In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
We're gettin' no place fast as we can
Get a noseful from our so-called friends
We're gettin' nowhere quick as we know how
We whirl from town to town treatment bound
First thing we do when we finally pull up
Get shitface drunk try to sober up
There'll be no pose tonight no money in sight
Label wants a hit and we don't give a shit
Cause where gettin' no place as fast as we can
We get a noseful from our so-called friends
We're gettin' nowhere quick as we know how
We whirl from town to town Duluth to Madison
Treatment bound
Gettin' nowhere
(keep goin')
Second thing we do is walk around
Goto the job or try to hold one down
There's no mass appeal carton's asleep at the wheel
Yesterday's trash too bored to thrash
We're gettin' nowhere fast as we can
We got a noseful of them so-called friends
We're gettin no place as quick as we know how
We're gettin' nowhere what will we do now?
Take it, Scotty
Tommy: One of the chords at that one part you just fucked it up
Paul: Fucked 'em up
Get a noseful from our so-called friends
We're gettin' nowhere quick as we know how
We whirl from town to town treatment bound
First thing we do when we finally pull up
Get shitface drunk try to sober up
There'll be no pose tonight no money in sight
Label wants a hit and we don't give a shit
Cause where gettin' no place as fast as we can
We get a noseful from our so-called friends
We're gettin' nowhere quick as we know how
We whirl from town to town Duluth to Madison
Treatment bound
Gettin' nowhere
(keep goin')
Second thing we do is walk around
Goto the job or try to hold one down
There's no mass appeal carton's asleep at the wheel
Yesterday's trash too bored to thrash
We're gettin' nowhere fast as we can
We got a noseful of them so-called friends
We're gettin no place as quick as we know how
We're gettin' nowhere what will we do now?
Take it, Scotty
Tommy: One of the chords at that one part you just fucked it up
Paul: Fucked 'em up
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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.
Plastic Bag
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“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.
I can't believe no one has commented on this song yet. It's so sincere. I just love Paul's vocal delivery, especially on this song. Everything about it just smacks of hopeless optimism. This song so perfectly captures the essence and spirit of the 'Mats.
I love the delivery of this song too. It's so raw, shambolic and probably drunken.
Timeless