In the 2005, WNFX/Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll Amanda Palmer won Best Female Vocalist.
Amanda has performed as a living statue called “The Eight Foot Bride” in Harvard Square as well as in many other locations.
Her solo album entitled “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” was released in September 2008, and was produced by Ben Folds, who also appears on the album. Zoë Keating also appears on several tracks.
In 2009, she pleaded with her label, Roadrunner Records, to drop her from their roster. She has been vocal about this in interviews and in concert, even dedicating a song called "Please Drop Me" that is sung to the tune of "Moon River."
On January 15, 2010, writer Neil Gaiman announced on his official blog that he and Palmer were engaged to be married.
On March 30, 2010, the album "Evelyn Evelyn" was released, as a collaborative work with Jason Webley.
On July 20, 2010, Palmer released a solo EP of Radiohead covers, entitled "Amanda Palmer Performs The Popular Hits of Radiohead On Her Magical Ukulele".
In January of 2011, Palmer and Gaiman announced that they were now legally married. Palmer also released a new studio album, Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under.
On January 21, 2011, Palmer released "Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under, an album with an Antipodean theme featuring songs that Palmer wrote about, or while in, Australia and New Zealand. Artists the album features include The Young Punx, Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls, The Jane Austen Argument, Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, and Lance Horne.
In March of 2012, Palmer announced a formation of a new band called "Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra." They first released a cover of Nirvana's song "Polly." In May 2012, she raised over 1 million dollars to fund the release of the band's new album, "Theatre is Evil," via Kickstarter. The album was released in September of 2012.
No Surprises
Amanda Palmer 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.
A handshake of carbon monoxide,
No alarms and no surprises,
No alarms and no surprises,
No alarms and no surprises...
Silence, silence.
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.
The song No Surprises by Amanda Palmer talks about the struggles of living a meaningless, routine-driven life. The first verse mentions a heart that's full up like a landfill, a symbol of emotional exhaustion and carrying too much emotional baggage. The next line talks about having a job that slowly kills you and bruises that won't heal, which could symbolize physical and emotional abuse.
In the chorus, Amanda Palmer yearns for a quiet life and compares it to death by carbon monoxide - a slow but painless way of dying. She also uses the line "No alarms and no surprises" multiple times, referring to the monotony and predictability of life, and asks for silence.
The last verse talks about a pretty house and garden, which could symbolize the superficiality of the life the singer is living. The final lines repeat the chorus, asking for no alarms and no surprises and serving as a plea for a way out of the meaningless life the singer is living.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the dangers of living a life without purpose, constantly going through the motions, and seeking a way out of the mundane.
Line by Line Meaning
A heart that's full up like a landfill
Feeling overwhelmed by one's emotions, like a landfill overflowing with trash.
A job that slowly kills you
Working in a job that is mentally and physically exhausting, taking a toll on one's health.
Bruises that won't heal
Emotional scars that remain and do not seem to fade with time.
You look so tired-unhappy
Observing someone's exhaustion and unhappiness in their appearance and demeanor.
Bring down the government
Calling for revolution against authority that does not represent the citizens.
They don't, they don't speak for us
The government does not properly represent the people's desires and needs.
I'll take a quiet life
Choosing a peaceful and tranquil existence over the chaos of the outside world.
A handshake of carbon monoxide
Choosing a method of death that is quiet, quick, and painless.
No alarms and no surprises
Preferring a life without unexpected, disruptive incidents or events.
Silence, silence
The desire for peace and quiet in an overwhelming and chaotic world.
This is my final fit, my final bellyache
Acknowledging the end of one's life and that any physical or emotional pain will soon cease.
Such a pretty house and such a pretty garden
Seeing beauty in the mundane and conventional aspects of life, but still longing for something more.
No alarms and no surprises, please
Reiterating the preference for a peaceful and predictable existence.
Contributed by Bentley V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chris Brock
I love Radiohead and it is refreshing to hear this song sung differently so that it sounds new. Loved it.
Cinnameon
The animation was breathtaking.
Literally.
Andrej Berginsky
It's a animated version of original song video.
Ma ria
All I can think about is drawing all the frames, must have been work for weeks
Jason Strange
It’s a technique called rotoscoping.
Edward Cho
A beautiful, strong voice coupled with raw, unfiltered emotion.
What a beautiful and heartwarming treat.
JonasCritics
This is a cover. The real artist is radiohead
peachy Seasons
@JonasCritics we know
SkylerJames2010
I have never heard a more original person than Amanda Palmer, she is by far my favorite female artist of all time. Her lyrics are so beautiful and meaningful. She's absolutely amazing!!!
Puck Norris
My four year old daughter cought me watching this she started singing with it and I melted