Happy New Year
Oneida Lyrics

The opening lines of Oneida's 'Happy New Year' bid the listener a happy new year while wishing for their well-being throughout the year. The next line reads "May you never fall" which could be interpreted in different ways. On one hand, it could mean wishing that the listener never falls or experiences any major setbacks in the New Year. On the other hand, it could also suggest that the listener should never fall into the same traps or make the same mistakes from the previous year. This is followed by "I put desires in the dirt, I was alone, I wasn't hurt". This could imply that the songwriter has let go of any personal goals that might have made them feel alone or vulnerable. The sandman is said to have acted miserly, waking the songwriter's eyes in cups of gris, which could signify waking up to bitterness, gloom or perhaps even anxiety.

The middle section of the song has a quiet night falling like a tune which spells the gloom. The lyrics have an overall melancholic tone to them, however, a glimmer of hope can be seen in the prayer the writer says - "we shall see". The section then goes on to describe a disjointed, restless time in the songwriter's life. They wake up drifting, feeling strange feelings crawling past them. They seem to attempt to shake themselves out of their enigmatic fog by ordering a coffee, walking in the park, and buying a paper. However, the window's shattered glass and the ladders sprawled on burnt brown grass as well as the sun withholding its light from them prove that they are still a captive of their gloomy perception.