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"
Robot
Nada Surf Lyrics
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How to get laid and get famous, get yourself paid, impress the guys.
You think you're thinking for yourself
But when you get on the subway's most crowded part just to stand behind a
Girl
Then you are just a robot, executing a program.
You are just a robot, an imitation of a man
You're taught to divide the world into buddies and wives, sluts and wimps;
The pimp.
You think you're thinking for yourself
But when you when you can't get any the consentual way so you decide to
Use some force
Then you are just a robot, executing a program.
You are just a robot, an imitation of a man
She told me one night when we were lying quiet and cold, something not
Right.
It had been months since the good times, once there was sun, now there was
Night.
And she said to me as she turned on the light,
"there's something you don't know keeps me from feeling right.
I once knew a guy, I'd seen him around.
He knew all my friends, he came from town.
One night at a party, we both were there,
He followed me into the bathroom, he grabbed my hair,"
And she said "I still remember just how the floor felt and how my head
Would hit the tub."
Now where is that robot, put a stake through my true love
Where is that robot, should get struck down from above
You are just a robot, executing a program, an imitation of a man
The lyrics of Nada Surf's "Robot" speaks of a critique on modern society, one that has become so focused on personal gain and attention that it has lost sight of basic morality and human interaction. The song highlights how people have become obsessed with getting ahead, impressing others, and categorizing human relationships. The verses speak to the idea that people are not necessarily thinking for themselves, but rather following the societal norms and programs that have been ingrained within them.
The chorus, "You are just a robot, an imitation of a man" emphasizes the idea that people are not their own unique beings but rather have become conformists to the programming around them. The verse about sexual assault also ties into the theme of being robotic, as the perpetrator acts not out of empathy or love but out of a mindless desire for physical pleasure and control.
The final verse, sung by a second-person perspective, takes on a more personal note, detailing a specific example of a woman's traumatic experience with sexual assault. The chorus is repeated, but with a sense of anger and desperation, indicating that society must change, and that people can break free from this robotic programming.
Line by Line Meaning
You're just walking round your little mazes figuring out how to get by,
You are going about your day-to-day life trying to make it through, but it feels like a never-ending maze.
How to get laid and get famous, get yourself paid, impress the guys.
Your main goals in life seem to be centered around sex, fame, money, and impressing your male peers.
You think you're thinking for yourself But when you get on the subway's most crowded part just to stand behind a Girl
You believe that you make your own choices, but when you automatically gravitate towards standing behind a woman on a crowded subway, you are following societal norms rather than making a conscious decision.
Then you are just a robot, executing a program.
When you are blindly following societal norms and not making your own decisions, you are essentially a robot that is programmed by society.
You are just a robot, an imitation of a man
By not making your own decisions and blindly following societal norms, you are not truly living up to your potential as an individual human being.
You're taught to divide the world into buddies and wives, sluts and wimps;
Society has taught you to categorize people into specific groups based on their gender and perceived social status.
And ever since, you've kept a scorecard - how else to prove you're such The pimp.
You keep a mental tally of your sexual conquests and social status in order to prove your worth to others.
But when you when you can't get any the consentual way so you decide to Use some force
If you are unable to achieve your desired outcome through consensual means, you may resort to using force or manipulation.
Then you are just a robot, executing a program.
When you engage in non-consensual behavior or manipulation, you are once again following a pre-determined societal norm.
She told me one night when we were lying quiet and cold, something not Right.
Someone close to you has confided in you that they have experienced a traumatic event.
It had been months since the good times, once there was sun, now there was Night.
The person who confided in you has been struggling with their trauma for months, and their outlook on life has become bleak.
And she said to me as she turned on the light, "there's something you don't know keeps me from feeling right.
The person who confided in you is opening up and revealing that they are still haunted by their past trauma.
I once knew a guy, I'd seen him around. He knew all my friends, he came from town. One night at a party, we both were there, He followed me into the bathroom, he grabbed my hair,"
The person who confided in you is sharing the details of their traumatic experience, where they were assaulted by someone they knew at a party.
And she said "I still remember just how the floor felt and how my head Would hit the tub."
The person who confided in you still vividly remembers the details of their trauma and the physical sensations they experienced during the assault.
Now where is that robot, put a stake through my true love
In response to the trauma that has been revealed to you, you are questioning the societal norms and systems that allowed the perpetrator to hurt someone you care about.
Where is that robot, should get struck down from above
You believe that those who engage in non-consensual and harmful behavior should face consequences for their actions.
You are just a robot, executing a program, an imitation of a man
The song reiterates that by blindly following societal norms and engaging in harmful behavior, you are not truly living up to your full potential as an individual human being.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: CARL ALBRECHT, DANIEL BEWERNICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind