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.
Pound my knuckles hard against the floor
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
I spent some time in a bad place at 18,
Wishing I could see something through clear eyes
Do you ever wake up to realize your life is meaningless?
Does it give you strength or lead you to your grave at a young age?
Pound my knuckles hard against the floor
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
It seems that when I ran away from my past all my dignity,
My faith,
My pride got left back
And now I think it's time that I realize self pity's meaningless
Though I'm 10 feet deep,
I'll claw my way back out from in my grave
Pound my knuckles hard against the floor
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
(And say a hard life did this to me)
But now I realize I'd give anything I have to walk a day in my old shoes
Wondering what my first smoke would be like,
My first fuck,
My next fuck up
Or the next band that would change my life and it changed my life
Pound my knuckles hard against the floor
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
(And say a hard life did this to me)
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
I spent some time in a bad place at 18,
Wishing I could see something through clear eyes
Do you ever wake up to realize your life is meaningless?
Does it give you strength or lead you to your grave at a young age?
Pound my knuckles hard against the floor
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
It seems that when I ran away from my past all my dignity,
My faith,
My pride got left back
And now I think it's time that I realize self pity's meaningless
Though I'm 10 feet deep,
I'll claw my way back out from in my grave
Pound my knuckles hard against the floor
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
(And say a hard life did this to me)
But now I realize I'd give anything I have to walk a day in my old shoes
Wondering what my first smoke would be like,
My first fuck,
My next fuck up
Or the next band that would change my life and it changed my life
Pound my knuckles hard against the floor
My head against the wall
But I did this to myself
Assume it's just not worth getting back up,
But I'll blame it on bad luck
I'll shake responsibility
(And say a hard life did this to me)
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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/
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.
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.
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.
this song is so relateable to a lot of situations. incredible lyrics