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.
Tell me everything that happened
Tell me everything you saw
They had lights inside their eyes
They had lights inside their eyes
Did you see the closing window?
Did you hear the slamming door?
They moved forward and my heart died
They moved forward and my heart died
Please, please tell me what they looked like
Did they seem afraid of you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
It's hard to know they're out there
It's hard to know that you still care
I could say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
Dead hearts are everywhere
Dead hearts are everywhere
Did you touch them, did you hold them?
Did they follow you to town?
They make me feel I'm falling down
They make me feel I'm falling down
Was there one you saw too clearly?
Did they seem too real to you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew.
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
It's hard to know they're out there
It's hard to know that you still care
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
Dead hearts are everywhere
Dead hearts are everywhere
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
It's hard to know they're out there
It's hard to know that you still care
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
Dead hearts are everywhere
Dead hearts are everywhere
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
Now they're all dead hearts to you
Now they're all dead hearts to you
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
Now they're all dead hearts to you
Tell me everything you saw
They had lights inside their eyes
They had lights inside their eyes
Did you see the closing window?
Did you hear the slamming door?
They moved forward and my heart died
They moved forward and my heart died
Please, please tell me what they looked like
Did they seem afraid of you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
It's hard to know they're out there
It's hard to know that you still care
I could say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
Dead hearts are everywhere
Dead hearts are everywhere
Did you touch them, did you hold them?
Did they follow you to town?
They make me feel I'm falling down
They make me feel I'm falling down
Was there one you saw too clearly?
Did they seem too real to you?
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew.
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
It's hard to know they're out there
It's hard to know that you still care
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
Dead hearts are everywhere
Dead hearts are everywhere
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
It's hard to know they're out there
It's hard to know that you still care
I can say it but you won't believe me
You say you do but you don't deceive me
Dead hearts are everywhere
Dead hearts are everywhere
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
Now they're all dead hearts to you
Now they're all dead hearts to you
They were kids that I once knew
They were kids that I once knew
Now they're all dead hearts to you
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More Featured Meanings
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
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.
Zombie
Cranberries, The
Cranberries, The
"Zombie" is about the ethno-political conflict in Ireland. This is obvious if you know anything of the singer (Dolores O'Riordan)'s Irish heritage and understood the "1916" Easter Rising reference.
"Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
-
Another mother's breaking
Heart is taking over"
Laments the Warrington bomb attacks in which two children were fatally injured on March 23rd, 1993. Twelve year old Tim Parry was taken off life support with permission from his mother after five days in the hospital, virtually braindead.
"But you see it's not me
It's not my family"
References how people who are not directly involved with the violence feel about it. They are "zombies" without sympathy who refuse to take action while others suffer.
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.”
In a literal sense, the words of this song portray the female singer being consoled by the male singer after she has apparently had an encounter with ghosts. (Fittingly, as the opening track to a CD called “Five Ghosts” that often invokes imagery of the dead) Personally I imagine it being a foggy dusk, in a small rural town. The male character is eagerly trying to piece together what it is that she saw in her encounter, but she is seemingly shaken — if you’ll notice, she is not actually answering his questions, but speaking out to seemingly no one, as if still in shocked daze. She describes the ghosts as being visions of children she once knew, with “light” in their eyes, and she details the feelings of death and despair that came over her. The chorus talks about “they” (ghosts, or “dead hearts”) being out there, but insists most people fail to recognize it or believe in them.
A few of the lines make it clear that this ‘supernatural experience’ is actually a metaphor. “It’s hard to know that you still care,” “Now they’re all dead hearts to you,” etc. The dead hearts represent the narrator having a stirring reflection about the meaningful people and things from her past that she has realized are now “dead” to her. Various people in whose eyes she once saw “light,” the people who once had vibrant, meaningful presences in her life — they have faded over years into distant memories. The song’s meaning is effectively that there are many people you lose and places you leave over a lifetime — sometimes purposefully, sometimes drifting away slowly or unintentionally — and that those dead hearts and forever lost feelings haunt everyone should they choose to realize and reflect upon them.
There's funny symbols in the text, is anyone else facing this problem?
I am 26 and I suffer from Avoidant Personality disorder (wikipedia has a fairly simple explanation about exactly what APD is. and lists the symptoms people suffering from it exhibit, and I exhibit all but one of them (the fear of touch I don't mind that so much). In short though; it means I am terrified of going out in public, but wish with all my heart to have a significant other and experience all the things most people my age take for granted.) As well as to freely and happily spend time with my friends. I've had it for a long time, but as of the last 3 years it has become clinically severe, and I've lost touch with pretty much all of my friends because of it.
I'm not sharing that personal problem to fish for sympathy believe me. I just feel that knowing those things about me will help you to understand the way I view these lyrics:
Tell me everything that happened Tell me everything you saw -I'll go over any sort of conversation I've had with people and dissect it over and over looking for ways I made a fool out of myself, it's almost a form of self torture one that never really stops.
They had light inside their eyes -"They" are my friends and loved ones, and the light inside their eyes is the passion every young adult experiences for life when venturing out on their own, something I am simply too terrified to do.
Did you see the closing window? Did you hear the slamming door? They moved forward, my heart died -the closing window and slamming door are all the opportunities I have missed out on. "Moving forward" is just that, they have mostly moved on with their lives without me (I know it's my own fault, not theirs, please don't misunderstand me) and "my heart died" is pretty straightforward as well. Knowing they're all so happy without me breaks my heart over and over again
Oh please tell me what they looked like Did they seem afraid of you? They were kids that I once knew -the kids again representing friends and how they are almost strangers to me at this point as I no longer know them.
I could say it but you wont believe me -my disorder is hard to understand, and because of this I get people telling me to just snap out of it and to go out there and do something instead of moping around and cutting myself off from others. It's tough love on their part but I am so terrified of confrontation that I always agree with them and make hollow promises to do just what they suggest. This has happened so many times that I know they don't believe me and are almost at wits end.
You say you do but you don't deceive me -Compliments, I never feel like anyone truly means them, they simply want to try to cheer me up. Part of me knows that most probably are simply compliments but I can't convince myself no matter how I try.
It's hard to know they're out there -My friends, again, they are out there every day enjoying life while I close myself off more and more and escape into fantasy to try and bury my overwhelming sadness. And that only works for so long.
It's hard to know that you still care -Family, they try to talk to me because they do care about me, and I feel that I've let them down so many times that I hate what I'm putting them through.
I could say it but you wont believe me You say you do but you don't deceive me Dead hearts are everywhere -other people suffer from similar social phobias. and it saddens me deeply to think that other people are just as miserable as I am.
Did you touch them? Did you hold them? -Love, I want more than anything to experience it, but I can't convince myself to even try, simply out of fear.
Did they follow you to town? They make me feel I'm falling down -Seeing couples together; whether it be in the real world or even film has gotten to the point where there is so much envy that it just hurts too much to watch that I just can't do it anymore.
in conclusion: I know I'm reading way way way into these lyrics; and most of my interpretations are probably way off, and to be frank maybe even a little self centered of me and I'm just throwing myself a "pity party." but, Everytime I listen to this It brings these feelings to the surface immediatly and I can't help it but to cry. I want to cry I, why? Well I read somewhere that crying is the body's way of dumping the excess hormones that are overwhelming the person and help them to calm down. It makes sense to me and I am so miserable that I'll do almost anything to be rid of this constant strain. As a guy admitting to crying, let alone wanting to cry is a humiliating thing to admit to. But, despite that it is true, it is me at my core and I really just needed somewhere to say these things.
I'm probably going to immediately regret sharing this with people on the internet, since in my experience a large group of people love to antagonize and belittle others for sharing deep feelings. At this point, rock bottom isn't too far down anymore, so what's the use of keeping these feelings in anymore? I just hope to finally get someone to understand how I feel and maybe share their own views on my interpretation of this beautiful and saddening song.
Thank you.
A very moving story. Really enjoyed reading this in an odd way. I made an account just so I could comment on this. Anyways I can't quite imagine what your going through but I'm glad you shared this and I got to read it. I can't remember the last time I read something like this that touched me on such a personal level. :D
I made an account too, to reply and I cried when reading this because everything thing you said relates to me. I have been coping through this for a really long time mainly through being kind to everyone. I read something a while ago about loving everyone as if shining your love like the sun shines light on everyone. And the process of seeing other people happy makes me happy. I hope this passes over. :)
I made an account to reply to this because this is a very touching story. People come up to me and ask me for help all the time. And i wanted to share some ideas with you because i feel that this may help you.<br /> <br /> You said your scared of going out in public? Well, i was scared of the dark. Not just scared of the dark, the things in the dark also which i couldn't see. And i got over this fear by putting myself in the fear. I went into a cemetery at night and even though i was scared i told myself not to give in because it would only make me weaker. And then i thought of an idea. I said to myself... everyone has fears, and there will be someone who is also scared of the dark and the things in it, And if your both in the dark at the same time... you are both scared of each other. So what i tried to mentally put into my mind is... if i was to not be scared and not fear them and just let them fear me, i will be stronger then them. And eventually over time i got so used to being in the dark i attually enjoyed it and started to just conjure my fear. <br /> <br /> What you need to do is simple. Find somewhere to run to. say outside your house theres a lamp post, run to it and then run back to your house. Keep doing this untill you eventually start to walk it... then you have already made a bit of progress. Then you can try walking to the shop. And once your in the shop... to buy something and talk to the person serving you. Then you have achieved so much just from doing that. I know fighting a fear is hard... but if you dont it will consume you like it has done to you already. That is why its even harder for you to beat this. You must of heard of the saying "what doesnt kill you can only make you stronger" This applies to this... going outside wont kill you if your careful, and setting yourself little challenges to try beat this will be good for you... even if it makes your heart race.<br /> <br /> When i was reading your story i felt sorry for you. Not because your scared of going out in public, because you let a fear consume you. And the fear you feel has beaten you.<br /> <br /> Im also writing because the song you described was very good... and i respect the way you told everyone your feelings even though you felt like people might pity you.<br /> <br /> Just push yourself and you will succeeded.<br /> <br /> Good Luck.
Some say life's meaningless but the meaning of life is what you make it out to be. The only real meaning of life I can think of is to struggle and survive. We derive some satisfactions from these things, and build around us a place filled with people that we love. We survive not only for ourselves, but the ones who love and care for us. And in the environment we live in, there are other complex organisms that live and struggle in their own way too. We are all just creatures in the savage garden trying to carve out a nitch for ourselves. We argue semantics, philosophy, and law because we don't know who we are, what we're set out to do, and how we're supposed to go about doing it.<br /> <br /> Sure we're all fascinated with how the story ends; some of us guess how it ends, others state they don't know, a good amount of people don't care, and some people jump straight to the ending. But there's no reason not to enjoy the middle of the story, the struggle and survival, because in this we see how people can change for the better and worse, the rise and fall of empires, the evolution of language, scientific discoveries, how effective different forms of government are, and many other things. There is so much going on out there that we sometimes don't have time to comprehend it all.<br /> <br /> Life is happening, and your own meaning is out there. But to find it you have to get out there, live, and never fucking stop; no matter how difficult it might seem. Experience new things and meet new people; go on a hike, try out different hobbies, learn a new thing every day, go to the library, smile at strangers and start conversations on the street, etc. If you see someone wearing fan merchandise from something you know /think is cool, approach them about it. I've walked down the street and told ladies that I thought their babies were cute, 8/10 times they'll smile at me. <br /> <br /> There's always will be some beautiful and bright interpretation to something seemingly chaotic. In the middle of a hurricane is the eye of the storm. <br /> <br /> This song is like that. These people are getting back together after some have moved forward. But even though it's hard to know they're out there, hard to know they still care, and all these kids have become dead hearts, they can still be together. <br /> <br /> They can make a new beginning, and fix these broken hearts; never as good as new, but fixed enough to glow brightly with love.
Your interpretation is very similar to mine, though I don't have APD. (I have Depression and Anxiety.) Maybe I'll do a separate post about it...
@Avantan I'm really sorry, that must be super tough. Sharing it on the internet is a good idea, actually, because I s'pose that's not as intimidating.
@Avantan I understand you, I wish I could make you feel better somehow I hate see people sad, and I wish you didn't had to get through this, not alone. I really identified myself in your comment, cause I feel that way. I feel like I'm leaving too many chances in the past and not doing anything to try to help myself.<br /> It's sad because I feel so much miserable, and I don't know where I'm going with all of these stuff gong on in my life.
@Avantan I also made an account just to comment. I feel like your interpritation is amazingly moving. I don't have APD but I do suffer from schizophrenia and paranoia and let's just say that keeping relationships is hard when you're schizophrenic.. In my case at least. I appreciate your strength to type that all out. I read a response of someone else's and in no means do I say this to be rude to them, but sometimes putting yourself in your fears is destructive, especially with disorders fueling them. Don't try to force neurotypical health onto yourself, you can't help your disorder.
@Avantan . It's been a while since I read a quite long article. And once I finish it, It must be very special. I don't think what you are is pathetic. People doesn't normally make accounts just to reply to somebody. With this, I think you're very special - a wonder. I know this post of yours was back on 2012, but, it's still feels as fresh as the sunrise for me. I may not have APD, but I can relate being an introvert. You have a talent for writing here. Focus on that. You don't have to be like anybody else. Trust me. Find your passion and calling. I have a feeling that you are truly in lined with writing. And who knows, in the near future, .. we'll be seeing your works on New York Times Best Sellers. :)<br /> Take care always. God bless! <3
@Avantan You are so brave to share this interpretation online, and I can tell you that interpretations of songs can never be wrong. What are intepretations anyway? They are just all based on our own experiences and what we've been through, and i think being able to see ourselves through songs is beautiful :).<br /> And to be honest I actually teared up reading your interpretation, although I've never met you and probably never will. The way you express yourself and your feelings through words is just so real and touching. And I guess you can also see from other replies that you are being understood, if you've read them :).<br /> In fact your interpretation is what I think of when I listen to this song now. I don't know if you will see this comment, because I'm replying to your past from five years into the future. But I just hope that you'll be happy.<br />
I feel that it's about the past. The "ghosts" and "dead hearts" are the dreams, people and even your old self.
"They were kids that i once knew... Now they're all dead hearts to you" - seems to be a loss of childhood, or innocence that you once had that you long for again. They are dead because that old you no longer exeist
<3 this song
I think this is a couple after a failed relationship one goes back to the apartment they lived in a goes back to places they went too and remembers the memories and sees "ghosts of their past"
Tell me everything that happened Tell me everything you saw
She claimed to see ghosts of the past and told a friend.
They had light inside their eyes
Describing how lit up they looked and how happy they seemed
Did you see the closing window? Did you hear the slamming door?
The couple had a fight and the boy walked out angry and slammed a door, they're asking if that is what she saw.
They moved forward, my heart died
The boy moved on in the relationship and it broke her heart
Oh please tell me what they looked like Did they seem afraid of you?
Did it really look like the past to her, did it scare her
They were kids that I once knew
I was their past and she is calling them "kids" like they were just "kids in love"
I could say it but you wont believe me You say you do but you don't deceive me
He doesn't want to admit it but she is just extremely heart broken and she says she can handel it but he knows she is still hurt
It's hard to know they're out there It's hard to know that you still care
She knows he is still out there but she thinks he is completely over her
Dead hearts are everywhere
She can see how everyone has a broken heart some how
Did you touch them? Did you hold them? Did they follow you to town?
they're asking if she saw them out and about
They make me feel I'm falling down
She feels sad and upset and like she is crumbling when she see's her happy past
Was there one you saw too clearly? Did they seem too real to you?
Was there one memory she remembered really clearly that almost feel like it was too real to be true.
They were kids that I once knew Now they're all dead hearts to you.
She is talking about how they were just kids back then, but now they're just a dead and past relationship to everyone, but it's still real to her.
Wow, your interpretation was really deep and well thought out. I enjoyed yours the best, it gave the song a whole new meaning for me. <br /> <br /> Cool beans.
I totally agree with Browns0286. I particularly love the "did you hear the closing windows/doors" lines. The endings of relationships and times of life are always difficult, especially when others move on and you are left behind with nothing or you are still living like before but everything has actually changed. ("They moved forward my heart died")
For me this song is about two current lovers talking about their first true love/crushes, and how they still care for them deeply.
Tell me everything that happened Tell me everything you saw They had light inside their eyes
The boy asks her to tell him everything about the person she loved, what they saw in them, etc. She replys that they had an inner fire, a passion that she loved.
Did you see the closing window? Did you hear the slamming door? They moved forward, my heart died
The boy asks if she saw the breakup coming, did she realize that it was going to end. She says that after they left her, her heart was broken and died.
Oh please tell me what they looked like Did they seem afraid of you? They were kids that I once knew
The boy wants to know more about the other person, what they looked like, if they were afraid of a committed relationship.
I could say it but you wont believe me You say you do but you don't deceive me It's hard to know they're out there It's hard to know that you still care
He could tell her that he loves her and will always be there for her, but her heart has already been broken by someone who had said the same thing, and doesn't believe him. She can say that she truly loves him, and is over the former lover, but she still cares for her first love. It's hard to live with the fact that a person you love is living a life, but not with you, and that you will always love them.
I could say it but you wont believe me You say you do but you don't deceive me Dead hearts are everywhere
Did you touch them? Did you hold them? Did they follow you to town? They make me feel I'm falling down
The boy asks how intimate they got, did he follow her around and spend a lot of time with her. She says she got the rush you feel when you're with someone you love, the dizzying almost dreamlike feeling.
Was there one you saw too clearly? Did they seem too real to you?
When you have a crush and keep your distance you tend to idealize them instead of finding out who they really are, so when you finally start to get to know them, those ideals fall short and you stop loving them.
They were kids that I once knew Now they're all dead hearts to you.
@infernowing overall I like your thoughts. Similar to my thinking. The "it's hard to know they're out there...it's hard to know you still care" to me it feels more than someone talking about ghosts in a paranormal sense. Seems more likely this is about failed relationships symbolized by the "dead hearts" line.
I agree with Browns0286 as well but I also think it could be some sort of reflection of the self..as if you were remembering everything that happened before the glass of what you thought life was shattered, when you still had light (hope) in your eyes, when everyone was still hopeful and everything was so much easier before.
While pondering you ask yourself if you even saw it all coming, if you even saw the windows being closed and the doors being shut by the people that you loved, who moved forward without you.
What was it like? What did they look like? And you think, you once knew them so well, as if like children, when you were so optimistic about everything, then when everything ends you find that you now know nothing about them or even yourself at all.
People call you out on it, but you keep denying that you still care about them or that you're alright. But it's all just dead, lifeless hearts walking around you. Yours may be one as well.
ghosts of your pasts maybe as well?
Wow - this is a really good interpretation. It hadn't occurred to me that she could also be talking about her young selves. That's arguably an even more sad meaning for the song.
I always thought it was about living people with dead hearts, people who used to have dreams but never really got the chance to fulfill them. "Kids that I once knew" makes it all the more painful if you knew these people personally; you knew what they wanted in life and are sad that they didn't get it. "It's hard to know they're out there, It's hard to know that you still care" could mean that you don't really recognize these people anymore ("once knew") and that they've become pretty apathetic; perhaps they've accepted that this is the most their lives will ever amount to. With their hearts dead, maybe they're just waiting for the rest of their selves to die.
Completely and totally Stars. I can't wait for "The Five Ghosts" and "The Seance"!! I am so excited to hear what Stars is going to blow me away with this time.
this is perfect. i'm all teary eyed.