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"
End Credits
Nada Surf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost the lie
I let myself believe
I'd be a brand new guy
But holy shit I'm just a door
Well
I helped you to see out
Got the gas on in you're house
Because you turned to cold
When you back up on
Your feet
You'll move right past me
You're makin' plans with my friends
I know they're great
It's a little late to let me down
Oh no, I better go
You set the tone
You just don't know
You're scratching it in stone
I better wash my clothes
Take a bath
Move up and down the hall
Until I find my class
So I can be myself again
This movie has gotta end
Do do
Do do do do do do
This movie has gotta end
Oh, yeah
The song "End Credits" by Nada Surf depicts the singer's realization that he has been living a lie, thinking that he could become a different person. He hoped to become a "brand new guy," but he ultimately discovered that he remained the same. The line "But holy shit I'm just a door" underscores his disappointment with himself.
The singer then reflects on his relationship with someone. He had helped them "to see out of [their] hole." But as he was struggling to come to terms with his own flaws, he neglected the other person's needs, causing them to turn "cold." Even though the other person moves on and starts making plans with the singer's friends, he regrets losing them and realizes it's too late to salvage what was once there. In the end, the singer resolves to wash his clothes, take a bath, and move on with his life, hoping to find himself once again. The repetition of the line "This movie has gotta end" at the end underscores his desire to break free from his current situation and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
All of a sudden I
I unexpectedly realized
Lost the lie
That the false identity I had created for myself was stripped away
I let myself believe
I willingly convinced myself to believe
I'd be a brand new guy
That I would become a completely different person
But holy shit I'm just a door
But I have not changed at all, I'm still just a means of entry and exit
Well
So
I helped you to see out
I assisted you in leaving behind something
Of your hole
A difficult position or circumstance
Got the gas on in your house
I fueled your passion or anger
Because you turned to cold
Because you became distant and detached
When you back up on
Once you recover from
Your feet
Your previous setback or obstacle
You'll move right past me
You will leave me behind and move forward
You're makin' plans with my friends
You're making arrangements with people I know
I know they're great
I acknowledge that they're wonderful
It's a little late to let me down
It's too late for you to disappoint me
Oh no, I better go
Oh no, I need to leave
You set the tone
You established the mood or atmosphere
You just don't know
You are oblivious to it
You're scratching it in stone
You are making it permanent and unchangeable
I better wash my clothes
I need to cleanse myself or my situation
Take a bath
Take a thorough cleansing process
Move up and down the hall
Move around aimlessly
Until I find my class
Until I rediscover who I really am
So I can be myself again
So I can be genuine and true to myself once more
This movie has gotta end
This situation or circumstance has got to be over
Do do
N/A
Do do do do do do
N/A
This movie has gotta end
This situation or circumstance has got to be over
Oh, yeah
Expressing affirmation or agreement
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL PRIETO CASTRO LORCA, IRA ELLIOT, MATTHEW RORISON CAWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@manusilv3894
Why is this not on Spotify fuck
@lanceashdown7190
It ascends into heaven @2:33.
@canalameboide
❤️❤️❤️
@Allitude
😭
@natanpocket6860
All of a sudden I
Lost the lie
I let myself believe
I'd be a brand new guy
But holy shit I'm just a door
Well
I helped you to see out
Of your hole
Got the gas on in you're house
Because you turned to cold
When you back up on
Your feet
You'll move right past me
You're makin' plans with my friends
I know they're great
It's a little late to let me down
Oh no, I better go
You set the tone
You just don't know
You're scratching it in stone
I better wash my clothes
Take a bath
Move up and down the hall
Until I find my class
So I can be myself again
This movie has gotta end
Do do
Do do do do do do
This movie has gotta end
Oh, yeah