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.
All you want to do is something good
So get ready to be ridiculed and misunderstood
'Cause don't you know that you're a fucking freak in this world
In which everybody's willing to choose swine over pearls
And maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
You can take your own advice and try again
But a thousand compromises don't add up to a win
And they'd be happy if you'd only cover your tracks
But the trail of crumbs you've left won't help you find your way back
So maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
God knows it's not safe with anybody else
You can play along, but you'll just end up wrong somehow, won't you
But you're the idiot who keeps believing in luck
And you just can't get it through your head that no one else gives a fuck
So maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
God knows it's not safe with anybody else
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
(God knows it's not safe with anybody else)
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
It's not safe with anybody else
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
(God knows it's not safe with anybody else)
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Play that guitar
But you're the idiot who keeps believing in luck
The speaker is out of the picture
I'm talking to the microphone
The microphone thinks that I'm talking
But I'm not talking at all
I'm singing to you
So get ready to be ridiculed and misunderstood
'Cause don't you know that you're a fucking freak in this world
In which everybody's willing to choose swine over pearls
And maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
You can take your own advice and try again
But a thousand compromises don't add up to a win
And they'd be happy if you'd only cover your tracks
But the trail of crumbs you've left won't help you find your way back
So maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
God knows it's not safe with anybody else
You can play along, but you'll just end up wrong somehow, won't you
But you're the idiot who keeps believing in luck
And you just can't get it through your head that no one else gives a fuck
So maybe everything is all for nothing
Still you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause God knows it's not safe with anybody else
God knows it's not safe with anybody else
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
(God knows it's not safe with anybody else)
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
It's not safe with anybody else
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
(God knows it's not safe with anybody else)
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Play that guitar
But you're the idiot who keeps believing in luck
The speaker is out of the picture
I'm talking to the microphone
The microphone thinks that I'm talking
But I'm not talking at all
I'm singing to you
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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
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Page
Ed Sheeran
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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.
Giving up the naive notions of childhood has never been better described.
I’ve been listening to this song for YEARS and this is the first time I’ve looked up the lyrics and I’m so puzzled by:
“In which everybody's willing to choose swine over pearls”
I’ve always heard (and sung) “wine over pearls”. Thinking someone who chooses wine lacks foresight, hedonistic — wanting the immediate payoff, and the person who chooses pearls is looking either artistically, or with forethought — as an investment. Desire versus practicality.
But when I played it at the highest volume I can hear “swine” and not necessarily just the s-sound carrying over from “choose”.
Why would anyone ever choose swine?