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.
Frank zappa (lead guitar, vocals)
Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Ray white (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Bob harris (boy soprano, trumpet)
Steve vai (guitar)
Tommy mars (keyboards)
Arthur barrow (bass)
Ed mann (percussion)
David ocker (clarinet, bass clarinet)
Motorhead sherwood (tenor saxophone, vocals)
Denny walley (slide guitar, vocals)
David logeman (drums)
Craig steward (harmonica)
Jimmy carl black (vocals)
Ahmet zappa (vocals)
Moon zappa (vocals)
We must say good-bye
There's no need for you to cry
It's better that I tell you this tonight
Our affair has been quite heated
You thought I was what you needed
But the time has come, my darlin'
To set things right, 'cause
I'll be harder than yer husband
To get along with
Harder than yer husband every night
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer husband
An' I don't want our love affair
To end with a fight
You been like a little angel
How you loved me
I appreciate the warmth of your embrace
Well, the world don't need to know
How I adored you
But there's somethin' I must tell you, darlin'
Face to face...
I'll be harder than yer husband
To get along with
Harder than yer husband every night
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer husband
An' I don't want our love affair
To end with a fight
So it's adios, adios, my little darlin'
(adios my little darlin'...)
Gotta go now...
Keep that hankie that I gave you for
When you cry
There are things that trouble me
And I'm sure that you must see
That it breaks my heart the same as yours
When we say good-bye
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...much, much, much
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...much, much, much
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...much, much, much
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...
Ike willis (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Ray white (rhythm guitar, vocals)
Bob harris (boy soprano, trumpet)
Steve vai (guitar)
Tommy mars (keyboards)
Arthur barrow (bass)
Ed mann (percussion)
David ocker (clarinet, bass clarinet)
Motorhead sherwood (tenor saxophone, vocals)
Denny walley (slide guitar, vocals)
David logeman (drums)
Craig steward (harmonica)
Jimmy carl black (vocals)
Ahmet zappa (vocals)
Moon zappa (vocals)
We must say good-bye
There's no need for you to cry
It's better that I tell you this tonight
Our affair has been quite heated
You thought I was what you needed
But the time has come, my darlin'
To set things right, 'cause
I'll be harder than yer husband
To get along with
Harder than yer husband every night
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer husband
An' I don't want our love affair
To end with a fight
You been like a little angel
How you loved me
I appreciate the warmth of your embrace
Well, the world don't need to know
How I adored you
But there's somethin' I must tell you, darlin'
Face to face...
I'll be harder than yer husband
To get along with
Harder than yer husband every night
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer husband
An' I don't want our love affair
To end with a fight
So it's adios, adios, my little darlin'
(adios my little darlin'...)
Gotta go now...
Keep that hankie that I gave you for
When you cry
There are things that trouble me
And I'm sure that you must see
That it breaks my heart the same as yours
When we say good-bye
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...much, much, much
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...much, much, much
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...much, much, much
Harder than yer husband
Harder than yer...
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Harder than your husband in what way exactly!!
To get along with, of course. What are you, some kind of pervert?
It's about an adulterous relationship coming to an end and the lover threatening to be as obnoxious as possible to get on with as a person in order to extricate himself from the relationship
Zappa was one wacked out dude. Obviously this song can have two meanings, but the bottom line is that he used the married woman for sex. His arrogance about the hankie is obnoxious.