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.
Do you worry that you're not liked?
How long 'til you break
You're happy 'cause you smile
But how much can you fake?
An ordinary boy, an ordinary name
But ordinary's just not good enough today
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, I'm thinking
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, Superman's dead
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, is it in my head?
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, we'll just laugh instead
You worry about the weather and
Whether or not you should hate
Are you worried about your faith?
Kneel down and obey
You're happy you're in love
You need someone to hate
An ordinary girl, an ordinary waist
But ordinary's just not good enough today
Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, I'm thinking
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, Superman's dead
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, is it in my head?
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, we'll just laugh instead
You worry about the weather and whether or not you should hate
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah
Why-ee-I-ee-I-I
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah
Why-ee-I-ee-I-I
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
That the world's a subway, subway, I
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
That the world's a subway, subway, I
That the world's a subway, subway, I
Doesn't any, any, any, any, any
Doesn't any, any, any, any, any
Doesn't any, any, any, any, any
That the world's a subway, subway, I
That the world's a subway, subway
How long 'til you break
You're happy 'cause you smile
But how much can you fake?
An ordinary boy, an ordinary name
But ordinary's just not good enough today
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, I'm thinking
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, Superman's dead
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, is it in my head?
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, we'll just laugh instead
You worry about the weather and
Whether or not you should hate
Are you worried about your faith?
Kneel down and obey
You're happy you're in love
You need someone to hate
An ordinary girl, an ordinary waist
But ordinary's just not good enough today
Alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, alone, I'm thinking
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, Superman's dead
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, is it in my head?
Ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah, we'll just laugh instead
You worry about the weather and whether or not you should hate
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
And ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo, ow, a-woo
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah
Why-ee-I-ee-I-I
Why-ee-I-ee-I-ee, yeah
Why-ee-I-ee-I-I
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
That the world's a subway, subway, I
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
Doesn't anybody ever know?
That the world's a subway, subway, I
That the world's a subway, subway, I
Doesn't any, any, any, any, any
Doesn't any, any, any, any, any
Doesn't any, any, any, any, any
That the world's a subway, subway, I
That the world's a subway, subway
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according to raine maida, this song is about the idea of superman, and how it is dead. he said it's about the idea of the stereotypical 1950's, being a gentleman, morals and such, and how they are dead in today's society. for example, you never see a bunch of kids go out to toss around a football anymore. all our innocence is gone and there's no one to protect us anymore.
i think this song is basically what everyone else has said, but i think the thing about "an ordinary girl and ordinary waist" is the main key to the song. In this day and age people don't believe in superheros etc, but focus more on popstars and models so girls feel the need to look like them to be happy, when they dont :) i dno :P it cud be interepreted differently but when i listen to the song i think about how i have an ordinary body and shud be happy with my life and myself and what i am :)
i love this song. i defintately see the bullying interpretation, but the first time i heard the song it made me think of something else. I interpreted "superman's dead" as meaning that there is no one to save you from yourself. I thought the other phrases were talking about never being good enough for yourself and trying to pretend like you're fine when you're far from it.
I was really into this song when I started seriously doubting my religon that I was deeply immersed in. I related Superman being dead to everything I once believed in as a total fabrication. And I saw the false happiness as the blind, image-conscious behavior I was living as a member of my church. The ordinary name and ordinary waist deal I related to problems with eating disorders and low self-esteem. I guess I was really off on the true meaning of the song, but that's the great thing about music: anyone can bring their own interpretation into it. Who knows, maybe I'm just stupid.
@swellmelmel I don't think you're stupid. I think you make a lot of sense. In the song he says, "Now you're worried about your faith, kneel down and obey." To me it's a person, the storyteller, realizing that he/she is just being told what to think and to just kneel down and pray and obey what they're being told and sold and fed. They realize everything they've been told and taught is wrong or a lie or could be wrong, and they are "worried about their faith". They lost their faith and realize that Superman / God / their Savior is dead, or everything they believed in is dead or wrong. Self doubt, insecurity, and not knowing if everything is true or a lie: things that a lot of people struggle with during their lifetime. And I agree with you, that's a great thing about music and lyrics-- anyone can bring their own personal interpretation to it.
this song is so amazing! its probably the first real rock song i ever liked back in 96 or whenever it came out. OLP is the one of the most underrated bands in history. Its a shame there starting to break through internationally when there music is worse than when they were only big here in Canada
I totally agree that OLP is underrated, I loved them when I first heard Supermans Dead, and I bought the cd, and NO one knew who they were!
This song is about how the internet, particularly sites like Youtube, mitigates achievement. The first verse is line-for-line describing how people seek acceptance and recognition through appearance, but an ordinary appearance just isn't good enough today. Internet (media) has promoted insecurity, and so we now turn to faking it. "Superman" is every one of us, used to having an effect on people but now "dead" since there is always someone on the internet doing it better or more effectively. Our 'superpowers,' be it playing Dragonforce pretty well on expert or selling a pretty affordable local product, have been undercut by the internet. If we have local superpowers, are they still real or just superficial ("in my head")? Either way we laugh it off and concern ourselves with mundane details like the weather; after all, you can't compete on the internet unless you're the world's best of the best.
The second verse addresses the internet directly, instead of the user. "Faith" in the internet, in "love" with the internet, so who can we "hate"/blame for its drawbacks? Maybe its us, we laugh and discuss the weather but "ordinary's just not good enough today."
I agree with the previous interpretations for the outro: the subway is the fast moving, one-way path of technological development, anonymity and collective obscurity. I thought this was very profound for 1996.
There is no right/wrong song interpretation, folks.
How can a song from 1996, when 95% of people were on dial up, be about the internet and sites like Youtube which did not exist yet?<br /> <br /> A personal connection with a song can not be disputed, but an interpretation can be wrong.
How can a song from 1996, when 95% of people were on dial up, be about the internet and sites like Youtube which did not exist yet?<br /> <br /> A personal connection with a song can not be disputed, but an interpretation can be wrong.
How can a song from 1996, when 95% of people were on dial up, be about the internet and sites like Youtube which did not exist yet?<br /> <br /> A personal connection with a song can not be disputed, but an interpretation can be wrong.
one of the first songs i have heard from our lady peace...a favorite of mine
yeah, this song is about bullying. I thought this song was about the person doing the bullying, not the person being bullied, but who am I to say. The point is, there's always someone whose bigger and thinks that they're better than you and will do anything and everything to show that, or someone whose beneath you who you can do the same to and push around. Either way, through all your fake happiness for the sake of getting by and not proving weak, in reality each day is tougher than the previous. For the targeted, by superman's dead, i think he's showing a limit where he (or she) can no longer take it, and doubt is shadowing over everything. Or if it’s the person who is bullying, again, it comes down to their self-described happiness or lack thereof, just dealing with yourself instead of passing it on to others to hide it. “we'll just laugh instead you worry about the weather and whether or not you should hate” realizing it, that’s when it sucks and that’s what I think the song is about.
long and confusing, sorry.
I also think that this song is about bullying. Some of the lines lead me to believe that it is about the bully, not the person who is being bullied. To me, "superman's dead" is the bully questioning him/herself. The bully was upholding a kind of bravado of emotional and physical strengh. His/her own personal idea of 'superman'. Then he/she realized that they weren't strong at all, instead they were the epitome of weak. Superman is dead, and they are empty.