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"
Love and Anger
Nada Surf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's so deep I don't think that I can speak about it.
It could take me all of my life,
But it would only take a moment to
Tell you what I'm feeling,
But I don't know if I'm ready yet.
You come walking into this room
What would I do without you?
Take away the love and the anger,
And a little piece of hope holding us together.
Looking for a moment that'll never happen,
Living in the gap between past and future.
Take away the stone and the timber,
And a little piece of rope won't hold it together.
If you can't tell your sister,
If you can't tell a priest,
'Cause it's so deep you don't think that you can speak about it
To anyone,
Can you tell it to your heart?
Can you find it in your heart
To let go of these feelings
Like a bell to a Southerly wind?
We could be like two strings beating,
Speaking in sympathy...
What would we do without you?
Two strings speak in sympathy.
Take away the love and the anger,
And a little piece of hope holding us together.
Looking for a moment that'll never happen,
Living in the gap between past and future.
Take away the stone and the timber,
And a little piece of rope won't hold it together.
We're building a house of the future together.
(What would we do without you?)
Well, if it's so deep you don't think that you can speak about it,
Just remember to reach out and touch the past and the future.
Well, if it's so deep you don't think you can speak about it,
Don't ever think that you can't change the past and the future.
You might not, not think so now,
But just you wait and see--someone will come to help you.
The lyrics in Nada Surf's Love and Anger explore the complexity of emotions and how difficult it can be to express them. The song begins with the metaphorical statement that a deep feeling "lay buried" inside the singer. It goes on to explain that this sentiment is so intense that it is challenging to convey it in words, saying that "it would take me all of my life, but it would only take a moment to tell you what I'm feeling, but I don't know if I'm ready yet."
The chorus emphasizes the importance of love, anger, and hope in holding people together. However, it suggests that this can be an elusive goal, that "looking for a moment that'll never happen" and that people are stuck in the "gap between past and future." The song concludes with an optimistic note, encouraging people to reach out and touch the past and the future, recognizing that it is possible to change one's circumstances.
Overall, the lyrics to Love and Anger are about the incredible depth and complexity of human emotion, how challenging it can be to express those emotions, and the importance of hope and love in keeping people together.
Line by Line Meaning
It lay buried here. It lay deep inside me.
There is a feeling inside me that is buried and deep, that I have not been able to express.
It's so deep I don't think that I can speak about it.
The feeling is so deep that I do not know if I can bring myself to talk about it to anyone.
It could take me all of my life, But it would only take a moment to Tell you what I'm feeling, But I don't know if I'm ready yet.
It might take me a long time to finally reveal what I am feeling, but it could happen in a moment. However, I am not sure if I am emotionally prepared to express what is in my heart.
You come walking into this room Like you're walking into my arms. What would I do without you?
The person being addressed has a positive presence that is comforting and supportive. The question asked suggests that life without this person would be a challenge.
Take away the love and the anger, And a little piece of hope holding us together. Looking for a moment that'll never happen, Living in the gap between past and future. Take away the stone and the timber, And a little piece of rope won't hold it together.
Love and anger have a binding power. Even just a little bit of hope can be enough to bring people together, but without it, relationships can wither. Living in between the past and the future means that we are always searching for something that may never come. Using an insufficient amount of resources can cause something to fall apart
If you can't tell your sister, If you can't tell a priest, 'Cause it's so deep you don't think that you can speak about it To anyone, Can you tell it to your heart?
If there is no one else to communicate with, perhaps one can attempt to express these buried feelings directly to themselves.
Can you find it in your heart To let go of these feelings Like a bell to a Southerly wind?
It is suggested that holding onto these feelings is going to be detrimental. Perhaps it would be better to release them, like a sound that travels in the wind and is eventually gone.
We could be like two strings beating, Speaking in sympathy... What would we do without you?Two strings speak in sympathy.
Working together, with vibrations that are harmonious with each other, is a powerful thing that can undeniably help humanity. The personification of two strings suggests a balance that can have a significant effect.
We're building a house of the future together.
Together, we are working towards a better future with positivity and hope.
Well, if it's so deep you don't think that you can speak about it, Just remember to reach out and touch the past and the future. Well, if it's so deep you don't think you can speak about it, Don't ever think that you can't change the past and the future. You might not, not think so now, But just you wait and see--someone will come to help you.
It's easy to get lost in your feelings, but it's never too late to change your course. Look to the past and the future to guide you along the way. Believe that you can alter the outcome of the past and the future. Even if one may currently feel as though they are alone, someone else could come along to provide support and assistance.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KATE BUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind