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.
Mister DJ won't you please play me a song?
Play it for an old boy who's a long, long way from home
With a thousand miles ahead and a thousand miles behind
A dollar in his pocket and a woman on his mind
You can pick out almost anything you choose
Play 'Sweet Home Alabama' or let Waylon sing the blues
I don't care what kind of music just as long as it sounds tough
Don't play any hurting songs 'cause I feel bad enough
Now don't get the wrong impression, I ain't meaning to complain
But it would be Sunday morning and I guess it had to rain
I was doing pretty good until I heard that darned old train
Going who knows where
And I guess the combination's got me feeling kinda low
And all I've got to cheer me up is this all night radio
Why don't you play us something hot and let this eighteen wheeler
Roll my blues away
Well, I called her from a phone booth in St. Paul
When I asked her if she loved me, I got no reply at all
And if that's the way she wants it, that's the way it's gonna be
It might hurt a little while but that's alright with me
I've been jamming gears and wondering what went wrong
And then I turned on my radio and I heard a country song
And it kinda keeps me moving, helps me roll on down the line
But when you played that hurting song I almost started crying
Willie drowned in 'Whiskey River' with Hank Jr's rowdy friends
The Oak Ridge Boys sang 'Elvira', Ricky played the mandolin
Them old boys from Alabama put the pedal to the metal
And let it roll, roll on
And I started feeling bad when George stopped loving her today
Why don't you let old Mickey Gilly get down on them eighty eight's
Come on and play us something hot and let this eighteen
Wheeler roll my blues away
Hey Mister DJ, hey Mister DJ
Hey Mister DJ, hey Mister DJ
Play it for an old boy who's a long, long way from home
With a thousand miles ahead and a thousand miles behind
A dollar in his pocket and a woman on his mind
You can pick out almost anything you choose
Play 'Sweet Home Alabama' or let Waylon sing the blues
I don't care what kind of music just as long as it sounds tough
Don't play any hurting songs 'cause I feel bad enough
Now don't get the wrong impression, I ain't meaning to complain
But it would be Sunday morning and I guess it had to rain
I was doing pretty good until I heard that darned old train
Going who knows where
And I guess the combination's got me feeling kinda low
And all I've got to cheer me up is this all night radio
Why don't you play us something hot and let this eighteen wheeler
Roll my blues away
Well, I called her from a phone booth in St. Paul
When I asked her if she loved me, I got no reply at all
And if that's the way she wants it, that's the way it's gonna be
It might hurt a little while but that's alright with me
I've been jamming gears and wondering what went wrong
And then I turned on my radio and I heard a country song
And it kinda keeps me moving, helps me roll on down the line
But when you played that hurting song I almost started crying
Willie drowned in 'Whiskey River' with Hank Jr's rowdy friends
The Oak Ridge Boys sang 'Elvira', Ricky played the mandolin
Them old boys from Alabama put the pedal to the metal
And let it roll, roll on
And I started feeling bad when George stopped loving her today
Why don't you let old Mickey Gilly get down on them eighty eight's
Come on and play us something hot and let this eighteen
Wheeler roll my blues away
Hey Mister DJ, hey Mister DJ
Hey Mister DJ, hey Mister DJ
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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