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"
The Future
Nada Surf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The future looks like a screen
It's all you'll ever see
All lit up like a stadium and
Who will be the first?
The future's made of dust
And we are all just rust in the machine
Get deathly ill three, four times
I'll find money on the street, no unexpected luck
I will spend some time crying
I'll be adept so much I'll be transformed
I'll get the baby in the king cake
I'll climb a small mountain, get three more bikes stolen
Take four more of kitchen series
Which is imitations and hooks
Bits that you remember nothing
Ask it's another look
The future's empty in it's way
The future has long lines
The future looks like a screen
And I cannot believe the future's happening to me
Arrows pointed, educated, words to let you know
The border guards have graduated
They're taking up their post
I lift the receiver, find you there
I'll win and lose some bets
The magic hour, make me feel at home
In a place I don't know yet
I'll spook the horse, keep the lights on
Leave mythologies alone
I'll try to say all the right things
But get hung up on the tone
The future has long lines
The future looks like a screen
And I cannot believe the future's happening to me
The Nada Surf song “The Future” reflects the uncertainty and fear that we all feel about what’s to come. The opening lines suggest the sheer volume of things that happen in the future - an endless stream of people lining up and screens flashing with information; it’s overwhelming. The line “we are all just rust in the machine” hints at the idea that we are small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things, like cogs in a clock that will eventually wear out.
The song goes on to describe a person’s life in the future, detailing some of the experiences they will have. They’ll make mistakes, get sick, cry, and have unexpected moments of good luck. They’ll try to transform themselves and change who they are, but they’ll also encounter disappointment and theft. This is a realistic portrayal of what life in the future might be like, with a mixture of highs and lows.
The last verse seems to be about the role that technology and communication will play in the future. The mention of “educated” people guarding borders and “lifting the receiver” suggests a world that is more connected but also more dystopian. The final lines are the most poignant, with the singer struggling to come to terms with the fact that the future is happening to them, whether they like it or not.
Line by Line Meaning
The future has long lines
The future is full of waiting in line, either literally or metaphorically.
The future looks like a screen
The future is represented by technology, screens, and virtual experiences.
It's all you'll ever see
The future is inevitable and inescapable, and we will all be consumed by it.
All lit up like a stadium and
The future will be bright and flashy, like the lights of a sports stadium.
Who will be the first?
The future is unknown and unpredictable, and we cannot know for certain what will happen first.
The future's made of dust
The future is fleeting and temporary, just like dust.
And we are all just rust in the machine
We are all insignificant parts of the larger, complex machine that is the future.
About to make some more mistakes
We will inevitably continue to make mistakes in the future, even though we may try not to.
Get deathly ill three, four times
We will likely experience illness or other physical ailments multiple times in the future.
I'll find money on the street, no unexpected luck
Some events in the future will seem like luck, but they will be mundane and unremarkable.
I will spend some time crying
We will experience emotional pain and grief in the future.
I'll be adept so much I'll be transformed
We will become more skilled and capable in the future, and these changes will transform us.
I'll get the baby in the king cake
We will experience unusual and unpredictable events in the future.
I'll climb a small mountain, get three more bikes stolen
We will experience both success and failure in the future, sometimes in quick succession.
Take four more of kitchen series
We will continue with mundane, everyday tasks in the future, without any significant changes.
Which is imitations and hooks
Many things in the future will be cheap imitations of existing concepts or will rely on gimmicks to be interesting.
Bits that you remember nothing
Many future experiences will be forgettable, without any lasting impact or significance.
Ask it's another look
We will have to take a second look at some things in the future to understand or appreciate them.
The future's empty in it's way
The future may seem empty or devoid of meaning or purpose, especially when compared to the past.
And I cannot believe the future's happening to me
The future can be overwhelming and difficult to comprehend or accept.
Arrows pointed, educated, words to let you know
The future will be informed by knowledge and expertise, and people will use words to try to explain it.
The border guards have graduated
There will be more strict regulations and boundaries in the future.
They're taking up their post
Authorities will be diligent in enforcing these regulations in the future.
I lift the receiver, find you there
We will stay connected to people in the future, even if we may not physically be near them.
I'll win and lose some bets
We will have good and bad luck in the future, and may gain or lose material possessions as a result.
The magic hour, make me feel at home
Certain times in the future may feel special or magical, and give us a sense of comfort or belonging.
In a place I don't know yet
We will go to new places and have new experiences in the future, which may be unfamiliar to us.
I'll spook the horse, keep the lights on
We will do things in the future that may scare or unsettle others, but we will also be resourceful and adaptive.
Leave mythologies alone
We will move away from old beliefs and superstitions in the future, and rely more on scientific or factual information.
I'll try to say all the right things
We will strive to communicate effectively and appropriately in the future, even if we may not always succeed.
But get hung up on the tone
We may encounter communication difficulties in the future, even when we understand what to say.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DANIEL PRIETO CASTRO LORCA, IRA ELLIOT, MATTHEW RORISON CAWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind