The band is best known for the song "Popular", released as a single from their aformentioned debut. The song reached #11 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and propelled the album itself to #63 on the Billboard 200. Each of the verses in "Popular" are extracted from the 1964 guide 'Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity', a work by former teen television actress Gloria Winters, and the lyrics are sarcastically spoken, with a calm, deadpan voice used initially that gradually builds Kinison-style in teen angst and rage.
The groups follow-up effort, an album titled 'The Proximity Effect', failed to garner as much attention due to music industry shenanigans. The band explains on their official website:
Nada Surf recorded The Proximity Effect in 1998 with Fred Maher (Luna, Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet). It was a mighty fine record. Elektra [now part of Atlantic], claiming they "didn’t hear a single," asked the band to go back in the studio to hunt for one. As this was months after they’d handed the record in, the band refused and were dropped. It’s pretty safe to say, though, that Elektra didn’t appear to be "listening" very hard. The Proximity Effect was released as scheduled in Europe. Critics loved it and fans bought it. Elektra still didn’t care, but the band still did. So after wrestling the rights back, Nada Surf released The Proximity Effect stateside in 2000 on their own label, MarDev Records, and toured accordingly...
After a three-year wait, the group released Let Go through Barsuk Records to positive reviews. The song "Inside of Love" received some airplay and even reached #73 in the United Kingdom, a feat which neither "Popular" nor the other two previously released singles from Let Go achieved. On the strength of the single, the album reached #31 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.
The band's fourth album, The Weight Is a Gift, was released in Germany on September 5, 2005, by City Slang Records, in Japan/Australia September 12th and in the US September 13th by Barsuk, and in the rest of Europe September 19th by V2/City Slang. It was produced by Chris Walla of the band Death Cab for Cutie, Louie Lino and Nada Surf. The album's lead single is "Always Love."
In 2008, Lucky was released. In 2010 the band returned to the scene triumphantly with the cover-album If I Had a Hi-Fi, revealing a diversity in source material whilst re-moulding it into trademark Nada Surf songs.
The band announced a new record will be released in January, 2012 called " The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy." The first single is called "When I was Young" and is available free to download from the band's website. On Oct 24th, 2011, the song was also featured as an NPR "Song of the Day"
Clear Eye Clouded Mind
Nada Surf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyone left the world
Take what you can carry
Find a road and follow
Of course I'm supposed to work I
come from the hills I
can find any food I
Of course I like to laugh I
look at the sky,
look in your eye
All I feel is transition
When do we get home?
All I fell is transition
Now to be alone
With a clear eye, with a clouded mind
You're gonna miss the word
I come from the fen I
I left the den
The wind blows no good it
Tells of a change that
Might rearrange
You can't see the ground its
Not where it was
All I feel is transition
When do we get home?
All I feel is transition
Now to be alone
With a clear eye, with a clouded mind
The stars are indifferent to astronomy
And all that we think we know
Mars will salute your autonomy
But he doesn't need to know
All I feel is transition
When do we get home?
All I feel is transition
Now to be alone
With a clear eye, with a clouded mind
No one wants to live this fiction
Where didn't we go wrong?
With a clear eye, with a clouded mind
The stars are indifferent to astronomy
And all that we think we know
Mars will salute your autonomy
But he doesn't need to know
The stars are indifferent to astronomy
And all that we think we know
Mars will salute your autonomy
But he doesn't need to know
The lyrics of Nada Surf's song Clear Eye Clouded Mind touch upon the theme of transition and change. The opening lines, "You're gonna miss the word, everyone left the world," suggest a sense of loss and confusion, hinting at a world that has moved on without the singer. The lines, "Take what you can carry, find a road and follow," could be interpreted as an instruction for the singer to move on from his old life and find a new path.
The next few lines seem to be a reflection on the singer's present situation. He speaks of his roots and his survival instincts, suggesting that he is in a state of flux and is doing what he can to adapt. The line, "All I feel is transition, when do we get home?" further emphasizes the idea of being lost and searching for a sense of belonging.
The repetition of the lines "All I feel is transition" and "With a clear eye, with a clouded mind" throughout the song reinforces the idea of conflicting emotions and uncertainty. The reference to the stars being indifferent to astronomy and Mars saluting autonomy seems to suggest that the universe is unconcerned with human affairs and that we must find our own way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
You're gonna miss the word
You will regret not paying attention to what was being said.
Everyone left the world
Everyone has moved on from this world, leaving the singer behind.
Take what you can carry
Gather what you need to move on from this place and situation.
Find a road and follow
Take a path and stay on it, even if it's uncertain where it leads.
Of course I'm supposed to work I
The artist is expected to work and function in society.
come from the hills I
The singer's background includes a rural, mountainous area.
can find any food I
The singer is resourceful and can survive without much assistance.
try to protect I
The artist seeks to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from harm.
Of course I like to laugh I
The artist enjoys laughter and humor.
look at the sky,
The artist takes time to observe the environment around them.
look in your eye
The singer is attentive to the emotions and reactions of others.
All I feel is transition
The artist is experiencing a state of change and moving on from the past.
When do we get home?
The singer is unsure of where home is or where they belong.
Now to be alone
The singer is currently alone or will need to be alone to continue on their journey.
With a clear eye, with a clouded mind
The singer is able to see things clearly, but is still struggling with confusion and uncertainly.
I come from the fen I
The artist has a background with marshy, wetland geography.
I left the den
The artist has left a place of comfort and security.
The wind blows no good it
The wind is not helpful or comforting to the singer.
Tells of a change that
The wind is a sign or warning of a significant change.
Might rearrange
This change could significantly disrupt or alter the artist's current state.
You can't see the ground its
The landscape is changing and becoming unfamiliar.
Not where it was
The ground is not in the same place as it used to be, making it difficult to navigate.
The stars are indifferent to astronomy
The universe and natural world don't necessarily follow human understanding or expectations.
And all that we think we know
Our knowledge and understanding may be limited or flawed.
Mars will salute your autonomy
The cosmic or unknown forces acknowledge individual agency and freedom.
But he doesn't need to know
However, this acknowledgement doesn't require or necessitate human understanding or explanation.
No one wants to live this fiction
The singer is dissatisfied with the current state of things; things feel false or fabricated.
Where didn't we go wrong?
The artist is looking for answers and trying to find where mistakes were made.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Justin Starr
The awesome thing about nada surf is that you can rock the hell out to all of their stuff, as well as listen to it in a more mellow way or even sleep to it. It also helps that they do a lot of acoustic as well as electric live sessions.
Jordan Elcheson
Love this song! The chorus just hits nice and hard. Vocals so nice melodic and clear.
Cameron Sharples
Matthew is such a great rythm player.
Preslava Tsekova
ah -the best version of this song <3 love the lyrics :)
Randy Watson
awesome song! Keep it up guys!
Todd Sheehan
one of my favorites quote this line all the time-i know nobody knows where i got it from-their loss!
antsun2
Aww that's soooo amazing!!!!
Pierre Lima
I counting down to see this concert in Brazil
wirmuessenhierraus
how was it?
Alfredo Collantes
Nada Surf you did it again