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,
Our TV sets are drenched in pseudo reality,
When the truth is endemol can't save you from mundane existence.
Twelve unknowns light up 7 million homes,
Yet the news at ten is barely watched,
As it's the same old war again.
Lets talk about romance, are
Omance is dead.
An ideology exploited for commercial gain.
They want you to fall in love
With the idea of being in love,
Because nothing says I love you better than flowers and chocolates and cards.
But its all right now,
I can see clearer now,
Its all right now,
Now your head is up out of the clouds.
You can call me a cynic,
But at least I'm realistic.
I went to IKEA today,
It didn't change my life.
Yet everyone in my street is going Scandinavian,
It's like the upper east side in semi-detached suburban Britain.
You have to ask yourself why?
Its like whitewash is brainwash,
They're diluting out style
When the truth is endemol can't save you from mundane existence.
Twelve unknowns light up 7 million homes,
Yet the news at ten is barely watched,
As it's the same old war again.
Lets talk about romance, are
Omance is dead.
An ideology exploited for commercial gain.
They want you to fall in love
With the idea of being in love,
Because nothing says I love you better than flowers and chocolates and cards.
But its all right now,
I can see clearer now,
Its all right now,
Now your head is up out of the clouds.
You can call me a cynic,
But at least I'm realistic.
I went to IKEA today,
It didn't change my life.
Yet everyone in my street is going Scandinavian,
It's like the upper east side in semi-detached suburban Britain.
You have to ask yourself why?
Its like whitewash is brainwash,
They're diluting out style
Lyrics submitted by xXlastgoodbyeXx
Whitewash Is Brainwash Lyrics as written by Samuel Lloyd Duckworth
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Gentle Hour
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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.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
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 true. Big Brother and reality TV in general is not what life is about. People watch so-called 'reality' TV in order to avoid the harsh reality of life. The lyrics are brilliant. Flowers and chocolates and cards refers to how commercialised the most pure thing of all, love, has become. Valentine's day is all about making money. Everything has become the same, everyone shops at Ikea, but they think it is this amazing individual style. I suppose it is about how the masses are fooled into believing that they are individual, with their sheep-like existence.
Sam is a cynic, but in the best way possible.
what a good lyricist
This song is amazing and so true.
About how everyone is fooled..watching things like big brother instead of the real life things like the news.
Love it.
I like the way Sam Duckworth is clear with what he wants to say with his songs, not hiding it in riddles like many other songwriters do.
This song is so beautiful, i especially love the bit about -and yet the news is barely watched, as its the same old war again. Hes saying how superfical life is, and that if we dont like something, instead of trying to change it, well forget it or cover it up. Hes such a brilliant man.
this song is about companies like nike ect who exploit their workers be it by unfair trade or by long hours and poor wages. (this is what he told us at the gig i was at btw). he had a screen at the back with all the different companies doing this. hes right. we should make trade fair. although he does have a lot of geldof ideas.
it's about three things really firstly the way that everyone is buying generic, cheap furniture which proceeds to a growing corporation and leads to everyone having the same supposedly "stylish" furniture but it creates a total lack of individuality. it's about big brother and why people would rather watch 12 people they have never heard of and don't know playing up to the cameras than actually find out what's going on in the world. He just asks the question, doesn't give us his answer except for that it's stupid. He also talks about how the media makes love seem attractive so they can make money from people buying gifts because that's what people now constitute as love i.e "i love you, here's the ring you wanted!" saying love has been killed by the want of material goods. This links to the Ikea thing because it shows how style and individuality has been killed by affordability and everyone conforming to what is supposed to be life changing and brilliant.
omg. this song is absolutely beautiful! i love the electronic feeling, get cape, wear.. has got. i don't know about his voice yet, have to get used to that one.
omg. this song is absolutely beautiful! i love the electronic feeling, get cape, wear.. has got. i don't know about his voice yet, have to get used to that one.
people are losing their individuality and most don't realize it. Stop covering up what you don't like and CHANGE it. powerful.