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.
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
No Surprises
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.
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.
Ultimate reconciliation. We hurt each other, we love each other, life goes on. Hate dies, Loves lives forever. Please forgive me for your sake, not mine; as I have forgiven you for my sake not yours. (^_^) Even if, even if you don't love me aaannyyymmoorree.
I love your meaning of this song and I agree with it.
@PhoenixSouvenir75 <br /> <br /> Absolutely perfect interpretation of this tune.
I heard this song on the radio about 23 years ago. After it finished, the radio announcer said, "That's Don Henley with a song about letting go of anger after suffering a broken heart."
The person who said this is about divorce is right on. He's singing about life being too short to hold grudges after a messy and bitter divorce. He can't seem to pinpoint exactly what happened to where the relationship went wrong, all he knows is that it's about getting over the pain and forgiving and moving on, no matter how bad.
Believe it or not, this song actually has a happy ending. It was written by a guy named Rodney Eubanks. I may have the story a little wrong, but here's the gist of it: Rodney and his high school sweetheart went their separate ways and she married someone else. He wrote this song for her, then went on with his life. Years later, after separate divorces, they are now married to each other.
hello gilby jr, yes you are correct about Rodney Eubanks writing this. It is about his high school sweethear, me, and we are now married for seven years now. I got the call today verse is about when Rodney was living in Nashville at the time and his mother called him from Texas to tell him that I was getting married the next day, 6/13. We did go our separate ways and your information is all correct.
guess you never really know what can happen in life
@gilby_jr
@gilby_jr Dont listen to these idiots this song was written by Don Henley and JD souther. Morons spreading lies and misinformation...
My interpretation of the song is that it is about divorce When a couple who have been married for a long time decide to break the relationship, it breaks your heart and that's what Don Henley talks about in this song. And then, after the split up has occured, they start to find someone else and that can either make someone feel a bit sad or make them happy for the person. And eventually, it's not about all of that, it's eventually down to forgiveness for all the bad times they went through and being happy that they aren't there anymore.
i think this song is about a guy who has sat around waiting for his ex to get back together with him, but with little success. in the end, after an "old true friend" tells him his ex has moved on with her life and is seeing another man he realises its time he does the same.
i do like the idea of the song representing the breakup of the eagles though, aslthough it is most probably an after thought of the dons and not the original intention.
this songs is about don henley and his wife . . . on a dvd i have before he sings the song he says "this song took me 42 years to write but 4 mins to sing" 42 being the number of years that hes been with his wife .. this song is about him forgetting about his wife because he got caught up with the eagles and his career that he didnt think of her anymore and just forgot her .. . he speaks of how he wants her to forgive him even tho he knows that she doesnt love him anymore.. his wife found somebody new so she left him . . ..
Nope, this is not about Henley's wife. He did not write it. He bought the song.
has nebodi noticed that most of the songs that have comments r from the Actual Miles cd ?
Like most art, the artist leaves it to interpretation of the listener, melding together with what they bring to it. Likewise, the artist may be inspired by more than one thing in writing it...
I think this is a synthesis of many things in Don's life (and the co-writers as well), certainly it has part of its genesis in the breakup of the Eagles, but also more than likely personal relationships as well, which we can all relate too.
Katherine mentioned (in the other thread) about Don's intro to this on the 'Hell Freezes Over' DVD, that this song "took 42 years to write, and about 4 minutes to sing. So..." - and he leaves it at that... but if you saw his face when he said it, you know it means so much to him that mere words cannot do it justice. You have to hear it, you have to sing it, you have to live it.
One other thing you might consider, is that this sing is really a conversation with a friend, which is continued in 'My Thanksgiving': "A lot of things have happened since the last time we spoke Some of them are funny, some of em ain't no joke And I trust you will forgive me if I lay it on the line I always thought you were a friend of mine"
...and ends with:
"For every moment of joy every hour of fear For every winding road that brought me here For every breath, for every day of living This is my thanksgiving
For everyone who helped me start And for everything that broke my heart For every breath, for every day of living This is my thanksgiving"
Isn't that the ultimate expression of forgiveness?
These two songs make a beautiful pair of bookends to the same thought, about personal spiritual growth.
I have to agree after doing research I think that Justintime has a great point on the credits on Don Henley's song! Why is Eubanks not mentioned? What makes Gilby jr so right? I am curious as to what other work Eubanks has done and what other singers has he written for? Great song though, but is just a basic guy loses girl, etc. etc.