon you are right.
i think it's about drugs in general - "smoke or poke the poison" - marijuana and heroin... correct if wrong
i agree: this song isnt about oil, it's about drugs. stabs like dagger makes you stagger, smoke or poke, hot tin foil, mind your mind or it will spoil, sadness pain and sorrow, long road to ruin all sound like they are talking about some sort of drug or another.
i agree: this song isnt about oil, it's about drugs. stabs like dagger makes you stagger, smoke or poke, hot tin foil, mind your mind or it will spoil, sadness pain and sorrow, long road to ruin all sound like they are talking about some sort of drug or another.
It's all about heroin he's taking about smoking heroin, and how you can over dose and lose the chance to "see tommorow" this song is about heroin and only heroin, these guys r total pot heads so they r no way bashing weed
This song is about Crystal Meth (speed, crank, go, shit, dope, etc). First of all the glass pipe that is used to smoke meth is called an oil burner which is why they call it royal OIL. Second "Stabs like a dagger, make you stagger,On the hot tin foil". freebasing meth on foil. And of course you can "slam" some speed which if you dont know is injecting it with a needle. And well sleep down in the soil means you sleep where you fall, and when you haven't sleep in a week or two your most likely just going to pass out where you stand. And when your tweaking nothings going to be accomplished by your countless hours of effort therefore nothings gonna come from nothing.
Well I don't think it means literally sleeping as he says "sleeping in the soil" A.K.A. dying and being buried.
This song is OBVIOUSLY about Meth... Come on now people...
It's about black tar heroin.
@CFaz23 I agree back when this song was written and the band was huge black tar heroin was big. It's definitely about heroin you can smoke it on tinfoil or inject it and one wrong batch you end up sleeping in the soil.