Radiohead signed to EMI in 1991 and released their debut album, Pablo Honey, in 1993; their debut single, "Creep", became a worldwide hit. Radiohead's popularity and critical standing rose with the release of The Bends in 1995. Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), brought them international fame; noted for its complex production and themes of modern alienation, it is acclaimed as a landmark record and one of the best albums in popular music.
Radiohead's fourth album, Kid A (2000), marked a dramatic change in style, incorporating influences from electronic music, jazz, classical music and krautrock. Though Kid A divided listeners, it later attracted wide acclaim. It was followed by Amnesiac (2001), recorded in the same sessions. Hail to the Thief (2003), with lyrics addressing the War on Terror, was Radiohead's final album for EMI.
Radiohead self-released their seventh album, In Rainbows (2007), as a download for which customers could set their own price, to critical and chart success. Their eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011), an exploration of rhythm, was developed using extensive looping and sampling. A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) prominently featured Jonny Greenwood's orchestral arrangements. Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Selway, and O'Brien have released solo albums; in 2021, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood debuted a new band, the Smile.
By 2011, Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Their awards include six Grammy Awards and four Ivor Novello Awards, and they hold five Mercury Prize nominations, the most of any act. Seven Radiohead singles have reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart: "Creep" (1992), "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (1996), "Paranoid Android" (1997), "Karma Police" (1997), "No Surprises" (1998), "Pyramid Song" (2001), and "There There" (2003). "Creep" and "Nude" (2008) reached the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Rolling Stone named Radiohead one of the 100 greatest artists of all time, and Rolling Stone readers voted them the second-best artist of the 2000s. Five Radiohead albums have been included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time lists. Radiohead were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiohead
Studio albums
Pablo Honey (1993)
The Bends (1995)
OK Computer (1997)
Kid A (2000)
Amnesiac (2001)
Hail to the Thief (2003)
In Rainbows (2007)
The King of Limbs (2011)
A Moon Shaped Pool (2016)
No Surprises Please
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)
Radiohead's song "No Surprises" is a melancholic, yet captivating, commentary on the monotony of modern life. The song's opening line, "A heart that's full up like a landfill," immediately creates a visual of the singer being weighed down by the clutter and waste of everyday life. The following descriptions of a job that slowly kills you and bruises that won't heal further emphasize the singer's weariness and exhaustion.
However, the song takes an unexpected turn when the singer expresses a desire for a "quiet life" and a "handshake of carbon monoxide." These seemingly contradictory desires can be interpreted as a longing for peace and rest from the never-ending cycle of work and stress, which the singer is unable to find in their current situation. The repeated refrain of "no alarms and no surprises" reinforces this idea, as the singer yearns for a life free of constant conflict or disturbance.
Overall, "No Surprises" offers a poignant portrayal of the struggles of contemporary life and the desire for a life of simplicity and tranquility. The song's emotive lyrics and understated melody create a mood that is at once poignant and captivating.
Line by Line Meaning
A heart that's full up like a landfill
Feeling overwhelmed, like carrying a heavy load of garbage in one's heart.
A job that slowly kills you
Working in a position that is draining one's energy and negatively affecting one's physical and emotional health over time.
Bruises that won't heal
Experiencing lasting emotional pain that seems impossible to escape from.
You look so tired, unhappy
Appearing visibly worn out and dissatisfied with life's current circumstances.
Bring down the government
Overthrowing the existing system of power and authority that is perceived to be corrupt and damaging to society.
They don't, they don't speak for us
The government officials are not accurately representing and addressing the needs and concerns of the everyday people.
I'll take a quiet life
Preferring a simple, low-key existence without any major disturbances or disruptions.
A handshake of carbon monoxide
Being subject to deceptive and potentially harmful deals or agreements, represented here by a handshake with a toxic gas.
And no alarms and no surprises
Desiring a life with no sudden or unexpected changes, conflicts, or disasters to disrupt the status quo.
Silent, silent
Emphasizing the need for total quiet and calm in order to achieve this goal.
This is my final fit
Acknowledging that this is the last chance to express frustration and dissatisfaction before giving up entirely.
My final bellyache
Literalizing the frustration and pain being experienced as a physical ailment before leaving it all behind.
Such a pretty house
Commenting on the material wealth and outward beauty of the current situation, while recognizing the inner discontent and disillusionment that persists.
And such a pretty garden
Further emphasizing the exterior beauty that fails to mask the underlying ugliness festering within.
No alarms and no surprises (get me out of here)
Reiterating the desire to escape from the current situation, and the urgent imperative to avoid any further complications or disruptions.
No alarms and no surprises, please (get me out of here)
Pleading for a safe and uncomplicated exit, free from any danger or distress.
Lyrics © 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
@mirsadathossain
He was sick of his clock stopping,
Wind it up, that girl stayed sleeping next to him.
Watch stops, the batteries run down,
He started his broken sentence, "No alarms..."
The watch stops, the batteries run down,
He started his broken sentence, "No alarms and no surprises..."
He was sick of her excuses,
To not take off her dress when bleedin' in the bathroom.
He was sick of his clock stopping, wind it up,
No alarms and no surprises...
No alarms and no surprises...
No alarms and no surprises please.
@TheDragon85
standard version = standard tuning, capo on 3rd fret.
this version = E Standard Tuning, no capo.
So, IMO, the producer decided, this version (and the lyrics as well) where tooo depressive for the market, so they lightened it up "a bit" by making the guitar part 3 steps higher (thus replacing thoms falsetto in the process) and transponing thoms voice... also, changing the lyrics... ppl where freaking out back then if somebody was bleeding in the bathroom, especially women :/
in the final version the original (transponded, though, via the different tuning of guitars used) , the actual "idea" of this song is still audible,
as a backround voice, when ed o brien sings "let me out of here" over the commonly known, and also apparent in this version "no alarms and no surprises" last (and here:only) refrain.
:)
@kiteracer
He was sick of his clock stopping
Wind it up, that girl stayed sleeping next to him
The watch stops, the batteries run down
He studies broken sentence
No alarms...
The watch stops, the batteries run down,
He studies broken sentence
No alarms and no surprises...
He was sick of his excuses
To not take off her dress when bleeding in the bathroom
He was sick of his clock stopping
Wind it up
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises please
@TheSenchi
he was sick of his clock stopping
wind it up, that girls stayed sleeping next to him
watch stops, the batteries run down
he started his broken sentence, "no alarms..."
the watch smashed, the batteries run down,
he started his broken sentence,no alarms and no surprises
he was sick of her excuses
to not take off her dress when bleedin' in the bathroom
he was sick of his clock stopping, wind it up
no alarms an no surprises
no alarms an no surprises
no alarms an no surprises, please
@nicedream1990
His voice kills me in this. So delicate. Nobody can sing like Thom.
@drgus8042
i can
@coolcomputertutorials9545
Kurt Cobain?
@RAISEYOURDONGERS1
I feel like he has some Daniel Johnston vibes here
@maghyo7950
no one can sing like me either, sounding like a racoon in pain isnt easy task
@brianrossiter2547
I think the only other male vocalist of his era who compared to him in sounding so angelic was Jeff Buckley
@gameboy281
Hearing "No alarms" on the proto version is pretty chilling experience knowing how the lyrics are on the final version
@Cricriiii
this high pitched voice in this song is very poignant. I mean i fucking love the official version which is around octave lover (don't want to check the key out), but this creates another emotion. in addition of the complete tiredness of life and no chance of relief at all of the official one, this adds something like fascination for the guy depicted in the song, painful fascination, it is making something beautiful out of something tragic. i fucking love thom's high pitches, so fragile.
@zacharyjohnston9449
This is a major 6 up. From F major (roughly) up to D. Meaning that the “a heart that’s full up like a landslide, goes from a c a a g f to f# a f# f# e d
@OnHighway61
Something about the vocals here. Haunting.