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.
What does the free fall feel like?
Asks the boy with a spark in his eye
Know why the nightingale sings?
Is the answer to everything
Taking a step to a world unbound
Spinning my fantasies all around
Freed from the gravital leash
I swear the heaven´s in my reach
Dancing with the spirit of the air
In this ocean so open and fair
Making love to the gods above
On my maiden voyage so bold
Landing safely to the blue lagoon
Don´t know if this is the earth or the moon
Joy of living is no more a mask
The Eden I found will forever last
Migrating with the geese
My soul has finally found peace
Doesn´t matter that man has no wings
As long as I hear the nightingale sing...
Asks the boy with a spark in his eye
Know why the nightingale sings?
Is the answer to everything
Taking a step to a world unbound
Spinning my fantasies all around
Freed from the gravital leash
I swear the heaven´s in my reach
Dancing with the spirit of the air
In this ocean so open and fair
Making love to the gods above
On my maiden voyage so bold
Landing safely to the blue lagoon
Don´t know if this is the earth or the moon
Joy of living is no more a mask
The Eden I found will forever last
Migrating with the geese
My soul has finally found peace
Doesn´t matter that man has no wings
As long as I hear the nightingale sing...
Lyrics submitted by Fistan
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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/
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.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
Indigo
Of Mice & Men
Of Mice & Men
This track is about is about questioning why the sky would choose to be blue if it had the choice to be anything else, “blue also meaning sad,” states frontman Aaron Pauley. “It's about comforting a loved one in a time of loss by telling them you feel blue, too.”
I disagree with you Emej. I saw the same interview, but i think his sister's answer and most importantly Tuomas's interpretation of what happened are different from what you said.
Here's a little more detail on what was said in the interview. Tuomas's sister was very into parachuting and did it a lot, which made Tuomas (a boy at the time) curious, so he asked her why she spent so much time in that. She replied with a question "why does the nightingale sing?"
The nightingale sings because it's what it lives for, it's what fulfills it and makes it feel alive. Just like Tuomas's sister with parachuting. This is all given with a very happy and inspiring undertone, which is reflected clearly in the lyrics and the music.
I think your explanation was lacking that aspect, which, to me, is what makes this song so amazing.
The song is about Tuomas finally being able to make music and to write "poems" as he calls them. It sounds like the view from someone writing for the first time who takes "a step to a world unbound/Spinning my fantasies all around". Knowing why the nightingale sings is like knowing why the writer writes.
Know why nobody posted any comment here
this reminds me of Peter Pan for some reason.
Reminds me of Romeo and Juliet
Nice toughs, Zughiaq. At first time it reminded me on Petar Pan, but this is very interesting view.
Anybody thought about Cinderella ? I mean, in the Disney's version, there's a carol sung by Cindy (at least in the french version) which gives in English : "Sing, Nightingale, sing (2*) Aaaaah...in the night" Don't know if english lyrics look like that.
Nightingale male bird sings at night to call female nightingales, to do.. something...
This song fills me with hope, after listening to it i feel as though i could do anything!
this sure is a happy song!