Lyrics for Oh No as interpreted by iamnotmozart

Oh No Lyrics
in the salsify mains of what was thought but unsaid
all the calcified arhythmitists were doing the math
it would take a calculated blow to the head
to light the eyes of all the harmless sociopaths
oh arm and arm we are the harmless sociopaths
oh arm and arm with all the harmless sociopaths
calcium mines were buried deep in your chest
oh calcim mines you buried deep in your chest
oh no we're deep in a mine
oh no a calcium mine
so let's get out of here
past the atmosphere
squint your eyes and no one dies
or goes to jail
past the silver bridge, oh the silver bridge
wearing nothing but a one-sie and a veil
oh oh deep in a mine,
oh oh a calcium mine
arm and arm we are the harmless sociopaths
arm and arm with all the harmless sociopaths
in the calcium mines buried deep in your chest
oh the calcium mines buried deep in your chest
oh oh deep in a mine
oh no-- calcium mines oh no



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chucklets
09-17-2009

Rated 0 
I think most people are "harmless sociopaths" in that we are all crazy and absurd and frustrated if we let ourselves admit it. But we don't. We 'grow up' and learn to behave ourselves instead. I like thinking this.
@ montare Thanks for the NYTimeslink!


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OlCaptainAhab
09-12-2009

Rated 0 
Hairend : You might like Fionn Regan and Elvis Perkins as they are both great modern songwriters, although in a more traditional way than Andrew Bird is.

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hairend
07-16-2009

Rated 0 
I love the beautiful assonance throughout this song. "Oh arm and arm we are the harmless sociopaths" and "calcium mine" sound so good. Before reading the lyrics I couldn't quite pick out the exact words, but they all bled into each other and flowed together so wonderfully. It's similar to how we think foreign languages sound beautiful because we're focusing primarily on the phonetics, rather than the literal meaning.

Andrew Bird may be the most excellent lyricist I have ever known, and if anyone knows of any better, do tell because I'd like to know their work as well.

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wilcofan_
03-15-2009

Rated 0 
Sort of a follow up on what iamnotmozart said:

Bird was on a plane, and behind him was a little boy just saying "Oh.. No.." and his mom said "It's okay! We're just going home!" but the kid just kept saying "Oh... No.."

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2 Replies
leeallstar
01-30-2009

Rated 0 
i like this song, and how he describes his intuitive process in the NY Times.
Its funny saying, "Harmless Sociopaths."

My thought on Andrew Bird's interpretation of sociopath-hood is like "gain for no remorse for your actions," except without the "gain" part because you are just empty. One should think of it as a metaphor for feeling nothing when you are suppose to at any rate of a situation. I get this image of when someone is gloomy and they are just starting into a wall. Maybe its depression setting in or that feeling of boredom is capitalized in his work. It's like he could be committing any sort of sociopath related action and that blank stare would set in like the loop of a waltz which is his chorus undertaking "arm and arm..."

I feel like the song is trying to say, "if I could feel something, I would," in any form of ambiguity.

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montare
01-22-2009

Rated 0 
We don't have to wonder what Andrew Bird meant -- he blogged about the writing process for "Oh No" on NYTimes.com. It's a rare look inside his amazing mind... http://measureformeasure.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/words-will-tell/

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fuckingmagical
01-05-2009

Rated 0 
I'm seriously addicted to the line "arm and arm we are the harmless sociopaths" I think it's brilliant and not to mention fun to sing! I love Bird's whistling; it just makes his songs so unique.

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coco_beware
12-08-2008

Rated 0 
i thought it was calcium mines Syd Baretts' deep in your chest :)

lovely song, could never've guessed that that was what it was about

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iamnotmozart
11-03-2008

Rated 0 
I KNOW! i've been listening to it every night on repeat until i fall asleep. I read that it's about how he saw this baby crying at an airport...not in the annoying way...but in the so sad it's beautiful type of way. The crying made him think of how easy it is/ how socially acceptable it is to wear your emotions on your sleeves when you're young and how sad it is that with time humans basically become emotionally empty.

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iwishiwas
11-03-2008

Rated +1 
i love this song so fucking much

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