No Surprises
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache
With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)
The lyrics of Radiohead's song No Surprises are a haunting portrayal of the monotony and routine of everyday life, a life that seemingly holds no excitement or joy. The opening lines with "a heart that's full like a landfill" reads as though the singer is burdened by the weight of their life and the things that don't make them happy. The next line reads "a job that slowly kills you" and it is clear that the singer's job is not bringing them any sense of satisfaction, as is shown by the line "bruises that won't heal." The singer is visibly unhappy and looks so "tired and unhappy."
The next lines suggest that the only way out of this unhappiness is by bringing down the government, as the government doesn't speak for the people. However, the singer reconciles that this isn't a feasible solution for them and instead chooses to take a "quiet life" filled with "no alarms and no surprises" and a "handshake of carbon monoxide." This suggests a desire for a peaceful death.
The final verse talks about a "pretty house" and "pretty garden" that seemingly aren't enough for the singer. The repetition of the lines "no alarms and no surprises" and "get me out of here" reinforce the singer's longing for escape from this bleak existence, one they find neither fulfilling nor satisfying.
Line by Line Meaning
A heart that's full up like a landfill
My heart is weighed down with garbage, like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
My job is slowly draining the life out of me
Bruises that won't heal
The emotional wounds I've suffered won't go away
You look so tired, unhappy
You appear worn out and miserable
Bring down the government
It's time to overthrow the oppressive government
They don't, they don't speak for us
The government doesn't represent or care about us
I'll take a quiet life
I long for a peaceful existence
A handshake of carbon monoxide
Death by poisoning seems like an easier way out
And no alarms and no surprises
I just want life to be predictable and without any unexpected shocks
No alarms and no surprises
I really mean it, no shocking revelations please
No alarms and no surprises
It's not a joke, I don't want any alarming or surprising news
Silent, silent
Please, just peace and quiet
This is my final fit
This is my ultimate episode of frustration
My final bellyache with
The last of my complaints, ever
No alarms and no surprises
I repeat: No sudden events or startling revelations
No alarms and no surprises
Seriously, I'm being totally straightforward
No alarms and no surprises, please
For the last time, I am begging you not to make things complicated or difficult
Such a pretty house
Everything looks great on the surface
And such a pretty garden
The exterior doesn't reveal the internal turmoil
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
Please, no shock or turmoil. I need to leave this place
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
I am serious about wanting no drama, I need to get out of this situation
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)
I will do anything to avoid turmoil, so please let me leave
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Me me
The way i interpret the lyrics: ; Once excitement of youthful perspective,, hopes, dreams are broken, into an almost nihilistic acceptance of patterns world, we coast,….. become a part of the dull hum we swore we never would become part of. Time pulls us forward, wears and tears until we accept. Can not fight against the current yet knowing we swore we would never.
@FrostTheBlueDemon
Lyrics in case someone hasn’t posted it
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent
Silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
Please
@PaolaGuercia-ve2gj
READ THE GOSPEL OF JESUS!!!
HE REALLY SAVED ME!!!!
HE IS ALIVE!!!
I KNOW
HIS REAL WORD WILL SAVE YOU!
BUY HIS ***ORIGINAL GOSPEL
NOT THAT ONE THAT THE WORLD BELIEVE,
AND DO IT!
YOU WILL SEE!
YOU WILL SEE!
LET GOD AND JESUS SAVE YOU.
@RyanLivesForGodAlways
God loves y’all, have a great night or day and be safe, Jesus is King! read the Bible! and Give thanks to God! And credit to God also! and tell others about the Lord our God! the Most High! Amen!
Proverbs 24:34 - and proverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man. Amen!
Proverbs 22:24 - 25
24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
25
or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared. Amen!
@RyanLivesForGodAlways
@@welsyia God loves y’all, have a great night or day and be safe, Jesus is King! read the Bible! and Give thanks to God! And credit to God also! and tell others about the Lord our God! the Most High! Amen!
Proverbs 24:34 - and proverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man. Amen!
Proverbs 22:24 - 25
24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
25
or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared. Amen!
@RyanLivesForGodAlways
@@nobodynose123 God loves y’all, have a great night or day and be safe, Jesus is King! read the Bible! and Give thanks to God! And credit to God also! and tell others about the Lord our God! the Most High! Amen!
Proverbs 24:34 - and proverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man. Amen!
Proverbs 22:24 - 25
24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
25
or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared. Amen!
@gelialba
🖤LYRICS
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache
With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)
@mondayjohn8605
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent
Silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
@angelscupboard
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache
With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
@Flashrock705
July 2024.
I come back to this song every time I feel sad or lonely (which is
happening more lately).
I'm blind, so for me I rely entirely on the music, since if I didn't
have everyone's comments to go on, I wouldn't have a clue what's
happening in the video.
Speaking of comments, it's so interesting to me to read everyone's views
on a song. Even when X artist gives Y meaning to Z song, I love how
every person can still take their own interpretation from it.
For me, this song is somebody's internal dialogue. They are
disillusioned with life, they want things to just be peaceful, and
happy. "I'll take a quiet life." Coupled with the fact the word "Plese"
is repeated several times. They are just so "tired" of being "unhappy"
and they have this longing for things to change.
I'm extremely fortunate that I have a loving family, and a couple
incredibly close friends, but the thing I yearn for the most is a deep,
intimate and emotional connection with somebody. Yes, that horrible 'r'
word: romance. I'm not going to go into details in the comments section
of a YouTube video, because we all know they can be scary (and sometimes
beautiful) places. But all of this to say, I've listened to this song
many times when my heart has felt like a "landfill", and zero shame in
admitting I've cried while listening to this song. It helps me to
realize I'm not alone in my, well, loneliness.
If you got this far, thank you for reading my ramblings, and have
yourself a wonderful rest of your day.
@Beebeek_7
Lyrics
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent
Silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
Please
@xReggieNomx
Lyrics :
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache
With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
@wayfaring_stranger1413
Interpretation:
The first part before and as the water rises symbolizes the events that lead to depression
The second part where Thom blankly stares while in the water represents the depressed, emotionless, and hopeless situation he is in, as the trauma of past events has him drowning in his own mind
The third part, as the water drains and Thom gasps for air and smiles a little, shows us that he has achieved consciousness and has overcome his depression, now being able to move forward with his life
At least this is how I see it. Very inspirational music video.
@anonymousguy1712
Lyrics
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)
@neilfan1016
this song sounds like despair, no hope left just acceptance. it feels like what it feels like to be absoloutly crushed, tears streaming down your face but somehow everything is ok
@itdoesntmatteranymore3550
This!!!!
@BlackAlbino2000
It definitely brings up emotions of sadness and despair and your life being crushed . I always thought it’s about the realization that these socially accepted conforming norms of what we see as having a happy life are merely going to make you more miserable and dull and end up drowning you slowly till your time’s up . If I’d put it very direct , a life lived without surprises is like slow suicide but if you seek further than these norms you get curious about what really matters in your life and this brings you true happiness .
@almightcarrot7481
L BOZO
@bugcatchertimothy7380
Doesn't this song portray a suicidal thought? He is thinking of ending it all without flashy appearance.
@pauls3392
I’ll edit the very end of your awesome comment…”somehow everything is going to be okay” 🤖
@thedogfromraditude5449
This song, to me, sounds like what sadness feels like. Not necessarily depression, but more melancholy. It’s like the feeling of mild gloom that hangs over everyone from time to time put into music.
@Sixtixx
holy shit its the dog from weezer
@armine6766
its kinda nostalgic as well