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.
Let's take the longest way
Through the hallways of your mind.
Upon your knees,
The phantom breeze
Of a shipwreck lost in time.
You're ending near
The kelly fear
Adorns the walls in slime.
Figure it out. [Figure it out...]
Just like you used to do.
In the essence of proud,
That's when you're cursed to prove.
And as the perfect wings'll glide,
Cleansed are men of all the mice.
Past the pain, we tend to stride,
Or that's how it seems to beginners.
Accept awards throughout our lives,
To make young lovers intertwine.
Perhaps the end will come tonight,
So hooray for the Winners.
A vast abyss, where lie dismissed
Ideas of yours and mine.
But brought to kneel
By the Grecian Seal,
We join the family line.
Figure it out. [Figure it out...]
Just like you used to do.
In the essence of proud,
That's when you're cursed to prove.
And as the perfect wings'll glide,
Cleansed are men of all the mice.
Past the pain, we tend to stride,
Or that's how it seems to beginners.
Accept awards throughout our lives,
To make young lovers intertwine.
Perhaps the end will come tonight,
So hooray for the Winners.
Hooray for the Winners...
You'll never thrill
The bold divisions in the sky,
Of whom predestined you
To always be the last in line. [Last in line, last in line...]
Accept awards throuought our lives,
--[to make young lovers intertwine]
To make young lovers intertwine
Perhaps the end'll come tonight.
Past the pain, we tend to stride.
--[or that's how it seems to beginners]
Because the Winner's young and bright
Hooray for the Winners.
--[and as the perfect wings'll glide]
Let the heavens make it right.
--[past the pain, we tend to stride]
A warm and gentle breeze at night.
--[accept awards throughout our lives,
---to make young lovers intertwine]
Bereft, you are of plans to gain
No mystery, you're no surprise
--[so hooray for the Winners]
We're born to fight,
Suck the marrow of life the Winners forever preside.
Hooray for the Winners.
Through the hallways of your mind.
Upon your knees,
The phantom breeze
Of a shipwreck lost in time.
You're ending near
The kelly fear
Adorns the walls in slime.
Figure it out. [Figure it out...]
Just like you used to do.
In the essence of proud,
That's when you're cursed to prove.
And as the perfect wings'll glide,
Cleansed are men of all the mice.
Past the pain, we tend to stride,
Or that's how it seems to beginners.
Accept awards throughout our lives,
To make young lovers intertwine.
Perhaps the end will come tonight,
So hooray for the Winners.
A vast abyss, where lie dismissed
Ideas of yours and mine.
But brought to kneel
By the Grecian Seal,
We join the family line.
Figure it out. [Figure it out...]
Just like you used to do.
In the essence of proud,
That's when you're cursed to prove.
And as the perfect wings'll glide,
Cleansed are men of all the mice.
Past the pain, we tend to stride,
Or that's how it seems to beginners.
Accept awards throughout our lives,
To make young lovers intertwine.
Perhaps the end will come tonight,
So hooray for the Winners.
Hooray for the Winners...
You'll never thrill
The bold divisions in the sky,
Of whom predestined you
To always be the last in line. [Last in line, last in line...]
Accept awards throuought our lives,
--[to make young lovers intertwine]
To make young lovers intertwine
Perhaps the end'll come tonight.
Past the pain, we tend to stride.
--[or that's how it seems to beginners]
Because the Winner's young and bright
Hooray for the Winners.
--[and as the perfect wings'll glide]
Let the heavens make it right.
--[past the pain, we tend to stride]
A warm and gentle breeze at night.
--[accept awards throughout our lives,
---to make young lovers intertwine]
Bereft, you are of plans to gain
No mystery, you're no surprise
--[so hooray for the Winners]
We're born to fight,
Suck the marrow of life the Winners forever preside.
Hooray for the Winners.
Lyrics submitted by hold2thecore
Winners Lyrics as written by Elijah Skye Blue Allman Brian Eno
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I recall an interview in which Elijah said that "Winners" is the "epitome of a Deadsy song" which was a fair statement. It encompasses all of the elements of good Deadsy songs. . . it's awesome.