Lyric discussion by VinceBooth 

Cover art for No One Knows lyrics by Queens of the Stone Age

I think it's about drug use personally.

The first few lines, "We get some rules to follow/that and this these and those/no one knows" Seem to talk about the arbitrary rules of society that serve no purpose, in this case probably the condemnation of drug use. The use of "no one knows" seem to hint that most people go along with these rules because no one knows any better or bothers to question it.

The second bit "We get these pills to swallow/how they stick in your throat/taste like gold/oh what you do to me/no one knows" Seems pretty like pretty blatant drug use, talking about how doing it can be unpleasant (how they stick in your throat) but ultimately are very enjoyable (taste like gold/oh what you do to me) and the repeating "no one knows" to signify he's going through this experimentation and that he doesn't think any one can understand his reasons.

The chorus "I realize you're mine/indeed a fool am I" sounds to me like the writer is saying he's realized that this drug is his addiction now and he's a fool for getting started on it in the first place.

Next verse, "I journey through the desert/of the mind with no hope/I follow" I think this is about withdrawal journeying through the desert of the mind seems to hint that this journey is self inflicted, with no hope of recovery. I follow seems like he's going back to the drug.

"I drift along the ocean/dead life boat in the sun/and come undone/pleasantly caving in/I come undone." Sounds like withdrawal again, again without much hope for success comparing it to being in a life boat in the endless ocean under the hot sun, which leads him to "come undone" forcing him back to his old ways. "Pleasantly caving in/I come undone" seems to say that he's happy that he caved into his addiction.

Another chorus, same as before

The last bit "Heaven smiles above me/what a gift here below/but no one knows/the gift you give to me/no one knows" To me it sounds like he's talking about the drug being a gift from heaven here on earth but only he seem to be aware of the awesome gift. "The gift that you give to me" could be referencing a drug dealer or he could be speaking to the drug itself. "No one knows" reinforcing that no one else understands what he's going through and why he keeps coming back.

My Interpretation

Howdy. I would say that you are absolutely correct and I couldn't have posted a better interpretation myself. Fantastic expression....and I lived that song once

one thing...."no one knows".....I was a hydrocodone/percocet daily hardcore user and "no one knew" which was a great cover up 'cause when I was a heavy drinker before the substitution "every one knew"

one more just to add...."we get these rules to follow"....I could perceive as the inserts that come with the prescription bottle that says "take 1 tablet 3 times a day" that I always interpereted as "eat all you want, you pcp will give you more because we pay him incentive bonuses to do so" "tastes like gold" hehehehe.....