Radiohead wrote "No Surprises" while touring with the band R.E.M. in 1995. "No Surprises" was the first song Radiohead recorded on the first day of recording sessions for OK Computer. The version of the song on the album is the first take recorded. Singer Thom Yorke commented, "We did endless versions afterwards [...] and they were all just covers of the first version. So we gave up and went back to [the original]."
The lyrics originally told the story of a man who has become fed up with the way things are working out for him and is having problems with his girlfriend. Two lines from this version are, "He was sick of her excuses / To not take off her dress when bleedin' in the bathroom." Preparing to record the song, Yorke altered the lyrics dramatically; instead of telling a love story about a man and his girlfriend, the song now appears to figuratively reference taking one's own life (as evidenced in lyrics such as "I'll take a quiet life/A handshake/Of carbon monoxide") to illustrate contempt for the complacency of British "normality".
"No Surprises" was released as the third single from OK Computer on 12 January 1998. The single reached number four on the UK Singles Chart.
The music video for "No Surprises" was directed by Grant Gee. The video consists solely of a single close-up shot of Thom Yorke's head inside a clear plastic bubble. The lyrics to the song scroll backwards on the bottom of the screen throughout the video. After the first verse, the plastic helmet begins to fill with water. Yorke continues singing as he attempts to lift his head above the rising water. Once the bubble completely fills, Yorke is motionless for over a minute, after which the water is released and he resumes singing. For Yorke's safety, the video was filmed at high-speed and played back in slow-motion.
"No Surprises" was used in the opening episode of the 6th season of House, that shows Hugh Laurie's character suffering from pain due to Vicodin withdrawals.
No Surprises
Radiohead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache
With no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house
And such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)
The lyrics of Radiohead's song No Surprises are a haunting portrayal of the monotony and routine of everyday life, a life that seemingly holds no excitement or joy. The opening lines with "a heart that's full like a landfill" reads as though the singer is burdened by the weight of their life and the things that don't make them happy. The next line reads "a job that slowly kills you" and it is clear that the singer's job is not bringing them any sense of satisfaction, as is shown by the line "bruises that won't heal." The singer is visibly unhappy and looks so "tired and unhappy."
The next lines suggest that the only way out of this unhappiness is by bringing down the government, as the government doesn't speak for the people. However, the singer reconciles that this isn't a feasible solution for them and instead chooses to take a "quiet life" filled with "no alarms and no surprises" and a "handshake of carbon monoxide." This suggests a desire for a peaceful death.
The final verse talks about a "pretty house" and "pretty garden" that seemingly aren't enough for the singer. The repetition of the lines "no alarms and no surprises" and "get me out of here" reinforce the singer's longing for escape from this bleak existence, one they find neither fulfilling nor satisfying.
Line by Line Meaning
A heart that's full up like a landfill
My heart is weighed down with garbage, like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
My job is slowly draining the life out of me
Bruises that won't heal
The emotional wounds I've suffered won't go away
You look so tired, unhappy
You appear worn out and miserable
Bring down the government
It's time to overthrow the oppressive government
They don't, they don't speak for us
The government doesn't represent or care about us
I'll take a quiet life
I long for a peaceful existence
A handshake of carbon monoxide
Death by poisoning seems like an easier way out
And no alarms and no surprises
I just want life to be predictable and without any unexpected shocks
No alarms and no surprises
I really mean it, no shocking revelations please
No alarms and no surprises
It's not a joke, I don't want any alarming or surprising news
Silent, silent
Please, just peace and quiet
This is my final fit
This is my ultimate episode of frustration
My final bellyache with
The last of my complaints, ever
No alarms and no surprises
I repeat: No sudden events or startling revelations
No alarms and no surprises
Seriously, I'm being totally straightforward
No alarms and no surprises, please
For the last time, I am begging you not to make things complicated or difficult
Such a pretty house
Everything looks great on the surface
And such a pretty garden
The exterior doesn't reveal the internal turmoil
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
Please, no shock or turmoil. I need to leave this place
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
I am serious about wanting no drama, I need to get out of this situation
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)
I will do anything to avoid turmoil, so please let me leave
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Me me
The way i interpret the lyrics: ; Once excitement of youthful perspective,, hopes, dreams are broken, into an almost nihilistic acceptance of patterns world, we coast,….. become a part of the dull hum we swore we never would become part of. Time pulls us forward, wears and tears until we accept. Can not fight against the current yet knowing we swore we would never.