Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Step right up! Ladies and gentleman
Come in please ?
Some say they're aliens
Some say they're strangers
Some say they're on this world
We will not conform to the masses
Whether they are ? or whether they attack us
C'mon! C'mon
Welcome, to the freak show
Welcome to the freak show
Step up, status quo
Hope you enjoyed the ride
Welcome to the freak show
We got horns and halos
We ain't afraid and ain't buying a lie
Eat it, drink it, think it, be it, breathe it
Guess you don't even know who I am
I don't believe it, need it, see it, be it, breed it
Time to make my final stand
Welcome to the freak show
This is where the freaks go
This is the place that they can never take away
Welcome to the freak show
We don't ever need though
One to tell us who to be, how to feed
I don't care what they believe oh oh oh
Welcome to the freak show
Welcome to the outcast
Take a step across the tracks
We ain't got nothing to prove
Don't need your smiling face
Don't need your handshake
'Cause this is my life to live and I ain't living for you
Eat it, drink it, think it, be it, breathe it
Guess you don't even know who I am
I don't believe it, need it, see it, be it, breed it
Time to make my final stand
Welcome to the freak show
This is where the freaks go
This is the place that they can never take away
Welcome to the freak show
We don't ever need though
One to tell us who to be, how to think
I don't care what they believe oh oh oh
Welcome to the freak show
I'm a freak naturally
Just how I want to be
You're a freak just like me
I'm a freak naturally
Just how I want to be
You're a freak just like me
Welcome to the freak show
This is where the freaks go
This is the place that they can never take away
Welcome to the freak show
We don't ever need though
One to tell us who to be, how to think
I don't care what they believe
Freak show, freak show
The place that they can never take away
Freak show, freak show
The place that they can never take away
Oh oh oh welcome to the freak show
Oh oh oh welcome to the freak show
Come in please ?
Some say they're aliens
Some say they're strangers
Some say they're on this world
We will not conform to the masses
Whether they are ? or whether they attack us
C'mon! C'mon
Welcome, to the freak show
Welcome to the freak show
Step up, status quo
Hope you enjoyed the ride
Welcome to the freak show
We got horns and halos
We ain't afraid and ain't buying a lie
Eat it, drink it, think it, be it, breathe it
Guess you don't even know who I am
I don't believe it, need it, see it, be it, breed it
Time to make my final stand
Welcome to the freak show
This is where the freaks go
This is the place that they can never take away
Welcome to the freak show
We don't ever need though
One to tell us who to be, how to feed
I don't care what they believe oh oh oh
Welcome to the freak show
Welcome to the outcast
Take a step across the tracks
We ain't got nothing to prove
Don't need your smiling face
Don't need your handshake
'Cause this is my life to live and I ain't living for you
Eat it, drink it, think it, be it, breathe it
Guess you don't even know who I am
I don't believe it, need it, see it, be it, breed it
Time to make my final stand
Welcome to the freak show
This is where the freaks go
This is the place that they can never take away
Welcome to the freak show
We don't ever need though
One to tell us who to be, how to think
I don't care what they believe oh oh oh
Welcome to the freak show
I'm a freak naturally
Just how I want to be
You're a freak just like me
I'm a freak naturally
Just how I want to be
You're a freak just like me
Welcome to the freak show
This is where the freaks go
This is the place that they can never take away
Welcome to the freak show
We don't ever need though
One to tell us who to be, how to think
I don't care what they believe
Freak show, freak show
The place that they can never take away
Freak show, freak show
The place that they can never take away
Oh oh oh welcome to the freak show
Oh oh oh welcome to the freak show
Lyrics submitted by MusicFREAK20, edited by Allycattaylor, Royale01, gigi108604, Some_Guy105784
Freakshow [Bonus Track] Lyrics as written by Jason Toop Cooper Robert James Smith
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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More Featured Meanings
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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.
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.
Here's the intro (included with the lyrics with the cd) "Step right up! Ladies and gentlemen! Come and see things your eyes won't believe! Some say they're 'aliens'! Some say they are 'strangers'! Some say they're 'not of this world'! We will not conform to the masses whether they scorn or whether they attack us! Come one, come all! Welcome to the freak show!"
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2 This song has some similarities with one of their older songs, 'Alien Youth': "It's been confirmed that the aliens have landed... come all the freaks, let's go!"
It ties in nicely with songs like 'My Religion' and 'Sick of It' by denying the false perfection of (Sadly) much of the church culture today.
I think this whole album's message is that the 'freaks' the regular, fakey church people don't like are just as loved by Jesus and that they don't need rules and rituals to call him their Savior. We’re wounded, we’re tired of it all, we need the comfort of friends in this mess, we need someone to hold onto to live, the world is sick and loud, it makes us feel crazy. Is God there? He's the salvation we burn for. He’s there when we walk away. He’s all we need, He’s what we believe in.
It boils down to finding who you are in God because if you're following Him, who cares what anyone else thinks?