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,
The only place where you can dream
Living here is not what it seems
Ship of white light in the sky
Nobody there to reason why
Here I am, I'm not really there
Smiling faces ever so rare
Let's walk in deepest space
Living here just isn't the place
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Stalks of light come from the ground
When I cry there isn't a sound
All my feelings cannot be held
I'm happy in my new strange world
Shades of green grasses twine
Girls drinking plasma wine
A look at love, a dream unfolds
Living here, you'll never grow old
Oh baby
Don't you hear me call?
Ooh-ooh, ooh
Living here is not what it seems
Ship of white light in the sky
Nobody there to reason why
Here I am, I'm not really there
Smiling faces ever so rare
Let's walk in deepest space
Living here just isn't the place
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Stalks of light come from the ground
When I cry there isn't a sound
All my feelings cannot be held
I'm happy in my new strange world
Shades of green grasses twine
Girls drinking plasma wine
A look at love, a dream unfolds
Living here, you'll never grow old
Oh baby
Don't you hear me call?
Ooh-ooh, ooh
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More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
@ old_rocker4ever: I'm pretty sure Smith wasn't in the band when the song was released. It was Dennis Stratton and Dave Murray.
My theory is that it's about a ghost in limbo wandering the Earth. "Here I am. I'm not really there" is referring to how a ghost can not get the attention of a person in the real world. Also, "living here, you'll never grow old" is referring to well, how ghosts don't age.
Another theory is that it's about life in Hell. "Smiling faces ever so rare" refers to the endless pain, sadness and suffering that is in Hell."Living here, you'll never grow old" could refer to how you don't age in Hell.
Probably the best pre Dickinson song maiden ever wrote
It's obviously about Transylvania and vampires. Plasma is the liquid part of blood, so the line "girls drinking plasma wine" refers to drinking blood. It also refers to how vampires never don't age.
that`s very interesting Scrubbo. Never seen the song under that light, but it really makes the pieces fit.
exactly
@Scrubbo Yep. You will even notice that on the album, Transylvania merges into Strange World - the two songs are one. The first verse introduces a broken hearted man who is losing his love to something terminal. He questions reality's falsely promised happiness and he and his love, no longer smile anymore, here under the great ship of white light..the sun. Here the protagonist is human and rather than live within falsely promised happiness within the light, why not both of us live forever, without pain, together in 'eternal love' and within darkness? The instrumental in the middle is the 'transformation' of both the protagonist and his love and the final verse is written from the protagonist view, now as a vampire...happy in his new Strange World.
for sure one of the best! it's about someone seeking to find that perfect place...a utopia.
Yeah, it's great! There's also a great cover by a spanish band called Mago De Oz, it was released in one of the Maiden tribute albums, you should check it out.
It's a beautiful song, and I agree with aquarianarchist. The song seems to float like a perfect dream of a perfect world.
Beautiful lyrics.
Nice guitar and bass work too!
damn ! the guitar is like the ship that takes u to this strange world...awesome song ! dave and adrian r just fckin gr8
It's Dennis Stratton not Adrian!
Its probably about Transylvainia,the real place.