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.
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More Featured Meanings
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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 it's about both: part a), Father's shout, is the kind of ominous part at the beginning, like a rumor of war that's started by the people in charge (the "fathers" of the world). Breast Milky starts when the peice randomly goes into the smooth, calming tunes after a couple of measures of dissonance. This is the typical disociation from what's really going on that most people go through during times of war. It continues until the motorcycle, where mother fore takes over, ie, where there's a constant sense of panic, worry, and depression about what's going to happen. This is also the part of the song where the actual war takes place. As I see it, this is the greater majority of the suite. Towards the end, there's a hope that it will all be over soon, but instead it's followed by the oddness of Funky Dung. This peice represents the literal a figurative fallout of the war. Not somewhere you want to be. Following Funky dung is the odd mixture of Mind your throats. It's a convolution of everything previous in the album mixed in a way. At this particular point, there is really no law or order, just people trying to stay alive by any means possible. Probably lots of betrayals and assasinations going on at this time, so you should "watch your throat" - you never know who's out to slit it. Finally, it resolves into Remergeance, which starts as the triumph of someone taking control, or having order, then backs off. Order restored, civilization can now continue, starting off weak, as life typically does, and grows into the full matuirty of a new civilization, having risen from the ashes of it's fallen predecessors.
Of course, I wrote this while listening to the song, and I interpretted without doing any prior research. All of this could actually the be furthest thing from the truth, but, that's how I interpretted the song.
excellent song to multitask to
just get hella baked in the morning put this song on full blast and start doing your house work. but i do that with all pink floyd
thanks to Demau Senae who wrote the unique words of this impressive opera. i didn't manage to understand them. this song is in some way related to neuclear weapons or nuclear power. but what represent the six parts of the song: a) Father's shout, b) Breast milky, c) Mother fore, d) Funky dung, e) Mind your throats please, f) Remergence random title...? don't think so. i would say that remergence is immediately after the explosion but it isn't... any idea?
The title was taken simply from a newspaper article about a woman who had an atomic powered pacemaker. Publius.
Some nice theories, but the song does not have any meaning whatsoever (According to the Pink Floyd members themselves). The song's main motive started as a "theme to a non-existent western" written as no more than a joke. Add in some jam sessions, choir parts, and orchestration by Ron Geesin and you have the song. The title was actually taken from a random newspaper article (about a mother with an atomic pacemaker) because it sounded good.
Pink Floyd also said Dark Side was their worst album, they're weird about their music.
Publius has it right, I'm afraid. Pink Floyd was still in the processing stage for this album when they found a newspaper headline that stated a woman got a pacemaker for her heart that was powered by atomic energy so she could survive childbirth. Hence the term ATOM HEART MOTHER. It's as simple as that. No shrooms, no hallucinagens, just a newspaper clipping.
A great song to listen to while on a long, night time car drive. The chanting from the choir in the one section sounds like that used in the move "The Exorcist." It's kind of scares me. I think Floyd is the only group whose music has managed to elate, sadden, scare, surprise, puzzle and inspire me. Hooray Pink Floyd. I just watched Gilmour's "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" dvd on a an hd wide screen tv. It doesn't have this song, but definitely check it out!
Atom Heart Mother: The album title looks as if it entrusts a free association to listeners. As for me, I think that it is three element of all things - atom as the physical world and phenomenon, heart as the metaphysical world and consciousness, and mother as energy to produce everything.
I feel they aimed at a variety of scenes that may be conjured up in the listener's mind. What I was conjured up in my mind is Gaia hypothesis.
I love how this song sounds like it would be used in a movie.
i thought it was used in a clockwork orange, but idk i havent seen it yet. /:<br />
It's about nothing. Pink Floyd just wanted to sample different types of music throughout the entire "Atom Heart Mother" album and this song reflects that.