In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
About as subtle as an earthquake, I know
My mistakes were made for you
And in the back room of a bad dream, she came
And whisked me away, enthused
And it's solid as a rock rolling down a hill
The fact is that it probably will hit something
On the hazardous terrain
And were just following the flock, round
And the in between, before we smash to smithereens
Like they were, and we scrambled from the grain
And its the fame that put words in her mouth
She couldn't help, but spit em out
Innocence and arrogance intwined
In the filthiest of minds
She's was bitten on her birthday, and now
A face in the crowd, shes not
And i suspect that now, forever the shape
She came to escape, its forgot
And it's a lot to ask and not to sting1
Give her less than everything
Around your crooked conscious she will wind
Cos were just following the flock round
And the in-between
Before we smash to smithereens
Like they were, and we scramble from the grain
And it's the fame that put words in her mouth
She couldn't help, but spit em out
Around your crooked conscious she will wind
And it's a lot to ask and not to sting
Giver her less than everything
Innocence and arrogance intwined
My mistakes were made for you
And in the back room of a bad dream, she came
And whisked me away, enthused
And it's solid as a rock rolling down a hill
The fact is that it probably will hit something
On the hazardous terrain
And were just following the flock, round
And the in between, before we smash to smithereens
Like they were, and we scrambled from the grain
And its the fame that put words in her mouth
She couldn't help, but spit em out
Innocence and arrogance intwined
In the filthiest of minds
She's was bitten on her birthday, and now
A face in the crowd, shes not
And i suspect that now, forever the shape
She came to escape, its forgot
And it's a lot to ask and not to sting1
Give her less than everything
Around your crooked conscious she will wind
Cos were just following the flock round
And the in-between
Before we smash to smithereens
Like they were, and we scramble from the grain
And it's the fame that put words in her mouth
She couldn't help, but spit em out
Around your crooked conscious she will wind
And it's a lot to ask and not to sting
Giver her less than everything
Innocence and arrogance intwined
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I get this feeling from the song that he's speaking about meeting a girl when he was getting famous; his fame "put words in her mouth." Afterwards she started being known too ("a face in the crowd, she's not") and that's why a relationship that was powerful ("rock") rolled down the "hazardous terrain" of celebrity. She couldn't "not sting," she was "arrogance," and he couldn't "give her less than everything ("innocence"), so it was over.
I absolutely love the title. I think that's what they would say to each other in the end; they got the fame they worked for, and it was a mistake from the relationship point of view, but it was a mistake they did for each other, trying to be perfect. They ended up "scrambling from the blame" in the public eye.
Not sure, though, just the way it sounds to me. Amazing song!
I think that it's about 2 people who are very selfish..Especially the girl is very confident and independent and has a certain "attitude" that drives him crazy..He starts feeling inferior and jealous because that girl is so different..as a face in the crowd she's not...since she was born.He's thinking of breaking up because he thinks he cant handle all this love but he can't do that..He keeps giving her nothing less than everything...and her realising his weakness towards her makes her "sting" all the time...It's a vicious cycle ...A relationship full of trouble and fights that is probably going to end with both of them being hurt....they're going to smash into smitherins....... That's how I interpretate this song.....It's a piece of art.....about relationships including so strong emotions that will unavoidably end bad...........so true....
Yeah this may be my favourite song of theirs along with their Bowie cover which is fecking awesome
i love it bloody amazing though im not too sure what it means
this is probably the best song in the album. I LOVE that song.
i think it's about someone who becomes famous really fast while they're still young so they're "innocence and arrogance entwined". and they just like follow the crowd and do whatever people tell them to because they're still pretty naive.
It's about a girl who gets famous and she starts to get into that celebrity mindset and she begins to think of herself as royalty.
im absolutely infatuated with this song, get ready for a long expliation of my interpritation of this Art.
While listening to this song, im usually driving, and on my way home i was thinking to myself, "what if he's not talking about a girl, what its more of a thing, or a feeling." then i got goose bumps..Destiny, Fate...if u replace to all the "you"s, "she"s and "her"s with the word "Destiny" or "Choice"..so here is my inturpretation; right from the first line "about as subtle as an earthquake i know, my mistakes were made for you" its basically saying everything happens for a reason-even your mistakes.
"and in the backroom of a bad dream she came and whisked me away enthused" Traslation=="sometimes i would be having a bad part of my life, then Destiny revals why it is im going thru such torture and it all works out"
"And it's as solid as a rock rolling down a hill,The fact is that it probably will hit something, On the hazardous terrain" here i belive it means "Things may be going smoothly right at this moment, but if history is any indicator, im destin to hit bumps in the road"
3rd verse---interpritation=== "we may choose to be around people until they crash and get into trouble, and when they doo crash, we scramble to get away from any blame or fault" "and the reason you chose to do this is for the Fame, but Destiny had other plans for u and she spits u out of those plans"
4th verse----interpritation==="as soon as we r born, we have a destiny, a unique destiny, one that only we can fufill u cant escape it"
"and its a lot to ask her not to sting, give her less than everything, innocence and arrogance entwined in the fithiest of minds"===traslation==="you cant always have it your way"
sorry if im waaaay off the mark. but there is what i hear when i listen to it..perhaps if u listen to it the way i just explained, then it might sound like a whole new song ;)
one love, J.Temptation (myspace.com/money_mann)
wow thats a really unique interpretation but i totally get it! your interpretation makes perfect sense and it gives the song a lot more meaning than if he were talking about a girl, so i hope ur right!
I don't know either but I do know this is a very captivating song - certainly my favourite song of the last year or two. Interesting way of looking at it.
@johnnytemptation - i like that interpretation, it fits the song perfectly, but i see it in another way although i may be completely wrong. i see it as though it is saying that some people who lie are oblivious to the fact it will come back to haunt them. my favourite line is the first line about as subtle as an earthquake i know, my mistake were made for you" < how i translate this. you usually feel earthquakes and they are usually very destructive. he is kinda saying that the way he tells his lies probably seem little and not a major deal but in actuall fact he knows how destructive it could be. i think the next lines show this aswell. especially "And it's as solid as a rock rolling down a hill, The fact is that it probably will hit something,On the hazardous terrain." i think here he is saying that his lies are slowly becoming apparent and people are taking notice of them. just like a rock going down the hill his lies will probably hit a point were they dont take affect anymore and just simply break up into nothing. the other bits about the girl, well maybe shes the one whos recognised them and starts playing on his conscieonce, telling his that if he doesnt stop others will notice it and if he doesnt give her something then she will sprag on him and get him into alot of trouble, hense the " And it's a lot to ask her not to sting.And give her less than everything"Around your crooked conscious she will wind" his crooked conscience is the lying part of him. cba to put owt else, thats how i see it
this song is pure beatuy, and the whole album is inspiring. But I think Alex Turner is the only one who knows the true meaning of the lyrics. many of his lyrics seems to be small stories that he has in his head without really having a real in action relation to them.