The band shares a name with both the 1953 speech by American president Dwight D. Eisenhower and a song from Yorke's debut solo album The Eraser. On their website, under their name, is the phrase "Nerth Nuclerek? Na Vynnav" which is in the Cornish language and can be translated as Nuclear Power? No Thanks. This is the text from the Smiling Sun anti nuclear power logo, which has been translated into at least 49 languages, including Cornish.
Thom Yorke has stated that the members of Atoms for Peace bonded over a shared love of the music of afrobeat, and said in an interview that the debut album was "the product of getting together, getting wasted and listening to Fela Kuti."
http://www.atomsforpeace.info
Stuck Together Pieces
Atoms for Peace Lyrics
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The joke is I don't need this
You can hardly tell the difference
Well I know but I don't care
Grown up together pieces
Our stuck together pieces
A load near misses
You can have anything that you want
Except the thing you really want
Go back to where you came from
Go back to what you know
Our stuck together pieces
Our stuck together pieces
Our stuck together pieces
Our stuck together pieces
Why be rain when you could be sun?
Why tie yourself to anyone?
Why be here when you'd be somewhere else?
Well I know but I don't care
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, you don't get away so easily
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away so easily
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away
Mirror, mirror still the prettiest
To all points of the compass
Just tell us where the money is
On stuck together pieces
And a load of near misses
And a load of near misses
Well I don't want any trouble
But my brain is in a tangle
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, so easily
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away so easily
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away, you don't get away
You don't get away
The lyrics to Atoms For Peace's "Stuck Together Pieces" are open to interpretation, but a central theme revolves around the concept of interconnectedness, whether it be in relationships or society in general. The line "Our stuck together pieces" could be seen as a metaphor for how people and things are connected and have an impact on one another. The singer is aware of the entangled nature of the world around them yet seems to be resigned to it, with repeated lines suggesting they "know, but don't care."
The lines "You can have anything that you want / Except the thing you really want" reflect how people may desire certain things or relationships but can't always attain them. The following line "Go back to where you came from / Go back to what you know" could be interpreted as returning to the comfort zone of familiarity instead of pursuing what may be uncertain or difficult to obtain.
The chorus with its repeated refrain of "You don't get away, you don't get away/ You don't get away, so easily" could be seen as a warning that we can't escape the consequences of our actions or the ripple effect of our connections to others. The song ends with the lines "Mirror, mirror still the prettiest / To all points of the compass / Just tell us where the money is" which speaks to the power dynamic and inequality present in society, where those with more wealth and status may have an advantage in navigating the interconnected web of relationships and society at large.
Line by Line Meaning
Our stuck together pieces
The parts of ourselves that are inseparable and interconnected
The joke is I don't need this
The irony is that I don't actually require this situation or circumstance
You can hardly tell the difference
The similarities are so strong that it's difficult to distinguish between them
Well I know but I don't care
I understand the situation, but it doesn't affect me emotionally
Grown up together pieces
Pieces of our identities that have developed in close proximity to one another over time
A load near misses
A collection of fortunate escapes from danger
Aw shucks, you got me
An acknowledgement of being caught or discovered
You can have anything that you want
You possess the capability to obtain anything that you desire
Except the thing you really want
The one thing that you truly crave is unattainable
Go back to where you came from
Return to your place of origin or familiar surroundings
Go back to what you know
Revert to what is familiar instead of taking risks with the unknown
Why be rain when you could be sun?
Why be sad or gloomy when you could choose happiness and warmth?
Why tie yourself to anyone?
Why commit to a person or situation when you could be free and unattached?
Why be here when you'd be somewhere else?
Why stay in a place you dislike when you could be somewhere more desirable?
Mirror, mirror still the prettiest
Self-importance and a fixation on appearance
To all points of the compass
In every direction or location
Just tell us where the money is
A demand for financial information or resources
On stuck together pieces
The interconnected elements that this situation is reliant upon
Well I don't want any trouble
A desire to avoid or prevent conflict
But my brain is in a tangle
A feeling of confusion or disorientation
You don't get away, you don't get away
An emphasis on the impossibility of escaping the situation or consequences
You don't get away so easily
Escaping will be difficult or impossible
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL BALZARY, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE, NIGEL TIMOTHY GODRICH, JOEY WARONKER, MAURO C REFOSCO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind