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 plan
Nada Surf Lyrics
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I watch the tail-lights and memorize
I won't be too scared, I won't be too tired
I'm becoming hard-wired
Feeling hazy, waking up inertia
I'm having dreams I'm in the wrong picture
Am I older than you thought
There's a way to drive, I see it once in a while
I watch the tail-lights and memorize
I won't be too scared, I won't be too tired
I'm becoming hard-wired
Dan you want to roast it dan
We're gonna kick it in the head if we can
Me I'm just, me I'm just, I never got to read the plan
Dan you want to roast it dan
You know I never know the right way around
I need a map, I need a map
I need a map to get us out of this town
Now your hand is flashing danger
I'm underdressed and you're getting stranger
I can't tell you I'm incomplete
You're gonna step on me
The song "The Plan" by Nada Surf is about feeling lost and uncertain of what the future holds. The singer of the song is observing others driving and trying to find a path for themselves. The first verse gives the metaphor of driving, which the singer uses to describe the idea of finding direction. The singer watches the tail-lights of other cars and memorizes the path they take, hoping to use it as a guide. The idea of becoming "hard-wired" suggests that the singer is trying to make a conscious effort to develop a plan of their own, rather than simply following someone else's.
The chorus is repeated twice and emphasizes the singer's determination to not let fear or exhaustion stop them from finding their way. The second verse is more introspective, with the singer questioning whether they have made the right choices in life. The line "Am I older than you thought / Did you get less than you bought" suggests a sense of disappointment or regret about the way things turned out. The repetition of the first verse in the second half of the song reinforces the idea that the singer is still searching for direction.
Overall, "The Plan" is a song about the search for meaning and direction in life. The metaphor of driving provides a concrete image of this journey, but the lyrics suggest a deeper emotional struggle with uncertainty and doubt.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a way to drive, I see it once in a while
The singer sees people driving in a way that seems confident, and tries to learn from it by memorizing what they do.
I watch the tail-lights and memorize
The singer pays close attention to how other people are driving so they can try to emulate them.
I won't be too scared, I won't be too tired
The singer is trying to be brave and stay awake while they drive.
I'm becoming hard-wired
Driving is becoming almost like second nature for the artist.
Feeling hazy, waking up inertia
The artist is tired and having trouble waking up.
I'm having dreams I'm in the wrong picture
The singer feels like they are lost or not where they are supposed to be.
Am I older than you thought
The singer is questioning whether people's expectations of them match their true age.
Did you get less than you bought
The artist is wondering if others are disappointed in what they received from them.
Dan you want to roast it dan
The artist is addressing someone named Dan and asking him if he wants to criticize something.
We're gonna kick it in the head if we can
The artist and Dan will try to find solutions to problems they may face.
Me I'm just, me I'm just, I never got to read the plan
The singer feels like they are unprepared and lacking direction in life.
You know I never know the right way around
The artist is admitting they are lost and need guidance.
I need a map, I need a map
The singer needs help finding their way.
I need a map to get us out of this town
The singer is specifically requesting help escaping their current location.
Now your hand is flashing danger
The singer perceives a warning or imminent threat from someone they are with.
I'm underdressed and you're getting stranger
The artist feels out of place and uncomfortable around the person they are with.
I can't tell you I'm incomplete
The artist is unable to admit to their imperfections to the person they are with.
You're gonna step on me
The singer is feeling powerless and vulnerable around the person they are with.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANIEL PRIETO CASTRO LORCA, IRA ELLIOT, MATTHEW RORISON CAWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind