This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
ellen and ben
they met at someone's house warming party
they didn't like each other at first
but i was still there
i heard them talking as they found their raincoats
they made a date expecting the worst
ellen went home
she made a snack and went up on her rooftop
and didn't think about ben at all
she stayed up for hours
just watching all the drunk folks find their taxis
because all in all it was a good night
soco in bed
a sunny sunday watching john mclaughlin
and having sex again and again
i stopped by
because ellen had my copy of nebraska
they never even put on their clothes
hung for a while
but everytime i tried to ask them something
they started making out again
i thought it was rude
i couldn't tell you why
ellen and ben
they may as well have run off to havana
and simply dissapeared for a year
they show up at shows
but less and less and saying 'hi' to no one
and why they ever came wasn't clear
they got a new place
but neither of their names were in the phonebook
so no one really knew where they were
i thought it was cheap
but i couldn't tell you why
when i was ten
i had this book of modern fighter planes
with f15s and MiGs
that and a bowl of Breyer's Mint Chip was life at its apex
the chewing of pens
the ocean city girls out on the boardwalk singing oh oh oh yeah yeah yeah
ellen and ben
i heard they broke up loudly at a wedding
and never saw each other again
it seems kind of weird
they made each other feel like they could die but
they couldn't stay the slightest of friends
well i'm doing fine
i'm staying busy hanging with my nephew
and trying to keep my eyes on the prize
you know how it goes
and so do i so call me if you can now
you know how i love a surprise
they met at someone's house warming party
they didn't like each other at first
but i was still there
i heard them talking as they found their raincoats
they made a date expecting the worst
ellen went home
she made a snack and went up on her rooftop
and didn't think about ben at all
she stayed up for hours
just watching all the drunk folks find their taxis
because all in all it was a good night
soco in bed
a sunny sunday watching john mclaughlin
and having sex again and again
i stopped by
because ellen had my copy of nebraska
they never even put on their clothes
hung for a while
but everytime i tried to ask them something
they started making out again
i thought it was rude
i couldn't tell you why
ellen and ben
they may as well have run off to havana
and simply dissapeared for a year
they show up at shows
but less and less and saying 'hi' to no one
and why they ever came wasn't clear
they got a new place
but neither of their names were in the phonebook
so no one really knew where they were
i thought it was cheap
but i couldn't tell you why
when i was ten
i had this book of modern fighter planes
with f15s and MiGs
that and a bowl of Breyer's Mint Chip was life at its apex
the chewing of pens
the ocean city girls out on the boardwalk singing oh oh oh yeah yeah yeah
ellen and ben
i heard they broke up loudly at a wedding
and never saw each other again
it seems kind of weird
they made each other feel like they could die but
they couldn't stay the slightest of friends
well i'm doing fine
i'm staying busy hanging with my nephew
and trying to keep my eyes on the prize
you know how it goes
and so do i so call me if you can now
you know how i love a surprise
Lyrics submitted by plosion, edited by peanutbuttermerkin
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More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
This song is definately not stream of conciousness writing. Why would Travis include the part about his childhood? Why would he include the end portion about himself? Who is the "you" he is refering to in the last verse? Why would the person ask how he is doing? I think that the narrator was in love with Ellen and was majorly bummed out when she hooked with Ben. This would explain why he would bother telling this story and why he would update us on his status at the end of the song. Keeping his eyes on the prize and off of love. Springsteen sucks. Maybe the "you" at the end is Ellen or some other person. If not Ellen then who? Any ideas?