The song No Surprises by Radiohead portrays the intense boredom and apathy that Holden feels towards the world in chapters 17 and 18. In these chapters Holden is living a life of "no alarms and no surprises" and attending a school that he hates, "a job that slowly kills [him]" because of the "phony" students around him and the lack of relevance he feels about his classes. Holden asks his date Sally to join him in the forest, stating that he would "take a quiet life" away from society and the phoniness of large cities like New York. Holden also brings up fairly often that he would like to commit suicide, or in the song, take "A handshake of carbon monoxide"
Lyrics:
A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired and 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
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, such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises please let me out of here
The song No Surprises expresses Holden's loneliness and apathy towards life and the people around him as he progresses down a darkening path of depression and detachment from the real world. The highlighted lyrics, specifically
"I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent"
show Holden's passionate desire to get away from all of the phoniness and hustle and bustle of the city to a quiet secluded home in the woods, or later in Colorado. These few lines of the song also depict Holden's dream of being "the Catcher in the Rye" "I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."(173) Holden describes a simple life of being a protective figure and keeping Innocence in tact. The song No Surprises and this famous Holden Caulfield quote seem to be practically synonymous. This song is expresses Holden's isolation from the phyhsical world around him and his desire for being nothing but "the catcher in the rye." The song shows a sense of apathy and indifference that are extremely reminiscent of Holden's own views, as well as the feeling of being "so damn depressed and lonesome"(153)
While I don't agree that the song says the same thing as Holden about being a protective figure, the song does agree with Holden's wish to escape humanity and live a simple life. The song also is similar to Holden's mind because Holden too has "bruises that won't heal," like the death of his brother. I agree with Heru that the song expresses Holden's isolation from the physical world because it talks about taking a quiet life with no alarms and no surprises. I think that this was a good song choice to convey Holden's mind because it mirrors Holden's desire to escape from humanity and life a life of peace.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with Julia and Heru, I also feel that this song relates to Holden's low-key and routine life. Holden doesn't really have "alarms [or] surprises" in his life, and he digs himself deeper and deeper into a hole, almost to the point of insanity from loneliness and from a constant routine. I agree that the song represent Holden's need and want to get away from any and all phoniness.
ReplyDelete