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.
All of the lights (all of the lights)
(Lights, lights) All of the lights
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
Fast cars, shooting stars
All of the lights, all of the lights
Until it's Vegas everywhere we are (all of the lights)
If you want it, you can get it for the rest of your life
If you want it, you can get it for the rest of your life
Somethin' wrong, I hold my head
MJ gone, our nigga dead
I slapped my girl, she called the feds
I did that time and spent that bread
I'm heading home, I'm almost there
I'm on my way, headed up the stairs
To my surprise, a nigga replacing me
I had to take him to that ghetto university
(All of the lights) Lights
Cop lights, flashlights, spotlights
Strobe lights, street lights
(All of the lights, all of the lights)
Fast life, drug life, thug life
Rock life every night (all of the lights)
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
Restraining order, can't see my daughter
Her mother, brother, grandmother hate me in that order
Public visitation, we met at Borders
Told her she take me back, I'll be more supportive
I made mistakes, I bumped my head
Them courts sucked me dry, I spent that bread
She need her daddy, baby, please
Can't let her grow up in that ghetto university
(All of the lights) Lights
Cop lights, flashlights, spotlights
Strobe lights, street lights
(All of the lights, all of the lights)
Fast life, drug life, thug life
Rock life every night (all of the lights)
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
I'm gettin' mine, baby
Gotta let these niggas know, yeah
Gettin' right, babe
You should go and get your own
I'm gettin' mine, baby
Gotta let these niggas know, yeah
Gettin' right, babe
You should go and get your own
Unemployment line, credit card declined
Did I not mention I was about to lose my mind? (My mind, my mind, my mind)
And also was about to do that line (line, line, line)
'Kay, okay, you know we going all the way this time (time)
We going all the way this time
We going all the way this time
We going all the way this time
We going all the way this time
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say was, oh)
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say was, oh)
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say was, oh)
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say)
(Lights, lights) All of the lights
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
Fast cars, shooting stars
All of the lights, all of the lights
Until it's Vegas everywhere we are (all of the lights)
If you want it, you can get it for the rest of your life
If you want it, you can get it for the rest of your life
Somethin' wrong, I hold my head
MJ gone, our nigga dead
I slapped my girl, she called the feds
I did that time and spent that bread
I'm heading home, I'm almost there
I'm on my way, headed up the stairs
To my surprise, a nigga replacing me
I had to take him to that ghetto university
(All of the lights) Lights
Cop lights, flashlights, spotlights
Strobe lights, street lights
(All of the lights, all of the lights)
Fast life, drug life, thug life
Rock life every night (all of the lights)
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
Restraining order, can't see my daughter
Her mother, brother, grandmother hate me in that order
Public visitation, we met at Borders
Told her she take me back, I'll be more supportive
I made mistakes, I bumped my head
Them courts sucked me dry, I spent that bread
She need her daddy, baby, please
Can't let her grow up in that ghetto university
(All of the lights) Lights
Cop lights, flashlights, spotlights
Strobe lights, street lights
(All of the lights, all of the lights)
Fast life, drug life, thug life
Rock life every night (all of the lights)
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
I'm gettin' mine, baby
Gotta let these niggas know, yeah
Gettin' right, babe
You should go and get your own
I'm gettin' mine, baby
Gotta let these niggas know, yeah
Gettin' right, babe
You should go and get your own
Unemployment line, credit card declined
Did I not mention I was about to lose my mind? (My mind, my mind, my mind)
And also was about to do that line (line, line, line)
'Kay, okay, you know we going all the way this time (time)
We going all the way this time
We going all the way this time
We going all the way this time
We going all the way this time
Turn up the lights in here, baby
Extra bright, I want y'all to see this
Turn up the lights in here, baby
You know what I need, want you to see everything
Want you to see all of the lights
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say was, oh)
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say was, oh)
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say was, oh)
Whoa, whoa, oh
(I tried to tell you, but all I could say)
Lyrics submitted by strykerchick
All Of The Lights Lyrics as written by Stacy Ferguson Jeff Bhasker
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is too good... I bet that this song makes it onto radio stations.. If not, then radio is dead to me.
Kanye's latest album proves that 'popular music' can also be 'great music'. This song is so 'radio--friendly' (minus Fergie's verse), that it should blow up on the radio.. Then again, almost every single song on this album should be on the radio..
9.5/10 for this song and for the album. Good job Kanye!