Happy Kid
Nada Surf Lyrics

I'm just a happy kid
The singer is expressing their state of being a generally happy person.

Stuck with the heart of a sad punk
Despite being generally happy, the singer's emotions are heavily influenced by melancholy, similar to the music genre 'punk.'

Drowning in my id
The singer is overwhelmed by their internal desires and impulses, which can be distressing.

Always searching like it's on junk
The artist is constantly seeking stimulation or fulfillment, similar to the behavior of drug addicts.

No matter who I hang out with
The artist's friends are not able to alleviate their emotional distress.

I can hear the clack-clunk
The singer is hyperaware of the sound of machinery, possibly as a metaphor for their own inner workings.

Of the chains that pull the cars up
The machinery sounds represent the oppressive forces that hold the singer back from true happiness.

The roller coaster mountaintop so high
The artist is using the metaphor of a roller coaster to describe the highs and lows of their own emotional experiences.

When it comes down it shoots back up
The artist's emotions are unpredictable and can rapidly switch from low to high.

Straight back to the sky
The artist's emotional highs are intense and soaring.

I gotta laugh and then I'm asleep
The singer uses humor to cope with their emotional distress, but this can also cause emotional exhaustion.

And then I walk around and want to cry
The artist's emotional fluctuations cause them to feel sad at times.

Out at night to do the strand
The singer goes out at night to distract themselves from their emotional distress.

The little candles make the bottles glow
The singer is finding beauty and peace in small details of their surroundings, even while feeling distressed.

Got ink all over my right hand
The singer may be exploring their creativity through writing or drawing.

Getting crushes with no chance to grow
The artist experiences infatuation but feels it is unlikely to progress into a true relationship.

It's like I'll never ever land
The artist feels a sense of instability and uncertainty about their future and their emotional state.

There's always too much sun or too much snow
The singer sees everything in shades of happiness or sadness, with no middle ground.

I get slow days and no days
There are times when the singer's emotions become stagnant or non-existent.

I get rusty and it's hard
When the artist's emotions are stagnant, it can be difficult to get them flowing again.

But I get notions that oceans are coming to my call
Despite their emotional struggles, the artist has moments of hope and optimism in which they feel like they can control their own destiny.

You can learn to get along
The artist is expressing a message of hope and encouragement to the listener.

?
This line is unclear or ambiguous in its meaning.

And I'm just a happy kid
The artist returns to expressing their general state of happiness, despite their emotional ups and downs.

Stuck with the heart of an old punk
The singer acknowledges that their melancholic tendencies are likely to persist even as they age.

Drowning in my id
The singer's internal desires and impulses continue to overwhelm them.

Always hungry like it's on junk
The singer's constant search for fulfillment continues with the same intensity as before.